The Psalms of Lament and the Transformation of Sorrow

Abstract

This article explores how the psalms of lament can be used as a resource for pastoral care, and how ultimately they point toward the transformation of sorrow. Relying on Walter Brueggemann's scheme of orientation - disorientation - new orientation as a way to recognize the depth of human experience, the article sees the laments as honest engagement and dialogue with God within a covenantal relationship where hurt and pain are acknowledged rather than denied and avoided. The implications of using the psalms of lament in pastoral care and in Clinical Pastoral Education are discussed.