You are invited into DP’s Season of Lament. Since John Sparker’s message on Lament in May of 2020, several leaders have been gathering and seeking the Lord to ask if lament could be part of God’s prescription for the body of Christ to experience greater emotional health and well being. Evidence suggests that trauma or its effects can be stored within the physical body, resulting in impaired emotional health. Four key factors in emotional health include Identifying, Feeling, Processing, and Releasing. This process is very similar to the process of lamentation as we see it patterned throughout the Bible, both individually and corporately.
We believe that setting apart a dedicated season from August 29 to September 11 to practice guided expressions of corporate and individual lament is an opportunity for Dwelling Place to grow in emotional health and wellness. (insert Danielle and Tullio video link here)
The lament season includes:
August 29: Lament Service - A time of worship, guided corporate prayer, and individual prayer stations, where we can lament corporately and individually related to topics like the pandemic, racial injustice, chronic illness, death, and relational loss.
August 30 - September 11: Prayer Room with Stations - An opportunity to lament individually by engaging in a variety of prayer stations designed to guide you through the lament process.
September 1 and 8: Harp and Bowl Prayer Nights - A time of corporate lament through worship and prayer using the harp and bowl model.
September 12: Testimony Service - An opportunity to testify to what the Lord has done during the lament season.
Before inviting the corporate body of Dwelling Place to experience the lament season, our desire is for the leaders to have an opportunity to first lament together individually and corporately. We also desire to apply any lessons learned from the leaders only service that might improve the lament season experience for the wider fellowship.
There are additional resources on the DP Event page that also maybe helpful as you consider participation. Please reach out to the elders if you have any questions about the lament season. We appreciate your grace, mercy, and prayers as we seek to respond to what we believe is the Lord’s invitation to lament that we might experience greater health and wholeness.
Resources
Insert Ben Bradford’s Harp & Bowl Video here
Psalms of Lament (resource here)
Study the Psalms of Lament the lament resource
https://www.franciscanmedia.org/franciscan-spirit-blog/biblical-laments-prayer-out-of-pain
https://www.dur.ac.uk/resources/theologyandministry/TheologyandMinistry1_8.pdf