Mentored by Lament: Preaching Towards Imagination in Divisive and Overwhelming Times

In the midst of ongoing traumatic local and national realities, communities may find themselves overwhelmed and divided on how to respond or feel. Even more, communities may struggle with suppressed imagination, struggling to conceive of a future. And yet, preachers and public proclaimers are called upon to “offer a Word” of God’s redemptive possibilities in the midst of these communities. While events may feel novel or unprecedented, preachers and proclaimers may find a guide and mentor in the ancient practice of lament. Proclamation that is shaped by lament might allow preachers to gather disparate emotions and responses in the community, summon people to collective witness, unite the lamenting community around a shared conviction, and ultimately (re)ignite holy imagination.