The Psalms of lament in spiritual companionship

Abstract

The Psalms of Lament are the psalms which best express our deepest wounds before God. In view of this, focusing on the Lament Psalms, this dissertation explores the role these hold in the practice of spiritual companionship. If the spiritual journey is our ability to transcend that which we can see and feel, how can the Psalms of Lament serve as a model and method in the practice of spiritual companionship? In an attempt to address this question, this research will examine the psalmist’s ability to move beyond the afflicted circumstance and cling to God through the expression of lament. In this way, lament becomes for the psalmist and for the one seeking spiritual companionship the pathway which leads to a more profound relationship with God.