Lamenting Racism Participant Journal

Racism feeds on denial. Lament moves us to tell the truth. And the truth can set us free. Stories of racial injustice fill our news feeds. Yet for too long many in the church have been hesitant to speak up about racism in its many forms. We fear offending others, of using the wrong words, of not knowing what to say. In Lamenting Racism, a team of leading pastors and theologians invite us into the transformative and motivating practice of biblical lament as a powerful way to confront racism. Through their conversations in six thought-provoking videos, they name that God's people of every race are called to consider how we have been shaped and formed by race, and they guide us into experiencing lament as an anti-racism practice. Encouraging congregations to reclaim the lost art of biblical lament, these pastors and theologians model a powerful way to pour out the fear, shame, grief, and rage of racism as we cry out to God in prayer. In the process, we will be transformed and motivated to reclaim hope and to act for a world shaped by God's inclusive vision of love and blessing. This six-session study invites church groups to engage in the practice of biblical lament as a powerful tool in the church's struggle against racism.