Psalms of Lament as a Resource for Contemporary Christian Worship

Abstract

This thesis claims that Contemporary Christian Worship (CCW) currently does not include songs of lament which were significant in the worship of Israel and the Early Church. Moreover, a proper understanding of both the genre and function of lament can play a formative role in the enrichment of CCW which seeks to be genuinely biblical. It begins with an overview of the biblical usage of lament in the Old and New Testaments, with special emphasis given to the way Jesus transforms the lament for a New Testament context. Through a qualitative analysis of the most popular songs in the CCW movement the thesis shows that lament is missing from its music. Since this thesis argues that lament should be sung in CCW services it also demonstrates the importance of singing for Christian worship. Using four lament psalms as examples of the genre it focuses on four primary lessons that laments teach the contemporary Christian, concluding with the creation of two laments in CCW style music as examples of how the genre can be used in a contemporary context.