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Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy: Discovering the Grace of Lament
Lament is how you live between the poles of a hard life and trusting God's goodness.
Lament is how we bring our sorrow to God--but it is a neglected dimension of the Christian life for many Christians today. We need to recover the practice of honest spiritual struggle that gives us permission to vocalize our pain and wrestle with our sorrow. Lament avoids trite answers and quick solutions, progressively moving us toward deeper worship and trust.
Exploring how the Bible--through the psalms of lament and the book of Lamentations--gives voice to our pain, this book invites us to grieve, struggle, and tap into the rich reservoir of grace and mercy God offers in the darkest moments of our lives.
Lament is how we bring our sorrow to God--but it is a neglected dimension of the Christian life for many Christians today. We need to recover the practice of honest spiritual struggle that gives us permission to vocalize our pain and wrestle with our sorrow. Lament avoids trite answers and quick solutions, progressively moving us toward deeper worship and trust.
Exploring how the Bible--through the psalms of lament and the book of Lamentations--gives voice to our pain, this book invites us to grieve, struggle, and tap into the rich reservoir of grace and mercy God offers in the darkest moments of our lives.
224 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 2019
1831 people are currently reading
10726 people want to read
About the author
Mark Vroegop
9 books83 followersMark Vroegop (MDiv, Grand Rapids Theological Seminary) is the lead pastor of College Park Church in Indianapolis, Indiana. He is a conference speaker, a council member with the Gospel Coalition, a trustee of Cedarville University, and the author of Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy. Mark blogs at markvroegop.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,115 reviews
March 24, 2022
This is an excellent treatise on lament, a topic I have been exploring quite accidentally lately. It is a book I can imagine reading again.
If you haven’t explored the idea of lament it will probably bring you great comfort in the sorrows of this life and it is also a key way to weep with those who weep.
If you haven’t explored the idea of lament it will probably bring you great comfort in the sorrows of this life and it is also a key way to weep with those who weep.
July 27, 2021
This is one of those hard books to review. It is an important and necessary book, and the author has many wonderful, biblical, and important things to say about Lament.
However, more often than not, he would use phrases or words that sounded too mystical, that made the "practice" and "journey" of lament almost a desirable one, one that sounded too romantic. But I kept reading, because, as I already mentioned, after something "weird," I would read something very good.
At the end of the book, I understood perfectly what was that layer under the author's writing style. He writes about racism in a way that shows that he is fully into the CRT movement.
I am sad to say that I would hesitate to recommend this book to others without some sort of warning.
Some other books that I would recommend on this topic would be:
Facing Grief: Counsel for Mourners by Puritan John Flavel
The Clouds Ye So Much Dread: Hard Times and the Kindness of God, by Hannah Grieser
Psalms for Trials by Lindsey Tollefson
However, more often than not, he would use phrases or words that sounded too mystical, that made the "practice" and "journey" of lament almost a desirable one, one that sounded too romantic. But I kept reading, because, as I already mentioned, after something "weird," I would read something very good.
At the end of the book, I understood perfectly what was that layer under the author's writing style. He writes about racism in a way that shows that he is fully into the CRT movement.
I am sad to say that I would hesitate to recommend this book to others without some sort of warning.
Some other books that I would recommend on this topic would be:
Facing Grief: Counsel for Mourners by Puritan John Flavel
The Clouds Ye So Much Dread: Hard Times and the Kindness of God, by Hannah Grieser
Psalms for Trials by Lindsey Tollefson
February 3, 2020
This book is absolutely phenomenal. Every page is soaked in a careful pastoralness, awareness and passion for the Scriptures, and experience in the lived reality of the world that makes lament so important. Read this and encourage others to read it. And then follow through by immersing yourself in the Psalms and embarking on a journey of radically honest (but believing) prayer. Vroegop's message is so needed, and so disastrously misunderstood that the hole it can fill is itself cause for lament. Christianity is not escapism, positive thinking, or emotional therapy. It is so much more than that, and this book leads the way into a forgotten practice that shows why.
August 23, 2019
This book was incredible. Before reading it, I don’t know that I really had any idea that there was a vital part of my Christian life so completely lacking. And never before have a realized that lamenting was such an important aspect of a Christian’s life. Every Christian should read this book. It will not only change the way we see pain and sorrow, but it will also help us learn what to do with them and how to help others walk through them.
“No matter where we are in our journey, lament is a means of mercy.” (p.194)
“No matter where we are in our journey, lament is a means of mercy.” (p.194)
June 29, 2020
The introduction to my review is expressing an appreciation for Mark Vroegop. I feel differently critiquing books written by pastors who are real fallible people doing their best to love God and love people. It feels pretty different than enjoying heckling terribly written fiction. Critiquing a pastor's book (or a Christian book) can sometimes seem like I know their heart, and I don't.
This book was frustrating for me to read all the way throughout. I had a realization though, 80% of the way through. If this book had just been titled something along the lines of "Lament: Dealing with Personal Tragedy and Difficulty" it would have been framed in a completely different way to me (with the focus on the word "personal.") When I approach the word lament, I tend to think in big terms -- corporately, global, suffering, mysterious, an enormous God that is impossible to wrap my head around.
Instead, this book deals with the personal. The framing event is a stillborn baby -- an awful tragedy to be sure -- and goes on to note things like wayward children, failing to become pregnant, and funerals of people you love. These are terrible things to be grieved. But the book just echoes throughout each of the chapters -- individualistic, individualistic, individualistic. To me, it feels like a thoroughly White Male Evangelical point of view.
Now, the theology and talking points and encouragement around that isn't bad -- not at all -- it just feels limited when I thought I was reading a book on lament.
It also results in problems when reading on p. 116: "These verses assure us that all suffering has limits and purpose." Boy. That is a difficult thing to sum up in a sentence. And the book doesn't leave a whole lot of mystery to that in an effort to "Romans 8" a lot of individual suffering. Speaking personally, I can Romans-8 watching relationships fall apart, or job disappointments hit in waves, or all sorts of things. But to think corporately, to just "Romans8" global tragedy, like a tsumani in Indonesia, feels glib.
The author does get to some less individualistic lament in Chapter 7. While before he was vague about lamenting societal issues, he does start to "go there" in this chapter. But he decides to go there by lamenting the legalization of same-sex marriage.
Good gracious.
With all that we have to lament in this world, extending tax breaks to gay couples, many of whom may not even identify with a Christian ethic, is totally beyond me.
Of all the things to choose -- this book is written post-Trump, post-Charlottesville -- THIS is what he chooses? Legalizing same sex marriage (and marijuana) is the signal that the "moral tide has shifted"? (p. 122).
This chapter goes on to lament feeling like an exile in a narrative that rings all-too-true of the "persecuted American Christian" narrative that partially got Trump elected.
Racial equity doesn't even get mentioned until Chapter 10, and to me, who's already approaching SBC-burnout, this is just the tongue-in-cheek perfect explanation why -- the prioritization beating up on legislation focused on the LGBT community over issues like equity. (There's a quote somewhere about how American Christians are known more for what we're against than what we are for).
So, there you have it. The individualistic nature of the book isn't bad, but I just thought I was getting something different. So then, when things go global suffering, they are thin and lacking to me. Do I think Mark Vroegop doesn't care about equity? No - not at all. I actually followed him on Twitter for a while before posting this review. I actually think he has a book on racial equity coming out.
For a book on personal tragedy, this seems like a good place to start.
For a book on theology of suffering, corporate lament, or connecting personal theology to society, I would look elsewhere.
This book was frustrating for me to read all the way throughout. I had a realization though, 80% of the way through. If this book had just been titled something along the lines of "Lament: Dealing with Personal Tragedy and Difficulty" it would have been framed in a completely different way to me (with the focus on the word "personal.") When I approach the word lament, I tend to think in big terms -- corporately, global, suffering, mysterious, an enormous God that is impossible to wrap my head around.
Instead, this book deals with the personal. The framing event is a stillborn baby -- an awful tragedy to be sure -- and goes on to note things like wayward children, failing to become pregnant, and funerals of people you love. These are terrible things to be grieved. But the book just echoes throughout each of the chapters -- individualistic, individualistic, individualistic. To me, it feels like a thoroughly White Male Evangelical point of view.
Now, the theology and talking points and encouragement around that isn't bad -- not at all -- it just feels limited when I thought I was reading a book on lament.
It also results in problems when reading on p. 116: "These verses assure us that all suffering has limits and purpose." Boy. That is a difficult thing to sum up in a sentence. And the book doesn't leave a whole lot of mystery to that in an effort to "Romans 8" a lot of individual suffering. Speaking personally, I can Romans-8 watching relationships fall apart, or job disappointments hit in waves, or all sorts of things. But to think corporately, to just "Romans8" global tragedy, like a tsumani in Indonesia, feels glib.
The author does get to some less individualistic lament in Chapter 7. While before he was vague about lamenting societal issues, he does start to "go there" in this chapter. But he decides to go there by lamenting the legalization of same-sex marriage.
Good gracious.
With all that we have to lament in this world, extending tax breaks to gay couples, many of whom may not even identify with a Christian ethic, is totally beyond me.
Of all the things to choose -- this book is written post-Trump, post-Charlottesville -- THIS is what he chooses? Legalizing same sex marriage (and marijuana) is the signal that the "moral tide has shifted"? (p. 122).
This chapter goes on to lament feeling like an exile in a narrative that rings all-too-true of the "persecuted American Christian" narrative that partially got Trump elected.
Racial equity doesn't even get mentioned until Chapter 10, and to me, who's already approaching SBC-burnout, this is just the tongue-in-cheek perfect explanation why -- the prioritization beating up on legislation focused on the LGBT community over issues like equity. (There's a quote somewhere about how American Christians are known more for what we're against than what we are for).
So, there you have it. The individualistic nature of the book isn't bad, but I just thought I was getting something different. So then, when things go global suffering, they are thin and lacking to me. Do I think Mark Vroegop doesn't care about equity? No - not at all. I actually followed him on Twitter for a while before posting this review. I actually think he has a book on racial equity coming out.
For a book on personal tragedy, this seems like a good place to start.
For a book on theology of suffering, corporate lament, or connecting personal theology to society, I would look elsewhere.
April 17, 2025
I’m so grateful to have found this book! & to have experienced communal lament in the way he often describes❣️ “I now believe lamenting together is the church’s calling — a unique voice in the darkness.”
May 3, 2019
This is a pretty good book on an important topic, but it would have been better at ⅔ the length. The style is wordy and filled with too many, “By now, I hope you” get what I’ve said many times over, find my insights ground-breaking, and the like. I skimmed the last few chapters; I’d gotten the gist. The gist is good and worthwhile, but the prose is too often tedious to read.
September 21, 2024
I borrowed this book from a friend. I had never heard of it, but physical books are hard to come by, so you read what you have. It’s probably my favorite book of the year.
This year has been weird. There are days where I can’t believe that this is the life I get to live, and days where deep pain and doubt create a fog that obscures everything. I think I used to equate spiritual maturity with appearance of your trust in God. If you’re mature, hard circumstances won’t fill you with doubt, won’t wreck you, won’t even cause you to question God.
The idea that sorrow can also worship was new and somewhat life changing. It’s okay to come to God, full of questions and frustrations, even real anger. It’s okay to hate the injustice here on earth, to feel rage at abuse, to wonder why God seems to abandon us at the most crucial times, to weep over the sin and suffering we see.
Lament provides space for our raw, honest feelings, while reminding us of truth.
The key words are but & yet.
The world is full of suffering.
I am broken.
God seems far away.
We have no idea what he’s doing.
But
God is good.
He is still reigning.
He will restore. Someday.
Yet
There is hope.
Heaven is coming.
I choose to trust.
“Lament is the song we sing between pain and promise.”
This year has been weird. There are days where I can’t believe that this is the life I get to live, and days where deep pain and doubt create a fog that obscures everything. I think I used to equate spiritual maturity with appearance of your trust in God. If you’re mature, hard circumstances won’t fill you with doubt, won’t wreck you, won’t even cause you to question God.
The idea that sorrow can also worship was new and somewhat life changing. It’s okay to come to God, full of questions and frustrations, even real anger. It’s okay to hate the injustice here on earth, to feel rage at abuse, to wonder why God seems to abandon us at the most crucial times, to weep over the sin and suffering we see.
Lament provides space for our raw, honest feelings, while reminding us of truth.
The key words are but & yet.
The world is full of suffering.
I am broken.
God seems far away.
We have no idea what he’s doing.
But
God is good.
He is still reigning.
He will restore. Someday.
Yet
There is hope.
Heaven is coming.
I choose to trust.
“Lament is the song we sing between pain and promise.”
January 21, 2024
There has been no book that has helped me more through a time of suffering than this book. It has been deeply formative and healing both spiritually and emotionally. Both practical and theologically/biblically informative, I will come back to this again and again and again. This should be required reading for every Christian to learn how lament can be a means of grace in personal trial, and to help better minister to others in their pain. 10/10!!!
October 5, 2025
1. This is an extremely helpful book!!
2. I did not agree with every single individual thing that was said, and I wish it had been a little more gospel focused.
3. It’s genuinely so good, everyone should read it.
4. Do try to read it before you’re in a season of suffering. It’s a great way to prepare
5. The audio narration was objectively bad and robotic. I wish I’d read the physical copy, particularly bc the discussion questions were amazing and it would have been cool to write our answers
6. The author was helpful in pointing out that we don’t need to be actively experiencing intense grief to lament. We can lament with others over their grief, over our own disappointment or even over the state of the world.
Highly recommend
2. I did not agree with every single individual thing that was said, and I wish it had been a little more gospel focused.
3. It’s genuinely so good, everyone should read it.
4. Do try to read it before you’re in a season of suffering. It’s a great way to prepare
5. The audio narration was objectively bad and robotic. I wish I’d read the physical copy, particularly bc the discussion questions were amazing and it would have been cool to write our answers
6. The author was helpful in pointing out that we don’t need to be actively experiencing intense grief to lament. We can lament with others over their grief, over our own disappointment or even over the state of the world.
Highly recommend
April 5, 2024
“Lament is the honest cry of a hurting heart wrestling with the paradox of pain and the promise of God’s goodness.”
This book made me wish I’d read it two years ago. It gave me both (1) permission and (2) practicality: permission to lament/cry out in complaint to God, and practicality in the form of structure in doing so, with the ultimate goal of a deeper walk with Him. Will be thinking about and incorporating this for a while.
Aside: In the immediate aftermath of deep grief and hardship, people are (understandably so) quick to offer books and resources. I’ve personally been reluctant to do so; however, this is one that I do think someone on the very raw beginnings of grief could find helpful!
This book made me wish I’d read it two years ago. It gave me both (1) permission and (2) practicality: permission to lament/cry out in complaint to God, and practicality in the form of structure in doing so, with the ultimate goal of a deeper walk with Him. Will be thinking about and incorporating this for a while.
Aside: In the immediate aftermath of deep grief and hardship, people are (understandably so) quick to offer books and resources. I’ve personally been reluctant to do so; however, this is one that I do think someone on the very raw beginnings of grief could find helpful!
June 4, 2025
Great framework for not just pretending everything is ok and actually dealing with the pain one will inevitably deal with in life. Maybe longer than it needed to be…
I appreciated the stories he shared and his personal testimony of learning to lament.
I appreciated the stories he shared and his personal testimony of learning to lament.
January 10, 2025
Have you ever prayed a prayer of lament?
Have you read through the Psalms and wondered if you could approach God with such raw honesty and deep sorrow?
Learning to lament is vital for us as believers. It allows us to walk through suffering and difficulties faithfully with the Lord, rather than stuffing down or avoiding the pain tied to our circumstances. Scripture teaches us how, and in Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy: Rediscovering the Grace of Lament by Mark Vroegop, we’re given a framework to both understand and respond to the brokenness of this world before the Lord.
As the author writes, “the aim of this book is to help you discover the grace of lament—to encourage you to find deep mercy in dark clouds.” He answers the questions about what lament is, what the Bible teaches us in the Psalms and Lamentations, and how we, as believers, can (and should) incorporate lament into our corporate and individual prayer.
You don’t need to be struggling with grief or loss for this book to be helpful. Honestly, I kinda avoided it for awhile because I felt anxious about how I’d respond to reading a book on lament while wounds of suffering lingered. But, you know what, these truths were a balm for the raw soreness of my heart; an encouragement my soul was blessed by.
This will be a benefit for those leading ministries, to give a framework for lament, but also for you personally. We all wrestle through difficult times and here we learn how to pray intentionally and faithfully through it.
I hope you’ll pick it up!
{check out the full review here:https://www.amberthiessen.com/post/ho...}
Have you read through the Psalms and wondered if you could approach God with such raw honesty and deep sorrow?
Learning to lament is vital for us as believers. It allows us to walk through suffering and difficulties faithfully with the Lord, rather than stuffing down or avoiding the pain tied to our circumstances. Scripture teaches us how, and in Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy: Rediscovering the Grace of Lament by Mark Vroegop, we’re given a framework to both understand and respond to the brokenness of this world before the Lord.
As the author writes, “the aim of this book is to help you discover the grace of lament—to encourage you to find deep mercy in dark clouds.” He answers the questions about what lament is, what the Bible teaches us in the Psalms and Lamentations, and how we, as believers, can (and should) incorporate lament into our corporate and individual prayer.
You don’t need to be struggling with grief or loss for this book to be helpful. Honestly, I kinda avoided it for awhile because I felt anxious about how I’d respond to reading a book on lament while wounds of suffering lingered. But, you know what, these truths were a balm for the raw soreness of my heart; an encouragement my soul was blessed by.
This will be a benefit for those leading ministries, to give a framework for lament, but also for you personally. We all wrestle through difficult times and here we learn how to pray intentionally and faithfully through it.
I hope you’ll pick it up!
{check out the full review here:https://www.amberthiessen.com/post/ho...}
April 15, 2025
I only picked this book up because it was next on my study program list. Little did I know that it would help guide me in my ministry and my own walk with the Lord. I highly recommend this book to every Christian, especially those with a hard story and those who don't know how to turn to God in sorrow.
April 5, 2019
For awhile now I've been looking for a book on the biblical liturgy of lament, and I found this one to be an excellent starting place. I will be recommending this book far and wide.
What I liked most about this book is that it is so full of scripture. Vroegop doesn't just give us a theology of lament, but he shows us from the Psalms and from Lamentations. A major section of the book is simply working through some of the lament passages in scripture.
Essentially, Vroegop argues that lament is biblical, it is an expression of faith, it is the 'Christian' way of grieving, and it serves an important role in shaping and forming us for the Christian life. Furthermore, he focuses not just on individual laments, but how we and should lament with others, lament corporately, even in an age where lament is often forgotten or completely disregarded in Christian circles. (Examples here would be the popularity of 'celebrations of life' instead of funerals, and what I'd call 'happy-clappy worship music' rather than congregational singing based upon the pattern seen in the Psalms (which include lament, of course).
As good as the book is, I did have a few qualms. 1) It is a bit repetitive at times. It could've/should've been a shorter book. 2) I would have liked to see more emphasis on seeing Christ as the speaker in the Psalms (and in Lamentations!), and how He embodies the true epitome of lament. Of course, Jesus does play a prominent role in the book, but I feel the author missed a huge opportunity to turn a good book into a great book. Just too little biblical-theological development of Jesus as the center of biblical lament. 3) The covenantal focus of the Psalms of lament and Lamentations is clearly absent. I realize that I'm reading from a Confessionally Reformed (Baptist) perspective, while the author doesn't necessarily share these views. But knowing the covenantal context of these OT passages (with proper law-gospel distinction) could have really opened the book up. 4) Several time he refers to lament as a 'means of grace'. But this lacks nuance. It is prayer that is a means of grace, properly speaking. Lament is one form of a prayer. This is perhaps splitting hairs, but I do think that one could misunderstand his statement and add confusion to what we mean when we speak of the 'means of grace.' 5) His chapter 'choose to trust' lacks nuance as well. I think I agree with the gist of his argument, but I did kind of get the impression that 'choosing to trust' in times of sorrow/suffering is a simple act of the will. The exception to this is on P85 when he does say that 'God helps you to keep trusting', which is where the emphasis should be, IMO (see proper law-gospel distinction above).
Nevertheless, I highly recommend the book. And I do so whether you or someone you know is going through difficulty or not. This book will teach you not just how to lament in specific times of suffering, but to see how lamenting the realities of living in a fallen world is an important, necessary, and biblical form of worship.
What I liked most about this book is that it is so full of scripture. Vroegop doesn't just give us a theology of lament, but he shows us from the Psalms and from Lamentations. A major section of the book is simply working through some of the lament passages in scripture.
Essentially, Vroegop argues that lament is biblical, it is an expression of faith, it is the 'Christian' way of grieving, and it serves an important role in shaping and forming us for the Christian life. Furthermore, he focuses not just on individual laments, but how we and should lament with others, lament corporately, even in an age where lament is often forgotten or completely disregarded in Christian circles. (Examples here would be the popularity of 'celebrations of life' instead of funerals, and what I'd call 'happy-clappy worship music' rather than congregational singing based upon the pattern seen in the Psalms (which include lament, of course).
As good as the book is, I did have a few qualms. 1) It is a bit repetitive at times. It could've/should've been a shorter book. 2) I would have liked to see more emphasis on seeing Christ as the speaker in the Psalms (and in Lamentations!), and how He embodies the true epitome of lament. Of course, Jesus does play a prominent role in the book, but I feel the author missed a huge opportunity to turn a good book into a great book. Just too little biblical-theological development of Jesus as the center of biblical lament. 3) The covenantal focus of the Psalms of lament and Lamentations is clearly absent. I realize that I'm reading from a Confessionally Reformed (Baptist) perspective, while the author doesn't necessarily share these views. But knowing the covenantal context of these OT passages (with proper law-gospel distinction) could have really opened the book up. 4) Several time he refers to lament as a 'means of grace'. But this lacks nuance. It is prayer that is a means of grace, properly speaking. Lament is one form of a prayer. This is perhaps splitting hairs, but I do think that one could misunderstand his statement and add confusion to what we mean when we speak of the 'means of grace.' 5) His chapter 'choose to trust' lacks nuance as well. I think I agree with the gist of his argument, but I did kind of get the impression that 'choosing to trust' in times of sorrow/suffering is a simple act of the will. The exception to this is on P85 when he does say that 'God helps you to keep trusting', which is where the emphasis should be, IMO (see proper law-gospel distinction above).
Nevertheless, I highly recommend the book. And I do so whether you or someone you know is going through difficulty or not. This book will teach you not just how to lament in specific times of suffering, but to see how lamenting the realities of living in a fallen world is an important, necessary, and biblical form of worship.
May 10, 2023
This book enters into the realness and brokenness of life and discusses the hard realities of grief and brokenness in the Christian life. It calls the one walking through deep pain to turn their tear-filled eyes to Christ through entering into Biblical lament which involves constantly turning to the Lord with our pain, calling him to act in response to our pain and in accordance with his character, and then choosing to trust him regardless of what has happened or what will happen. Throughout the process of lament the Lord in his kindness lavishes his deep grace and mercy upon the brokenhearted.
September 25, 2019
A book that I’m sure will be used and referenced in various seasons of ministry, did not quite meet the threshold of a great book for me. Great nuggets of wisdom, great pieces of practical application of God’s Word, but occasionally felt repetitive and danced around the point to seemingly meet some arbitrary word count.
This book touches on a topic that is rarely talked about in church, yet I felt it needed either less words or an expanded portion on grief and mourning.
This book touches on a topic that is rarely talked about in church, yet I felt it needed either less words or an expanded portion on grief and mourning.
March 4, 2022
The essential message of this book is that “lament is how we learn to live between the poles of a hard life and God’s goodness.”
The first few chapters of the book were worth its price. Vroegop’s exegesis of lament in the Bible, as well as the stories he tells to illustrate lament in the life of the church, were eye-opening to me. I’d recommend this to anyone who is experiencing hardship or who wants to walk alongside others who are suffering.
The first few chapters of the book were worth its price. Vroegop’s exegesis of lament in the Bible, as well as the stories he tells to illustrate lament in the life of the church, were eye-opening to me. I’d recommend this to anyone who is experiencing hardship or who wants to walk alongside others who are suffering.
May 6, 2025
“The avalanche of pain unearthed the question ‘why’. Over time I learned the hope of resting in ‘who’ God is.”
I picked up this book after receiving the horrible news that I was having another miscarriage. I didn’t know where to turn, but I remembered a friend had sent me this book many years ago. During a time of turmoil, I wanted to grieve well and not turn from God.
This book is now apart of my “grieving arsenal”. Mark Vroegop gently leads readers through what it means to lament and highlights how important it is in the Christian life. He focused on a key aspect that so many churches and Christians miss: we must weep with those who weep.
I picked up this book after receiving the horrible news that I was having another miscarriage. I didn’t know where to turn, but I remembered a friend had sent me this book many years ago. During a time of turmoil, I wanted to grieve well and not turn from God.
This book is now apart of my “grieving arsenal”. Mark Vroegop gently leads readers through what it means to lament and highlights how important it is in the Christian life. He focused on a key aspect that so many churches and Christians miss: we must weep with those who weep.
June 22, 2023
A must-read. It’s practical, approachable, and down to my level that I can (and have) apply it to my life and the lives of others. Tremendous resource for anyone in a leadership position at their church, particularly for those with soul care opportunities — but especially small group leaders.
December 15, 2023
This book has brought a new light to the days that are dark & hard. Everyone should read it! Im thankful for how God has used it in my life already.
February 17, 2024
Really liked this!! Excellent resource for grief. Talks about lament in the Bible, and teaches us how to do it- individually and in a group. Helpful!
December 20, 2025
“Lament is how you move from no to yes, and from why to who. While hard is hard, hard is not bad, because lament helps us embrace this paradox. And it changes us along the way.”
This book was a blessing and has transformed the way I think about lament in my life and as I walk with others through their pain. No doubt I’ll be thinking about this book for a while
This book was a blessing and has transformed the way I think about lament in my life and as I walk with others through their pain. No doubt I’ll be thinking about this book for a while
May 30, 2020
The most encouraging book I have read in years. Best quality of the book was the effect it had on me in the manner which it made me talk about suffering with others. I’ll return to this work often!
September 7, 2024
Navigating the profound pain of miscarriage is an incredibly personal and challenging journey. My wife and I faced this heartache recently during our first pregnancy, and in seeking solace and understanding, we decided to read this book together. Lament was not a concept I was very familiar with, but this book has taught me so much about how to suffer well and how to turn to the throne of Grace when we need it most. Presented as four steps: turning (addressing God), complaining, asking, and trusting -- the book guides you through the first several chapters of Lamentations and the appendix in the back offers a specific approach/study on what to read and how to cry out to God. Chapter ending questions were helpful as we went through the book together. Would recommend this to anyone going through a challenging season or for anyone who is walking alongside someone they love as they do.
"Keep trusting the one who keeps you trusting"
"Keep trusting the one who keeps you trusting"
October 3, 2023
In Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy, pastor Mark Vroegop seeks to restore the lost art of lament by helping readers discover the power of honest wrestling with the questions that come with grief and suffering.
The journal features fifteen devotions focused on psalms of lament. Each devotion includes an inspirational overview, a quote from Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy, guidance for how to outline the passage, space to write a personal lament, and a summary that includes five reflective questions and a brief prayer.
"Remember, lament is a prayer in pain that leads to trust."
God is always nearby. You can pray to God anytime.
4.8 stars rounded up ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The journal features fifteen devotions focused on psalms of lament. Each devotion includes an inspirational overview, a quote from Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy, guidance for how to outline the passage, space to write a personal lament, and a summary that includes five reflective questions and a brief prayer.
"Remember, lament is a prayer in pain that leads to trust."
God is always nearby. You can pray to God anytime.
4.8 stars rounded up ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
January 23, 2025
“While lament is a journey, the wonderful news is that you don't walk this path in your own strength. It's not simply a matter of your grit and willpower. Instead, God helps you to keep trusting. He helps your lamenting.”
Such a helpful book. Gentle and encouraging and honest. Would recommend to any believer, especially those who are struggling to trust God amidst painful and confusing circumstances. It’s rather repetitive, but I think this actually serves those who need to hear the message of the book the most (at least that was the case for me!).
Such a helpful book. Gentle and encouraging and honest. Would recommend to any believer, especially those who are struggling to trust God amidst painful and confusing circumstances. It’s rather repetitive, but I think this actually serves those who need to hear the message of the book the most (at least that was the case for me!).
January 15, 2024
Great book. We lived this a few years ago and learned the rhythms of lament. Just bought some copies for the members at our church so that hopefully, they can see and use the language of lament when they need it.
January 19, 2019
Life is a series of events that is filled with moments of intense joy and seasons of pain and suffering. Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy by Mark Vroegop is concerned with the later. The author is acutely aware that people who live in a fallen world will inevitably face what William Cowper refers to as the “dark clouds of Providence.”
There have been a few notable contributions in recent days that address the subject of suffering. Tim Keller’s, Walking With God Through Pain and Suffering and Paul David Tripp’s, Suffering are two examples of books that tackle the subject of suffering that are faithful to Scripture and offer readers a glimpse of hope through the prism of Scripture. Like the aforementioned books, Vroegrop wrestles with the subject. But Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy is unique in that is focuses on the subject of lament.
“The aim of this book,” writes Vroegrop, “is to help you discover the grace of lament - to encourage you to find deep mercy in the dark clouds.” His mission is accomplished in three parts:
Part 1: Learning to Lament/Psalms of Lament
Part 2: Learning from Lament: Lamentations
Part 3: Living with Lament: Personal and Community Applications
The author defines lament as “a prayer that leads to trust.” Such a prayer leads to two crucial questions:
“Where are you, God?”
“If you love me, why is this happening?”
Lament, then, is “the transition between pain and promise.”
With this solid foundation, the author shows how Christians are both commended and commanded to make lament to God.
Ultimately, painful seasons of life can be “platforms for worship.” These seasons lead the people of God to trust him fully and deeply. “Trust,” writes Vroegop, “is believing what you know to be true even though the facts of suffering might call that belief into question. Lament keeps us turning toward trust by giving us language to step into the wilderness between our painful reality and our hopeful longings.”
I found Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy to be an immensely helpful and practical book. This book gives believers permission to grieve - even wail and mourn. But after grief comes another day, which leads to worship.
Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy is intimately tied to the Word of God and directs the people of God to the pathway that leads to him. Indeed, as the author notes, “Lament is the language of those stumbling in their journey to find mercy in dark clouds."
Five takeaways are offered as a means of encouragement:
“Lament is how we tunnel our way to truth.”
“Lament is how we experience grace no matter what we face.”
“Lament gives us hope because it gives us a glimpse of truth.”
“Lament vocalizes a desire for justice that is unfulfilled.”
“In dark clouds, there is deep mercy as we discover the grace of lament.”
Readers will truly discover how to apply the grace of God in this well-written and deeply God-honoring book.
I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review.
There have been a few notable contributions in recent days that address the subject of suffering. Tim Keller’s, Walking With God Through Pain and Suffering and Paul David Tripp’s, Suffering are two examples of books that tackle the subject of suffering that are faithful to Scripture and offer readers a glimpse of hope through the prism of Scripture. Like the aforementioned books, Vroegrop wrestles with the subject. But Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy is unique in that is focuses on the subject of lament.
“The aim of this book,” writes Vroegrop, “is to help you discover the grace of lament - to encourage you to find deep mercy in the dark clouds.” His mission is accomplished in three parts:
Part 1: Learning to Lament/Psalms of Lament
Part 2: Learning from Lament: Lamentations
Part 3: Living with Lament: Personal and Community Applications
The author defines lament as “a prayer that leads to trust.” Such a prayer leads to two crucial questions:
“Where are you, God?”
“If you love me, why is this happening?”
Lament, then, is “the transition between pain and promise.”
With this solid foundation, the author shows how Christians are both commended and commanded to make lament to God.
Ultimately, painful seasons of life can be “platforms for worship.” These seasons lead the people of God to trust him fully and deeply. “Trust,” writes Vroegop, “is believing what you know to be true even though the facts of suffering might call that belief into question. Lament keeps us turning toward trust by giving us language to step into the wilderness between our painful reality and our hopeful longings.”
I found Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy to be an immensely helpful and practical book. This book gives believers permission to grieve - even wail and mourn. But after grief comes another day, which leads to worship.
Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy is intimately tied to the Word of God and directs the people of God to the pathway that leads to him. Indeed, as the author notes, “Lament is the language of those stumbling in their journey to find mercy in dark clouds."
Five takeaways are offered as a means of encouragement:
“Lament is how we tunnel our way to truth.”
“Lament is how we experience grace no matter what we face.”
“Lament gives us hope because it gives us a glimpse of truth.”
“Lament vocalizes a desire for justice that is unfulfilled.”
“In dark clouds, there is deep mercy as we discover the grace of lament.”
Readers will truly discover how to apply the grace of God in this well-written and deeply God-honoring book.
I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review.
November 19, 2020
I remember hearing Mark Vroegop preach on the grace of lament about a year ago. I was floored. I had rarely considered the biblical language of lament, but that sermon and just now reading this book have cemented my gratitude to God for giving us the language of lament. Like bridge spanning a roaring river, lament is the pathway by which we can traverse the torment of life’s suffering. It is a divine means of grace given to Christians so they can have a language for their grief and suffering. It is an escalator that carries them to the throne room of grace in prayer so they can petition the Lord to act. It is a megaphone by which they can shout their trust in God. Lament is a way to turn desperation into delight.
In this book Vroegop helpfully defines lament, describes lament, and teaches us how to practice lament both individually and corporately. To be human is to experience trials, and it the language of lament that is at your disposal. It doesn’t take much to look around and notice that things aren’t right in this world. In your own life, you or someone you know has probably experienced some type of suffering. Whether it’s cancer, miscarriage or infertility, marital strife, addiction, loss of a child, or debilitating depression, life is full of pain. This pain draws us to our knees and confronts us with great confusion. Especially for Christians. We are those who know God to be sovereign and yet we wonder, if God is sovereign and loving, how could he allow this to happen to me? It is the very belief in God’s resolute character that make our suffering so confusing. It’s only when you believe God is sovereign, that God loves you, and that God cares for you that suffering and difficulty don’t make any sense. And this is where the grace of lament comes in it. It shouts in pain and complaint and confusion to God which leads to trust. As Vroegop writes, “Lament is a prayer in pain that leads to trust.” The enemy wants us to be silent in our pain and suffering, but the sovereign Lord wants us to cry out to him…. This is what lament is. Read this book and discover more so that you can channel this stream of grace into your life and the life of others.
In this book Vroegop helpfully defines lament, describes lament, and teaches us how to practice lament both individually and corporately. To be human is to experience trials, and it the language of lament that is at your disposal. It doesn’t take much to look around and notice that things aren’t right in this world. In your own life, you or someone you know has probably experienced some type of suffering. Whether it’s cancer, miscarriage or infertility, marital strife, addiction, loss of a child, or debilitating depression, life is full of pain. This pain draws us to our knees and confronts us with great confusion. Especially for Christians. We are those who know God to be sovereign and yet we wonder, if God is sovereign and loving, how could he allow this to happen to me? It is the very belief in God’s resolute character that make our suffering so confusing. It’s only when you believe God is sovereign, that God loves you, and that God cares for you that suffering and difficulty don’t make any sense. And this is where the grace of lament comes in it. It shouts in pain and complaint and confusion to God which leads to trust. As Vroegop writes, “Lament is a prayer in pain that leads to trust.” The enemy wants us to be silent in our pain and suffering, but the sovereign Lord wants us to cry out to him…. This is what lament is. Read this book and discover more so that you can channel this stream of grace into your life and the life of others.
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