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Voices of Lament: Reflections on Brokenness and Hope in a World Longing for Justice
Our culture wants you to be happy. It rewards those who smile through the pain, who pretend everything's fine, who compartmentalize grief and get on with life. But everything's not fine. And God does not expect us to pretend it is. He wants all of us--including our pain.
Perhaps nowhere in Scripture do we get as full a picture of the heights and depths of the human experience as in the Psalms. The outpourings of emotion never shy away from the darkest moments of life, and yet they also point toward the light--toward the God in whom we place our hope.
Inspired by Psalm 37, Voices of Lament is a powerful collection of reflections from Christian Women of Color on themes of injustice, heartache, and deep suffering. Their essays, prayers, poems, and liturgies lay bare the experiences of the oppressed even as they draw us into deeper intimacy with God and a more fulsome understanding of each other.
For anyone who longs to better express and understand the beauty of lament held in holy tension with hope and love, this extraordinary collection presents both well-known and new voices from various ethnic and people groups and different generations, putting God's faithfulness on full and glorious display.
***
"Natasha Sistrunk Robinson has brought a collection to the forefront that shows the beauty and depth of Women of Color voices and shared experiences. . . . This book is for anyone who is broken, longing for justice, and trusting that 'Jesus is a rock in a weary land.' These insights invite you to feast, fellowship, listen, and learn at the table of the marginalized."-- Latasha Morrison , founder of Be the Bridge and author of Be the Bridge , from the foreword
"You will not read Psalm 37 the same again after you've immersed yourself in this rich collection of poems, reflections, essays, and prayers. The contributors bear honest, life-grounded witness to God's faithful and just response to wickedness. They also honor their ancestors, who have committed themselves to the way of the Lord. The book sings like an anthem through which lament and longing break forth and breathe life. It will embolden you to cry out, wage peace, and cultivate real abundance in solidarity and prayer with Women of Color."-- Janette H. Ok , associate professor of New Testament at Fuller Theological Seminary
"The collective voice reflected in these Women of Color not only teaches the truths of Psalm 37 but provides an embodied and lived hope that the Western church is longing for. The poems, liturgies, litanies, devotions, and historical biographies remind us that the Spirit has always been moving in the marginalized, if only we would pay attention. Natasha Sistrunk Robinson has curated a deeply meaningful handbook for prayer and worship by meditating on a central tenet of our from mourning comes the morning. If you want to grow your faith in a global context, this is a must-read!"-- Mike Ahn, PhD, MDiv , assistant dean of Chapels & Worship, Biola University
" Voices of Lament illuminates the power, wisdom, and inspiration that Women of Color bring to their families, communities, and society. Through stories, art, poetry, and prose, this book leads us through a journey of reflection, connection, and hope. Here you will find a call to stand for justice, to lead with faith, and to be guided by the wisdom from the stories of Women of Color, elders, and ancestors who have gone before us."-- Kimberly R. Daniel , coauthor of A Way Out of No An Approach to Christian Innovation and senior director of communications, Forum for Theological Exploration (FTE)
" Voices of Lament is a book for our time. To those who are weary from the ongoing onslaught of unjust policies and practices by those in positions of power comes a fresh word from our sisters who remind us to look to the Psalms for hope and words of life. This is an invitation to bring our full selves, our lament, anger, and hope to a God who is able to hold it all and invites us to join in the healing work of justice in a broken world."-- Darryl Answer , pastor at New Community Church, Kansas City, MO
Perhaps nowhere in Scripture do we get as full a picture of the heights and depths of the human experience as in the Psalms. The outpourings of emotion never shy away from the darkest moments of life, and yet they also point toward the light--toward the God in whom we place our hope.
Inspired by Psalm 37, Voices of Lament is a powerful collection of reflections from Christian Women of Color on themes of injustice, heartache, and deep suffering. Their essays, prayers, poems, and liturgies lay bare the experiences of the oppressed even as they draw us into deeper intimacy with God and a more fulsome understanding of each other.
For anyone who longs to better express and understand the beauty of lament held in holy tension with hope and love, this extraordinary collection presents both well-known and new voices from various ethnic and people groups and different generations, putting God's faithfulness on full and glorious display.
***
"Natasha Sistrunk Robinson has brought a collection to the forefront that shows the beauty and depth of Women of Color voices and shared experiences. . . . This book is for anyone who is broken, longing for justice, and trusting that 'Jesus is a rock in a weary land.' These insights invite you to feast, fellowship, listen, and learn at the table of the marginalized."-- Latasha Morrison , founder of Be the Bridge and author of Be the Bridge , from the foreword
"You will not read Psalm 37 the same again after you've immersed yourself in this rich collection of poems, reflections, essays, and prayers. The contributors bear honest, life-grounded witness to God's faithful and just response to wickedness. They also honor their ancestors, who have committed themselves to the way of the Lord. The book sings like an anthem through which lament and longing break forth and breathe life. It will embolden you to cry out, wage peace, and cultivate real abundance in solidarity and prayer with Women of Color."-- Janette H. Ok , associate professor of New Testament at Fuller Theological Seminary
"The collective voice reflected in these Women of Color not only teaches the truths of Psalm 37 but provides an embodied and lived hope that the Western church is longing for. The poems, liturgies, litanies, devotions, and historical biographies remind us that the Spirit has always been moving in the marginalized, if only we would pay attention. Natasha Sistrunk Robinson has curated a deeply meaningful handbook for prayer and worship by meditating on a central tenet of our from mourning comes the morning. If you want to grow your faith in a global context, this is a must-read!"-- Mike Ahn, PhD, MDiv , assistant dean of Chapels & Worship, Biola University
" Voices of Lament illuminates the power, wisdom, and inspiration that Women of Color bring to their families, communities, and society. Through stories, art, poetry, and prose, this book leads us through a journey of reflection, connection, and hope. Here you will find a call to stand for justice, to lead with faith, and to be guided by the wisdom from the stories of Women of Color, elders, and ancestors who have gone before us."-- Kimberly R. Daniel , coauthor of A Way Out of No An Approach to Christian Innovation and senior director of communications, Forum for Theological Exploration (FTE)
" Voices of Lament is a book for our time. To those who are weary from the ongoing onslaught of unjust policies and practices by those in positions of power comes a fresh word from our sisters who remind us to look to the Psalms for hope and words of life. This is an invitation to bring our full selves, our lament, anger, and hope to a God who is able to hold it all and invites us to join in the healing work of justice in a broken world."-- Darryl Answer , pastor at New Community Church, Kansas City, MO
272 pages, Hardcover
Published September 20, 2022
25 people are currently reading
1596 people want to read
About the author
Natasha Sistrunk Robinson
11 books52 followersNatasha Sistrunk Robinson (MA, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary) is a writer, international speaker, leadership consultant, mentoring coach, and the visionary founder of the nonprofit, Leadership LINKS, Inc. She is author of Mentor for Life: Finding Purpose through Intentional Discipleship and the Hope for Us: Knowing God through the Nicene Creed Bible study. A graduate of the US Naval Academy and a former Marine Corps officer, Natasha has nearly twenty years of leadership and mentoring experience in the military, government, church, seminary, and nonprofit sectors. As the chairperson of the board at Leadership LINKS, Inc., Natasha's vision is to holistically develop transformative and redemptive servant leaders who are united in community and committed to invest in long-term generational and cultural change. In addition, she is a columnist at Outreach Magazine, regular contributor at Missio Alliance, and a member of the INK Creative Collective.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
September 22, 2022
I just listened to Natasha and Mariah on The Next Right Thing podcast with Emily P. Freeman, and I had to add this book to my collection immediately. This powerful collection of voices from women of color and indigenous women bring forth much needed leadership and wisdom and hope to church through the practice of lament. We need these voices to lead us through grief to see anew the character of God, faithful to us and with us in the midst of suffering. Thank you.
September 30, 2024
An amazing devotional by a group of amazing women. Will be revisiting again and again.
October 31, 2023
In this book editor Natasha Sistrunk Robinson has gathered together women of colour who give voice to the brokenness in our world and to their longing for God’s justice.
Their lament takes the form of poetry, personal reflection, story-telling, litany, drawings, and prayers shaped both by Scripture and by what they have seen and experienced in our world.
I found this book difficult to read since it lays bare so much abuse, suffering, and pain. At the same time, I found this book profoundly hopeful in the way it joins lament with walking in faith.
For more, see Voices of Lament in Brokenness and Hope.
Their lament takes the form of poetry, personal reflection, story-telling, litany, drawings, and prayers shaped both by Scripture and by what they have seen and experienced in our world.
I found this book difficult to read since it lays bare so much abuse, suffering, and pain. At the same time, I found this book profoundly hopeful in the way it joins lament with walking in faith.
For more, see Voices of Lament in Brokenness and Hope.
March 10, 2023
Voices of Lament
Reflections on Brokenness and Hope in a World Longing for Justice
by Edited by Natasha Sistrunk Robinson
Pub Date 20 Sep 2022
Revell
Christian
I am reviewing a copy of Voices of Lament through Revell and Netgalley:
In our culture the emphasis is on being happy. Those who smile through the pain , who pretended everything is fine. We reward those who compartmentalize grief and get on with life. But everything's not fine. And God does not expect us to pretend it is. He wants all of us--including our pain.
Perhaps there is no where in scripture that we get the heights and depths of the human experience than the Psalms.
The outpourings of emotion never shy away from the darkest moments of life, and yet they also point toward the light--toward the God in whom we place our hope.
Inspired by Psalm 37, Voices of Lament is a powerful collection of reflections from Christian Women of Color on themes of injustice, heartache, and deep suffering. Their essays, prayers, poems, and liturgies lay bare the experiences of the oppressed even as they draw us into deeper intimacy with God and a more fulsome understanding of each other.
For anyone who longs to better express and understand the beauty of lament held in holy tension with hope and love, this extraordinary collection presents both well-known and new voices from various ethnic and people groups and different generations, putting God's faithfulness on full and glorious display.
I give Voices of Lament five out of five stars!
Happy Reading!
Reflections on Brokenness and Hope in a World Longing for Justice
by Edited by Natasha Sistrunk Robinson
Pub Date 20 Sep 2022
Revell
Christian
I am reviewing a copy of Voices of Lament through Revell and Netgalley:
In our culture the emphasis is on being happy. Those who smile through the pain , who pretended everything is fine. We reward those who compartmentalize grief and get on with life. But everything's not fine. And God does not expect us to pretend it is. He wants all of us--including our pain.
Perhaps there is no where in scripture that we get the heights and depths of the human experience than the Psalms.
The outpourings of emotion never shy away from the darkest moments of life, and yet they also point toward the light--toward the God in whom we place our hope.
Inspired by Psalm 37, Voices of Lament is a powerful collection of reflections from Christian Women of Color on themes of injustice, heartache, and deep suffering. Their essays, prayers, poems, and liturgies lay bare the experiences of the oppressed even as they draw us into deeper intimacy with God and a more fulsome understanding of each other.
For anyone who longs to better express and understand the beauty of lament held in holy tension with hope and love, this extraordinary collection presents both well-known and new voices from various ethnic and people groups and different generations, putting God's faithfulness on full and glorious display.
I give Voices of Lament five out of five stars!
Happy Reading!
July 11, 2023
This is an amazing book and one that surprised me daily with its powerful message of faith, truth, and anti-racism. Lament has become such a helpful practice for me as I’ve struggled with intense disappointment and betrayal by the christian church and its failure to live out the love, mercy, inclusivity, and heart for justice that Jesus modeled. Using this book as part of my daily devotion time has helped, comforted and encouraged me and I look forward to reading through it again and again.
May 4, 2024
Excellent book. I read it as a devotional to take time to digest their words; often reading one several times. I greatly appreciated hearing the scriptural interpretations from so many different voices and experiences. It was also great to read about women from their community who influenced the devotion author and our world.
November 8, 2024
This book is a beautiful opportunity to sit at the feet of women of color and learn the practice of lament. They gave me words, prayers, and poems to name pain and suffering. I’m thankful for each one.
April 30, 2025
Beautifully written, evocative, and inspired.
Grounded in Psalm 37, this book wonderfully paints the picture of biblical social justice and how we can lament as well as take action in a Christ-centered way.
Grounded in Psalm 37, this book wonderfully paints the picture of biblical social justice and how we can lament as well as take action in a Christ-centered way.
November 16, 2022
I won this in a Goodreads giveaway. I thought overall it was pretty good. It lulled a bit in the middle but picked back up.
March 21, 2023
A really creative collection of essays, poems, liturgies, and prayers from 30 women of color. This is hard but good, and I'm grateful for these brilliant voices.
Read
September 3, 2023An insightful and moving collection of works by women reflecting on the brokenness of this world from various cultural and ethnic backgrounds.
January 19, 2025
Whew. This book is deep, raw and rich.
March 30, 2023
The more I reflect with this book, the more connected I become with the 30+ women of color and their stories. I was deeply impacted. My second time through was with a book club…our discussion created even more reflection. I’m these times of great unrest, this book offers a space to learn and lean into lament.
May 9, 2024
Voices of Lament, edited by Natasha Sistrunk Robinson, and written by various women of color, poignantly articulates our longing for justice and peace, yet offers the hope of reconciliation and restoration. The book also highlights diverse women leaders, whose courageous examples challenged me and taught me new historical perspectives of different marginalized groups. The personal essays and poems written by authors such as Tasha Jun, Grace P. Cho, and Vivian Mabuni, are powerful, uplifting, and heartfelt. Their words remind me that we are seen and do not need to suffer alone in our pain, but can find healing and hope in Christ and community.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews