In the last few years churches across America have been dropping their happy-faced masks and recovering the lost practice of biblical lament. Far from defeatism, lament is about bringing our suffering, sorrow and confusion to God, whether the source of our sorrow is our own sin or the evil in this world. It’s the acknowledgment that God is big enough for our questions, he’s big enough for our pain, and he can take it when his children cry, “How long?”
And those who regularly practice lament discover that not only can God take it, but he can use our lament to draw us closer to him, as he assures us and leads us into a praise that stems from a real relationship with him rather than self-assured triumphalism.
Now, Bifrost Arts has released Lamentations: Simple Songs Of Lament and Hope, Volume 1, a treasure chest of new songs for the church. This includes ten new songs, recorded in various locations using Bifrost founder Isaac Wardell’s home recording equipment. It also includes four bonus songs, recorded live in various venues.
Bifrost Arts produces liturgical materials, curriculum and recorded music, and also hosts worship conferences. They’re a leading source of “retuned” hymns and spirituals, as well as original songs steeped in solid theology. Bifrost Arts is also known for their stripped down, acoustic, folk arrangements that let the lyrics take center stage over production elements.
You can stream Lamentations here, and buy the whole record for just $10.