Skip to main content

Review: Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy

Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy book cover on blue background

I'm grateful that I was able to listen to Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy: Discovering the Grace of Lament by Mark Vroegop, while also following along with the ebook. It provided an enriching experience as I could read through and listen to the Psalms in a way that brought them to life even more.

Book Synopsis

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.

Source: Amazon

Book Thoughts

The language of lament is one that Christians are familiar with through the Psalms and Lamentations; however, it is not often practiced on a personal or corporate level. In this book, the author paints a compelling picture of what it means to turn to God in lament while undergoing trials, hardships, and grief. I love that the focus of this book is on prayer, particularly through the analogy of using the minor key, which reflects how a third of the Psalms were written. Yet, today in our worship songs, fewer than five percent of the music being sung is lament-oriented, which does not always provide the space for reflecting on the pain and brokenness in this world.

Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy offers a compassionate look at learning to, learning from, and living with lament, all in a way that honours God. The stories told are heartbreaking, yet they offer hope to those experiencing horrific circumstances. This incisive look at lament gives readers permission to feel all of the emotions God has allowed us to experience by giving them back to Him. Practically speaking, this book is a guidebook for those wanting to lament to God, but who may be uncertain as to how to give it full expression. By guiding readers away from bitterness, pride, and idolatry, Christians can come to the Man of Sorrows and trust that He is still at work.

Book Summary

  • Format of book: 🎧
  • Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
  • Recommendation: 👍

Labels

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Things I'm Not Supposed to Do

It's interesting to discover what people should be and shouldn't be doing when they share about books online. More and more, I feel like there can be a backlash against anything now, to the point where anyone with a passion for books can feel paralyzed in offering their own bookish content. For the large part, I try to tune out these things because it's ever-changing, and if it's not one thing, it'll be another. I'm sad when people feel stifled due to these capricious "rules" that half (if not more of) the time seem to keep people from excitedly engaging in what they love most. I'm thankful that I've received immense support from the reading community when I first started out, so I want to encourage anyone who is thinking of jumping in with their personal approach to books by sharing how I practically break the following ten rules covering things from content generation to materials access: I'm not supposed to use Canva for my book posts.  ...
2 comments
Read more

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas! May you have a blessed day, celebrating the birth of our Saviour. Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. - Luke 2:11 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. - Isaiah 9:6
Post a Comment
Read more

Review: Entanglements - Finding Ever After #2

Last week, I shared about the first novella in the Finding Ever After anthology. I'm grateful that I was able to borrow the second novella in this book, Entanglements by Rachel McMillan , from Kindle Unlimited. I wish I could read the other half of the collection; however, I'm glad that two books exist out there to access! Book Synopsis Nic Ricci is a North End piano tuner and part time math tutor who wants nothing more than to compose; but there are few pennies to be found and an ailing father to support. When a well-paying opportunity arises as a rehearsal pianist for a wealthy heiress giving a recital at the Boston Conservatory, Nic grabs at the chance. He does not, however, anticipate a beautiful, intelligent woman frustratingly accompanied by a chaperone and promised to a brute of a fiance. Esther Hunisett is trapped by her father’s poor business decisions, her dowry and future attached to a man who will save her family’s estate. With little to barter before her life is ...
Post a Comment
Read more