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: 👍

Comments

Review: What Is Left of the Night

I'm very grateful to be able to read my first fiction book by Mark Buchanan , a Canadian author who has written extensively on Christian non-fiction topics. What Is Left of the Night is an ambitious feat, combining multiple points-of-view to deliver a story that is as suspenseful as it is thoughtful. Discourse and action carefully balance each other, keeping rapt attention on a book based on true events during the Second World War. Many thanks to Kregel Publications for providing a complimentary copy of this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own. Content to be aware of: see author's note regarding language; a closed door scene; descriptions of harm, torture, and death Book Synopsis In the quiet village of Le Chambon-sur-Lignon, a resistance is stirring. In Europe, the Nazi regime's bloody wake persists as they brutally send "undesirables" to concentration camps. Hannah, a young Jew, loses her mother and sister while fleeing certain death, arri...

Theological Backgrounds

Have you ever wondered about the theological background of authors? I am sometimes curious, especially if there are things that pop up in their books that make me pay attention (either positively or negatively). What I've found is that it's not always easy to find out. Some authors will openly share what church or denomination they belong to, whereas others don't seem to mention it—which for privacy concerns, I completely understand. In terms of how important this information may be for readers, or not at all for some, it does make me think about the role that this could play when deciding which books to read and buy. On the one hand, I think not specifically knowing which theological stream an author comes from but still being aware that they fall within the broader evangelical umbrella is fine with me. There's so much to learn as believers and I wouldn't want to be limited to only simply what I know. On the other hand, not knowing much beyond "Christian"...

Hello Again

Wow, this is the longest I've been away from blogging, so thank you for taking the time to check out old posts and reviews instead! It hasn't been fun being sick, especially when I didn't even have the energy to read anything for the first part of my illness. I'm slowly on the mend and hope to change my reading stats for the remainder of the month. In case I haven't expressed it on here, I am deeply grateful to you for reading my little musings and different Christian book reviews. Although I haven't had the energy to even think about posting reviews, I have missed them, so stay tuned for the ones coming up! I wish you a very happy start to the summer if you're in the northern hemisphere and a very happy start to the winter if you're in the southern hemisphere 🌞❄