Jeremiah's Lament

So this week's lectionary has the pastor preaching on Following Christ. He is pretty good at giving me a quarterly spreadsheet with sermon scriptures and sermon titles; however, sometimes a little more fleshing out needs to happen as I am planning the rest of the elements of worship.  The running worship planning joke has me coming into his office toward the beginning of the week and asking what he's preaching on Sunday.  His weekly reply, "Jesus."  Each week I just smile.  How can I argue that?   Preaching Jesus is a pretty good thing.  Well, this week I texted the weekly question awaiting his response, just hoping I could say, "No, it's following Jesus."  But I didn't get my chance.  Oh well.

All that aside, as I read through the lectionary readings for Sunday I was struck with the Jeremiah passage.  Too often as Christians we think following Jesus means life will be easy.  Unfortunately, it gets preached that way sometimes, not Christ as one who carries us through the tough times of life but Christ who makes everything sunshine and rainbows and prosperity for His followers.  Contrary to scripture for sure, but a whole lot easier to market than "Carry your cross."  As if we have to market Christ...

Anyway, Jeremiah is following God's instructions to a T. He's speaking the words given, and he's making a lot of enemies.  By the time we get to chapter 20, he has been beaten and put into stocks.  He is sick and tired and angry with God.  This monologue is loosely based on Jeremiah chapter 20 with reference back to his calling in chapter 1.

Jeremiah’s Lament

Adapted from Jeremiah 1:4-19;  20:7-14

Really, God? Really?

This is how You treat your people?

You lied to me!

You forced me to serve You.

“Before I formed you, I knew you.”

“You are not too young.”

“I have placed my words in your mouth”

“I appoint you over nations and kingdoms”

Well, that’s just great.

You know what they did, God?

They beat me!

They put me in stocks!

The priests!  The ones who are supposed to be on your side!

And everyone is laughing, God.

I’m a giant joke, a laughingstock.

I’m speaking your word, and I get insulted.

I’m tired of it. I’m done.

But every time I try not to speak,

Every time I try to just shut up and sit back, live a quiet life, 

I can’t.

Your word, it’s like fire in my bones.

I can’t contain it. It just comes spilling out.

Even as they ridicule me, 

As my so-called friends plot against me, waiting for me to slip up,

I find myself the proclaimer again.

 “Give praise to the Lord!

 He rescues the needy from the hands of the wicked.”

I know you are by my side.

But, God, I’m tired.

Just do away with these people already.

I thought following you was going to be easy.

I know, I know.  You told me from the beginning it wouldn’t be.

But, really, God, I’m with You.  I’m on your side.

It just shouldn’t be this hard.

My whole life is nothing but pain.

In all honesty, I wish I’d never been born.