Lament is a neglected aspect of Christian worship in the Western world and perhaps especially in the United States. In troubled times when it’s clear the world is not as it should be—God’s dream of shalom is disrupted—God’s people cry out to God on behalf of the vulnerable, the abused, the marginalized. Lament is an important aspect of the Lenten season, since we are invited to reflect contemplatively on the ways we and our world are caught up in sin, turn away in repent, and seek God’s mercy.