About the Episode
In this episode of the Hope + Help Podcast, host Christine Chappell interviews Mark Vroegop about his Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy Devotional Journal. Some of the questions addressed in this interview are:
• What is biblical lament? What are the four major/common components of this kind of prayer?
• What does it mean to “receive the grace of lament?”
• Why are we sometimes reluctant to talk to God about our problems? How might we overcome that apprehension?
• How does Psalm 42 help us to understand the concept of “languishing” and what it looks like to hold conflicting emotions in tension?
• How does practicing lament help us shift from “urgent request to urgent worship?”
• Why is it important for penitential laments to become a regular part of our spiritual rhythms?
• What are “justice-seeking” laments and why are they helpful to rehearse?
• How might we realistically measure “healing progress” as we practice lament after loss?
To listen to Christine’s 2019 conversation with Pastor Mark about his Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy book, click here.
About the Guest
Mark Vroegop is the lead pastor of College Park Church in Indianapolis and the author of Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy: Discovering the Grace of Lament, the ECPA 2020 Christian Book of the Year, Weep with Me: How Lament Opens a Door for Racial Reconciliation and The Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy Devotional Journal. He’s married to Sarah, and they have four children and three daughters-in-law.
About the Book
The Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy Devotional Journal
The Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy Devotional Journal is an ideal companion for anyone wanting to apply the knowledge they gained about lament from the Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy book and practice it in their own life. The journal features 15 devotions, with each one focused on one psalm of lament. Each devotion includes a quote from Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy, guidance for how to outline the passage, space to write a personal lament, and a summary that includes five reflection questions and a brief prayer.
- Includes Practical Helps: The appendixes include an index with suggested psalms for various struggles (including grief, betrayal, loss, injustice, and loneliness), advice on how to use the journal in groups, and examples of the Turn-Complain-Ask-Trust framework found in the book
- Personal and Biblical: A guided devotional that points to a biblical model for personally processing pain and grief, organized into four categories of lament: personal, collective, repentant, and justice-seeking
- A Wide Variety of Uses: Perfect for Bible study groups, counselors, pastors, family devotions, and grief-counseling groups
About the Podcast
The Hope + Help Podcast offers interviews with seasoned biblical counseling professionals and ministry leaders on a variety of topics regarding life’s challenging problems. Hosted by IBCD Outreach Director Christine M. Chappell. Listeners can subscribe on major streaming platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Soundcloud, & iHeart.
*Amazon affiliate links are used for books featured on this webpage, at no additional cost to you. Thanks for your support!
Related Resources from IBCD
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- Hope + Help for Grief & Loss (Paul Tautges)
- Hope + Help for Discouraged Parents (Marty Machowski)
- Hope + Help for Prayerlessness (John Onwuchekwa)
- Hope + Help for Painful Pasts (Lauren Whitman)
- Hope + Help for Hard Times (John Crotts)
