Psalm 88: A Song from the Pit

A pastor once asked me, “when would you ever sing Psalm 88? How can you sing that song in the worship of God?”

I replied, “Have you never had anyone in your congregation who struggles with depression?”

Often, we think of church music solely in terms of “praise” – and while we are certainly to praise God in singing, that is not the whole of our musical calling. We are also called to lament and weep and mourn before the LORD. Yes, we are to rejoice with those who rejoice. But we are also to weep with those who weep.

But his question got me thinking – because what he was struggling with is a common problem in our day: we have bought into the modern myth that religion is supposed to make you feel better.

The religion of the cross is not really about making you “feel better” – at least not right now!

Walter Brueggemann rightly says that Psalm 88 is “an embarrassment to conventional faith.” (The Message of the Psalms, 78)

After all, Psalm 88 is a song from the pit – it is the song of our Lord Jesus Christ from the belly of Sheol, as he was abandoned by his friends – abandoned by his family – and even forsaken by God the Father.