SOUL SCREAM

Dear All of Us,

Oh my!
Oh you!
Oh everybody!

What's going on?
How long will it last?
How bad will it get?
What do we do?

Well, how about 
we all let out 
one great big
sonic shattering

 SOUL SCREAM

just let go caution,
belt it out beam it 
straight at God?
It's an excellent and 
time appropriate prayer.
And prayer it is,
the not well known
and rarely referenced
     
     PRAYER OF
  LAMENTATION 

One way or many,
we all need to do 
some sort of such a 
  
  SOUL SCREAM

Everyone is carrying 
a ton of super heavy stuff
on their heads
and in their hearts.
We're bending to break.

There's the constant 
reevaluation upon reevaluation 
of what's going on
and how to go on,
while not having any way to go on 
beyond the doors of confinement,
be they physical and/or psychological.

When not doing that,
it's churning over and over 
the freight for a future 
on the far side of ambiguity.

Have I washed my hands 
enough and long enough?
Have I stayed 
the suspect six feet 
away from everybody?
Am I masked safe?
Do I have any kind of a
firm financial footing now
and for later?
Will my love ones 
be safe and secure?
Will the civil sector hold?
How will I be next week,
a month from now?

Will I be? 

Yep, time for some 
good old fashioned

Prayer of Lamentation.

In the vernacular,
it is telling God off
and that in spades,
listing the particulars
of our pain,
no punches pulled.
As we cool down some 
we shift to asking God 
to jump in and help out.
Cooling down more, 
we affirm our trust 
that God will indeed
come through for us,
is actually with us, 
certainly will sustain us.

Check out the Psalms. 
A good third are Lamentations,
Psalm 22* being 
a strong, clear example.
See the Book of Lamentation
in the Old Testament.

Then "LET''R GO!!!"
until it's gone.
It's not only OK, 
it's good.
It's mixing it up with God
- what better company -
going right where we belong, 
right to and at God,
however vexed and noisy,
then ending up in unitive trust.
God can handle it
and we need to do it.

It's a sacred form of
spiritual/psychological catharsis.
It's messy, intense, hot, sweaty,
up close and personal.
It's what lovers do when 
they've" had it",
and nothing else will be "had'
until they've "had it out'.
Noisy, uncomfortable, 
"in you face" 
to face up to what blocking 
"heart to heart".

So get out to the back forty, 
go for a run or chop wood 
where no one else is in ear shot,
and blow it out and off. 
If you have a punching bag,
punch for all your worth,
fists, mouth and soul.
If you live in close quarters 
and can't get out,
go in the bathroom
put a radio on the counter,
turn up music to 
a decibel shattering pitch, 
get in the shower
and have to -
clear and clean things up with God.

God can handle it.
God is Abba, father.
It's like a wonderful dad 
holding a toddler in tantrum,
allowing for its 
full force and fury
until it's all out 
and the child rest secure
in the accepting, 
loving embrace of its Abba.


If we are too "polite" 
to pray (scream) it out loud, 
pray it on paper,
burn it into our journals.
Just get it out
so it's out of the way
and we are out free 
to be tight right with God 
and know that God 
is so in and with us.

If ever we feel this just isn't how 
nice middle class people pray,
this just isn't "the done thing",
hike up to Calvary and hear Jesus' 
              
          SOUL SCREAM

       " MY God, my God, 
 why have you forsaken me?"

Jesus got it out, 
stuck it out 
worked it out -
the cosmic victory 
of Good over evil -
down to death,
up to life - 
his, ours, forever. 

We're in good, in God company!!
What a wonderful, 
a divine saving spot to be in.
    
         SOUL SCREAM

   transitioned to a divine
   
            "SHOUT OUT"
                  
              for

            ABBA

  Whew, I'm exhausted
  and it's wonderful!!

           John Frank

          *****




(*)  PSALM 22

     (vrs. 1-2)
     My God, my God, 
     why have you forsaken me?
     Why are you 
     so far from helping me,
     from the words of my groaning?
     Oh my God, I cry out by day, 
     but you do not answer; 
     and by night,
      but find no rest...

      (vrs. 30-31)
     ...Posterity will serve him;
     future generations will be told
     about the Lord,
     and proclaim his deliverance
     to a people yet unborn,
     saying that he has done it. 

                 *****

Recently a large groups of folks 
from France  and Spain joined in with us
for the first time.
This week a whole new group 
from the USA did so as well.
A warm welcome to you all,
and all new to 

         "frankly speaking"
     spirituality for the street

- it is posted online 
  each Thursday by evening or sooner, 
       east coast USA time
  johnfrankshares.blogspot.com

- is available by automatic email 
        delivery each Friday - 
        see above for sign up

- past postings are available at
              Blog Archive -
           see right column.


  A BLESSED WEEK AHEAD TO ALL




*********************************************