Author: Mark Vroegop

A Companion Devotional Journal to the Award-Winning Book Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy

In his book Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy, pastor Mark Vroegop seeks to restore the lost art of lament by helping readers discover the power of honest wrestling with the questions that come with grief and suffering. He explores how the Bible—through the psalms of lament and the book of Lamentations—invites believers to grieve, struggle, and tap into the rich reservoir of grace and mercy God offers in the darkest moments of their lives.

The Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy Devotional Journal is an ideal companion for anyone wanting to apply the knowledge they gained about lament from the 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

Table of Contents:

Introduction | When Lament Finds You
“You Hear the Desire of the Afflicted”

Part 1: Personal Lament Day 1 | Psalm 25
“Let Not My Enemies Exult over Me”
Day 2 | Psalm 42
“Why Are You Cast Down, O My Soul?”
Day 3 | Psalm 55
“Oh, That I Had Wings Like a Dove!”
Day 4 | Psalm 57
“Till the Storms of Destruction Pass By”
Day 5 | Psalm 70
“Make Haste, O God, to Deliver Me!”
Day 6 | Psalm 142
“I Tell My Trouble before Him”

Part 2: Corporate Lament
Day 7 | Psalm 44
“But You Have Rejected Us”
Day 8 | Psalm 60
“You Have Made Your People See Hard Things”
Day 9 | Psalm 74
“Why Do You Cast Us Off Forever?”
Day 10 | Psalm 94
“How Long Shall the Wicked Exult?”

Part 3: Repentance Lament
Day 11 | Psalm 6
“O Lord, Rebuke Me Not in Your Anger”
Day 12 | Psalm 51
“Have Mercy on Me, O God”

Part 4: Justice-Seeking Lament
Day 13 | Psalm 35
“Contend with Those Who Contend with Me”
Day 14 | Psalm 69
“The Waters Have Come Up to My Neck”
Day 15 | Psalm 109
“But I Give Myself to Prayer”
Conclusion | When Life Still Hurts
“My Hand Is Stretched Out without Wearying”

Appendix 1: Psalms of Lament
Appendix 2: Learning to Lament Worksheet
Appendix 3: Topic Index with Psalms for Various Struggles
Appendix 4: Suggested Uses
Acknowledgments

About the author:

Mark Vroegop (MDiv, Grand Rapids Theological Seminary) is the lead pastor of College Park Church in Indianapolis and the author of the ECPA 2020 Christian Book of the Year Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy: Discovering the Grace of Lament and Weep with Me: How Lament Opens a Door for Racial Reconciliation. He’s married to Sarah, and they have four children and three daughters-in-law.