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In this meaningful conversation on Psalms for the Spirit, we are joined by Rev. Riana Shaw Robinson, a preacher, pastor, prophet, and Executive Director of Faith Matters Network, to explore the power of lament in our spiritual lives.
Drawing from her experience in the Black church tradition, Riana shares how lament is not separate from faith, but a vital expression of it. Together, we reflect on how the Psalms give us language for the moments when life feels overwhelming ~ when prayers are not polished, but raw, honest, and real.
Riana offers a refreshing perspective on prayer as truth-telling, naming what hurts, what feels broken, and what we long for while still holding on to trust in God. She also shares practical ways to engage lament, both personally and in community, including the powerful practice of writing collective lament prayers.
This conversation is an invitation to let go of perfect words and instead bring your whole self before God ~ your questions, your grief, your hope ~ and to do so bravely and courageously.
“To me, lament is truth-telling about the very real things that we are negotiating. And it’s not separate from praise. It is…I’m struggling, this is hard… And I name it because I trust God. And I can rely on others to remind me of God’s faithfulness, even when things are hard.”
Rev. Riana Shaw Robinson is an ordained Minister of Word and Sacrament in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), a seasoned nonprofit leader, and a trained spiritual director whose work sits at the intersection of faith, justice, and community transformation. She brings more than a decade of experience in leading organizations and initiatives that advance racial, economic, gender, and environmental justice.
She is the Birthing Pastor of Miriam’s Song Church ~ a bold spiritual community that centers the healing, wholeness, and flourishing of women and non-binary people of color, rooted in the liberative way of Jesus.
Throughout her career, Riana has built a reputation as a visionary leader and community-driven strategist. She has led transformative justice initiatives, cultivated cross-sector partnerships, and provided values-based consulting to churches and nonprofits. Her expertise includes leadership development, DEIB implementation, organizational capacity building, and justice-centered evaluation and facilitation.
Riana holds a Master of Divinity from the Pacific School of Religion and a B.A. in Ethnic Studies from Mills College. She is also a graduate of the inaugural cohort of the Liberated Together Spiritual Direction School, where she honed her gifts for spiritual accompaniment and communal healing.
Riana lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her four children. In her (rare) spare time, she enjoys listening to audiobooks, doing Pilates, and baking treats for family and friends.
Learn more about Riana here: https://faithmattersnetwork.org/
https://miriamssongchurch.org/
IG - revshawrobinson
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/riana-shaw-robinson/
Featured Celtic Psalms Songs:
Psalm 90: From Dust We Came
Psalm 88: God of my Salvation
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