Judy, I've appreciated this series of yours. Like most things on social media, the discourse surrounding church trauma/hurt/disorientation often seems flattened into generic soundbites that ultimately seem unfruitful. It really helps to have people like you wrestle the thoughts out in a more productive way, even when you don't have to do that for us. It sure helps to understand one way church can become so complicated. *And I've lived in San Antonio and Atlanta in the past, as well. :)
Judy, thank you for this (and this whole series). It is incredibly helpful and healing—especially, i imagine, for those of us who grew up in 80's and 90's evangelicalism—to see church brought into the realm of relationship (where pain and joy and breaches and reconciliation are part of the discussion) and out of the realm of pure moral obligation. There is much more to our relationship to the church than simply obeying the command not to forsake gathering together....
Hi Judy! I'm sure you hear this a lot, but...many of us are experiencing the same journey, quest, whatever-you-want-to-call-it...toward an expression of Christian faith that feels 'true', 'real', that has substance and stability, actual community...and most of all, preaches a gospel we don't always feel slightly ashamed of. You're not alone! And your honest writings about your journey are helpful. Glad to have stumbled across your substack.
For what it's worth...I'll cast a shameless vote for Orthodoxy :-) As a former pastor/churchplanter/etc...I spent the past decade studying searching for {or trying to build} that version of the church we're all longing for. For me the search ended around midnight at an Orthodox Pascha service {and the communal feast afterward!} 2 years ago. The Orthodox Church is far from perfect, and every parish is different...but for our family, it has been everything we longed to find.
May your journey be blessed, and may Christ guide you to a place of communion, community, grace and peace...
Judy, I've appreciated this series of yours. Like most things on social media, the discourse surrounding church trauma/hurt/disorientation often seems flattened into generic soundbites that ultimately seem unfruitful. It really helps to have people like you wrestle the thoughts out in a more productive way, even when you don't have to do that for us. It sure helps to understand one way church can become so complicated. *And I've lived in San Antonio and Atlanta in the past, as well. :)
Judy, thank you for this (and this whole series). It is incredibly helpful and healing—especially, i imagine, for those of us who grew up in 80's and 90's evangelicalism—to see church brought into the realm of relationship (where pain and joy and breaches and reconciliation are part of the discussion) and out of the realm of pure moral obligation. There is much more to our relationship to the church than simply obeying the command not to forsake gathering together....
Hi Judy! I'm sure you hear this a lot, but...many of us are experiencing the same journey, quest, whatever-you-want-to-call-it...toward an expression of Christian faith that feels 'true', 'real', that has substance and stability, actual community...and most of all, preaches a gospel we don't always feel slightly ashamed of. You're not alone! And your honest writings about your journey are helpful. Glad to have stumbled across your substack.
For what it's worth...I'll cast a shameless vote for Orthodoxy :-) As a former pastor/churchplanter/etc...I spent the past decade studying searching for {or trying to build} that version of the church we're all longing for. For me the search ended around midnight at an Orthodox Pascha service {and the communal feast afterward!} 2 years ago. The Orthodox Church is far from perfect, and every parish is different...but for our family, it has been everything we longed to find.
May your journey be blessed, and may Christ guide you to a place of communion, community, grace and peace...
Good Lord, Judy. I wish we could sit in a room together and shoulder the similarities. Even so, with you from afar.