Yesterday I attended a seminar on 'spiritual abuse' - something about which I knew very little. One of the key hosts, Professor Lisa Oakley, opened my eyes to what can go wrong in communities of faith with a disarming honesty and humility which really made me think.
Reflecting on the lessons of the day, I wrote the words below. I have called them a 'love song to the idea of church', which I hold very dear:
I want to be in a church where I can be the Beta version of me, knowing that something better is on the way. I want to be in a church where service is given, not taken. I want to be in a church where words about the Word are always words of life. I want to be in a church where forgiveness is always necessary and always possible. I want to be in a church where communion is shared always and visible sometimes I want to be in a church where the spelling of fellowship may be wonky but the grammar of love is absolute. I want to be in a church which He is happy to own.Would you like to be there too?
