Thanks for this post. I have been praying about this and also examining my mixed motives. I’ve realized the greater part of the reason that I’m wishing for people to return to the church is so that I can have more social support for living out my faith. It is hard to follow Christ when the world seems to think you’re a fool or worse for doing so. Praying for souls to return to the church, and for Jesus to purify my motivation for this prayer and strengthen me to live my faith even when it feels foolish.
It’s a bit rambling and harsh, but I’ll just come out and say it’s the very dissonant messaging from that third point as to why I left.
The Church is perfect but we, the church, are not; the age old “The Church didn’t hurt you, people IN the church hurt you.” 🙄
Look, either believe and proclaim The Church is The Body of Christ or don’t. But there is no separating the two. Attempting to do so is to negate of the very experiences of those souls y’all claim to care about. It is gaslighting abuse and it is Wrong and not enough victim-blaming disguised as catechesis (well, if you *really* understood the Eucharist, you’d never go) is enough to make me stay.
I am gladly using that free will to walk out the door, but don’t sit there wondering why when the call was coming from inside the house.
I'm sorry you're hurting. I hope you find some peace. I will pushback on being told I "claim" to care--you don't know my heart. But I hope your walk out the door leads you where you want to go.
Thanks for this post. I have been praying about this and also examining my mixed motives. I’ve realized the greater part of the reason that I’m wishing for people to return to the church is so that I can have more social support for living out my faith. It is hard to follow Christ when the world seems to think you’re a fool or worse for doing so. Praying for souls to return to the church, and for Jesus to purify my motivation for this prayer and strengthen me to live my faith even when it feels foolish.
Return by Brandon Vogt is a really good book on this topic!
It’s a bit rambling and harsh, but I’ll just come out and say it’s the very dissonant messaging from that third point as to why I left.
The Church is perfect but we, the church, are not; the age old “The Church didn’t hurt you, people IN the church hurt you.” 🙄
Look, either believe and proclaim The Church is The Body of Christ or don’t. But there is no separating the two. Attempting to do so is to negate of the very experiences of those souls y’all claim to care about. It is gaslighting abuse and it is Wrong and not enough victim-blaming disguised as catechesis (well, if you *really* understood the Eucharist, you’d never go) is enough to make me stay.
I am gladly using that free will to walk out the door, but don’t sit there wondering why when the call was coming from inside the house.
I'm sorry you're hurting. I hope you find some peace. I will pushback on being told I "claim" to care--you don't know my heart. But I hope your walk out the door leads you where you want to go.