A place to share your pain

Both those cars behind served as transportation. The British Morris Minor got me through High School and was sold without my sayso when I went away for a summer ministry. The 64 Ford Falcon carries me through four years of college and died in South Florida during my second summer ministry.

The fellowship of like minded strugglers on the various internet sites allows people to have a voice. One which I follow is the voices of those who have been hurt in abusive churches.

Someone suggested that these folks should just forgive and get over it, and those in the conversation say its like post traumatic stress syndrome, not that easy to through off.

I have seen a few pastors misuse their power, hide their behaviours, and play the hypocrite. I was once a part of a church whose theology and doctrine have caused people to struggle with the character and grace of God.

I think all this is a good thing, and getting the problems and hurts out in the open will help the church be more responsive and less protective, and will help hurting people find like minded fellowship.

I have met a lot of hurting pastors, who have been pushed aside to quickly, whose honesty, candor and openess about struggles place them outside the neat parameters of happy church. There are places for us to go and listen as well, and heal as well, and that is good.