“Church When it Breaks Your Heart.” This is what I want us to soberly and honestly consider. Have you ever been hurt in or by the one place that should be a bastion of care and encouragement? Does your history with the network of people we call “the church” include scars, regrets, or disappointments? What do you do when a church breaks your heart? This week, I want to invite us to process this question in an authentic and healthy manner. This is a very uncomfortable conversation to host as a pastor. It would be much easier to push and promote all the “good stuff” of church. But that’s just not honest. The church has problems (not just the River Church, but every church populated with humans). Sometimes even a well-meaning church can really, really hurt. Rather than duct-taping over the pain or simply spraying more Lysol in its direction, let’s talk honestly, lament biblically, and together sit at the feet of the only one who can bring healing and hope.
