As a priest in a Dallas-area Anglican church, I have the honor and duty of ministering to a large group of individuals who have suffered at the hands of a church. Some members have experienced severe abuse. A leader’s downfall has caused some to lose trust. A few people have been expelled from here for raising valid concerns. While the phrase “church hurt” may not always be the most appropriate to describe and compile all these various experiences, it is indisputable that a large number of people in my congregation have been harmed by the body of Christ.
There is a difference between the institution inflicting harm on someone and causing harm to someone; this is particularly true when local and interpersonal healing and reconciliation are required. However, it is also crucial to contextualize our painful experiences within the context.
This Good Friday, Consider The Church A Place For Hope, Love And BeginningÂ
Paul maintains, after all, that Christ has just one body, the church, which is being lovingly expanded into the entirety of Christ, our head (Eph. 4:4, 15–16). Furthermore, according to 1 Corinthians 12:26, “When one member of the body suffers, all suffer.” A comprehensive understanding of this as Christ’s body must acknowledge and respect both the suffering that the body endures from its members as well as its integrity and health.
Given that the wound from which we were born was also raised by resurrection, we pray, for us, and within the church as an act of hope. Christ continues to carry this wound as a symbol of his triumph over sin, humiliation, and death.
