by 
Our “Healing Waters” series on religious trauma begins this Sunday, April 23 and will run through Pentecost Sunday. What is religious trauma? Here’s a preview of Sunday’s sermon.
Religious trauma can include any theologies, teachings, or practices that lead to: a distorted image of God—God is vengeful, angry, violent, unappeasable, out to get you; a distorted image of self—I’m not good enough, I’m never good enough, I’m shameful, loathsome; a distorted image of others—those people, thank goodness I’m not like those people. Basically, I think about it like this: If a theology, teaching, or practice leads to alienation from God, self, or others, then there is something toxic about it. And there’s a good chance it can lead to some level of religious trauma.
Once I started looking, I saw the scars from religious trauma everywhere. It is pervasive, and I believe we must address it. Name it. Talk about it. Get it out into the light. Because when things stay bottled up, all they do is eat away at us or ricochet around and pummel us from the inside. When things stay in the shadowy dark, they become shrouded in secrecy or shame or both. And that begins to control us; that begins to consume us. None of this is healthy. None of this is life-giving.
So I will name it. I will call it out. I will bring it into the light. Religious trauma is real and it has no place in the kingdom—the kindom—of God. Eureka Christian Church, I believe we are called to proclaim this Word to each other and to our larger community. Because there is a lot of hurt out there. I believe we are called to become a sanctuary, a safe place of healing and hope, for the survivors of religious trauma.
Church, it hurts my heart to know how very many people have been let down by our faith. How very many people feel betrayed, wounded and targeted by the church. Does this hurt your heart too? This should hurt our hearts to the point where we say, “Enough! We will not be party to this trauma any longer. We will not let the good Christian name be tarnished by toxic theologies, teachings, or practices. We will use our voices to proclaim a life-giving Gospel. We will use our hands to do healing work. We will use our power to be a force for change. We will use our lives to make the Jesus we know known to the world.
I’ll see you Sunday.
Jennie
Worship at 8:15 and 10:30 a.m.
On-site at 302 South Main Street Eureka, Illinois
Online at eurekachristian.org/worship-online or facebook.com/eurekacc/live
