Wrecked by religion in the church?
Have you seen anything prideful, controlling, cruel, in your church culture? Yes, and it’s wrecked you? No, not really? Either way, it matters what you do next.
Real royalty: Spectacle and grace in Esther
Esther’s story paints a picture of two types of reigning. One type turns on spectacle. The other flows from grace. “Which is real royalty?” Esther’s life asks.
Reign of terror: Narcissism in Esther
Two people in power. One, highly offended. The other, easily exploited. Both, given over to evil. As in Esther, that can erupt into a reign of terror.
Abusers like Ahab & Jezebel use one another
They’re eerily alike: Ahab and Jezebel, who ruled in Elijah’s day. Men and women in church leadership who use one another in order to control everyone else.
Obsession with power, in the church
You begin to see something distressing in the church. Can it, might it, be an obsession with power, eerily like the Baal worship of old? Whatever do you do?
Toxic church? Healing promise: Real belonging
Long ago and still today, God promises his traumatized, grieving, scattered people: I will be a sanctuary to you. I will protect you. I will gather you back.
Spiritual schizophrenia and the two-headed snake
"How long will you try to go both ways?" Elijah cried. Where people identified with God cling to deep double-mindedness, they empower a two-headed snake.
Christ alone: Counting the cost, going with God
The only way to walk free from the roles and expectations that abusive systems force upon you is to keep following Jesus as he gets the system out of you.
Sabotage, coerce, shame: Bullying in the church
It’s agonizing to be bullied – and it can happen to an adult, in the church. Supposedly godly people, seeking to control, plot to sabotage, coerce, shame.
Bucking the system: Shunning, submission, Jesus
Jesus grew up in a religious system God had instigated, and people had hijacked to use for their own ends. Jesus’ life shows us when and how to buck the system.