The specific prayers you share are so helpful! Sadly, I think if these were prayed from the pulpit in my local congregation there would quite a bit of back lash. Wish I was wrong. I doubt I will see these prayed from the pulpit, so will never know.
Very sad to hear this, Ann. But that sadness you're feeling sounds like a form of love for your congregation, grieving what they haven't yet become rather than writing them off.
The gap between what the church is and what it could be is exactly where the prophets lived.
Keep praying those specific prayers yourself, even if not from the pulpit.
Sometimes the most faithful thing is keeping the flame alive until the room is ready for it.
Yes! - the courage to say those quiet (obfuscated) parts out loud. And another facet of that "name it" principle - the important project by the folks at Protestant Accountability (similar model to the well established Bishop Accountability site): https://protestantaccountability.org/
Amen. Thank you, Harvey, for your words. They have helped me become more open to grieving over the things that grieve the Holy Spirit.
That’s a very honest descriptions of what faithful attention actually feels like.
It's not comfortable, but it's real.
You named it so well, Heng.
The specific prayers you share are so helpful! Sadly, I think if these were prayed from the pulpit in my local congregation there would quite a bit of back lash. Wish I was wrong. I doubt I will see these prayed from the pulpit, so will never know.
Very sad to hear this, Ann. But that sadness you're feeling sounds like a form of love for your congregation, grieving what they haven't yet become rather than writing them off.
The gap between what the church is and what it could be is exactly where the prophets lived.
Keep praying those specific prayers yourself, even if not from the pulpit.
Sometimes the most faithful thing is keeping the flame alive until the room is ready for it.
I will continue praying for all involved.
Yes!!! I have a similar post coming up. On naming sin when leaders are held accountable. Stop with the vague language!
Looking forward to your post on that, Nadine.
The more voices saying this clearly, the harder it becomes to remain vague and unaccountable.
Yes! - the courage to say those quiet (obfuscated) parts out loud. And another facet of that "name it" principle - the important project by the folks at Protestant Accountability (similar model to the well established Bishop Accountability site): https://protestantaccountability.org/
Naming it publicly and building a searchable record of it is the kind of institutional accountability that makes it harder for harm to stay hidden.
Looks like Protestant Accountability is doing work the church should have built itself decades ago.
Thanks for adding this resource to the conversation, Mike.