"Say to the people of Israel, You shall keep my sabbaths, for this is a sign between me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I, the Lord, sanctify you."
Exodus 31:13 (NIV)"But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: 'Be holy, because I am holy.'"
1 Peter 1:15-16 (NIV)When the Church Hurts the Very People It Should Protect
Many of us carry wounds from the very place that should be a sanctuary, spiritual abuse, authoritarian leadership, judgmental attitudes, or communities that prioritize image over authenticity. These experiences can leave us questioning not just our trust in church leadership, but sometimes even our trust in God Himself.
In these moments of church hurt, God reveals Himself as Yahweh-M'kaddesh, the Lord Who Makes Holy. This name reminds us that our holiness, our acceptability before God, does not depend on being part of a perfect religious community or having perfect religious leaders. Our holiness comes from Him alone.
Holiness Comes from God, Not Human Institutions
When we have been hurt by the church, it is easy to believe that if we were just in a better church or with better leaders, we would not be struggling. But Yahweh-M'kaddesh redirects our focus: our holiness is not mediated through human institutions or leaders, it comes directly from God.
This does not mean the church is unimportant or that we should abandon communal faith. It means that when human communities fail us, as they sometimes will, our standing with God remains secure because it is rooted in His character, not theirs.
Finding God Beyond the Wounds
Church hurt can make us wary of spiritual community altogether. But Yahweh-M'kaddesh invites us to distinguish between our experiences with flawed human communities and our relationship with the perfect God. He can be trusted even when His representatives have failed us.
This might look like finding a small group of trusted friends for spiritual community, engaging in personal practices of prayer and Scripture that nourish your soul, seeking healing from a spiritual director or counselor who understands religious trauma, or remembering that Jesus himself was rejected by religious leaders of His day.
Healthy Community Step
Consider one small step toward re-engaging with spiritual community in a way that feels safe, not necessarily returning to the same environment that hurt you, but finding healthy ways to connect with other believers.
- What wounds from the church am I carrying that I have not processed?
- How have these wounds affected my trust in God?
- What would it look like to find holiness apart from flawed human communities?
- Am I equating my bad experiences with the church to mean God has abandoned me?
- Am I allowing church hurt to keep me from all spiritual community?
- Can I separate flawed human communities from the perfect God?
Your worthiness before God is not determined by how well you have been treated by religious people or institutions. Yahweh-M'kaddesh makes you holy, not your church, not your pastor, not your spiritual performance.
Yahweh-M'kaddesh, thank You for being the one who makes me holy. Help me to separate my experiences with flawed human communities from my unchanging standing before You. Help me to find healing from religious trauma and to engage with community in healthy ways. Remind me that my holiness comes from You, not from perfect religious people. In Jesus Name, Amen.
Your worthiness before God is not determined by how well you have been treated by religious people or institutions. Yahweh-M'kaddesh makes you holy, not your church, not your pastor, not your spiritual performance.
With honesty and hope,
Claire