Stay in God's Grip!
  • Home
  • Todd's Blog
  • Remember Me When
  • Contact

 While in God's Grip!

Forgiveness...

1/10/2019

0 Comments

 
Picture
"I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings." 
​~ I Corinthians 9: 23
"Will I be punished for not going to church?"

It was a serious question asked of me during a visit this week with one of my hospice patients.  She then went on to share how she had attended a church for several years until she had a "falling out," with someone in the church, "so I just quit going."

When I meet a patient for the first time as their hospice chaplain, I ask about their faith background and if they have a faith community that they belong to?  This will often create the opportunity for the person to then share of their faith journey.   I meet folks from many faith traditions in the work that I do, but even among the varied faiths, when there has been woundedness experienced by someone in a faith community, they often leave the community, or reject it.

When we leave a faith community, or quit, it is hard for us to remain connected to that which brings us closer to our faith.  For those of us who proclaim Christianity as our faith, being separated from a faith community also seems to make for distance between us and the living Christ.

All too often I hear, "I am Christian, but I don't care for it's establishment."

I know it can be a real struggle at times.  The challenge when we have been harmed, have a "falling out," or leaving the church for some reason, within our journey we need to find a place to allow for forgiveness.  This challenge is especially great because the Church seldom asks us for forgiveness, at least not officially.

That's when I remember that the Church is not perfect.  Like most things, it is a human organization that can fail at times to be the living Body of Christ.  And as a human organization, sometimes it needs our forgiveness, while at the same time, the Church continues to offer us forgiveness as the living Christ.

I shared with the woman that I think that God understands when we have been hurt.  

It is important for us to remember that any community that gathers together is made up of many different people, and even though they may all proclaim to be part of the body of Christ, each person has their own purpose.  I always try to remind myself that the Church continues to be a work in progress, made up of people who, like myself, are also a work in progress, who all will one day know the complete love and forgiveness that Christ has to offer.

Stay in God's grip!

G. Todd Williams (c) 2019
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    Rev. G. Todd Williams lives in the Houston metro area and is a Hospice Chaplain at Essential Hospice, Webster, Texas, and is an ordained Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) pastor.

    He serves as the Stated Supply to Westminster Presbyterian Church, Galveston, Texas.

    His new book, "Remember Me When..." is available through Chalice Press.

    Archives

    August 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    December 2021
    July 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017

    RSS Feed

  • Home
  • Todd's Blog
  • Remember Me When
  • Contact