Religious Abuse

You never expected to be in this pain.

So many of us started our faith journey in similar ways.

You joined in a lot of amazing talks about Jesus and the Gospel. Their testimonials seem to be so genuine and convincing.

You heard them pray so eloquently to God – for you and the community.

You gradually let your guard down, opened your heart to their words and actions, and trusted them as sincerely seeking and following God.

You gradually shared your deep heart with them and partnered in their work to serve God – as an expression of your faith in and love for Him.

Then suddenly, you had to face a terrible reality.

They are NOT who they said/showed they were.

They revealed to you a totally different face – one you’d never seen before.

And they hurt you – for their own gain – in their flesh, ego, pride, vengeance.

What’s worse, they silenced you and blamed you for what you suffered, as if it were all your fault.

Yes, oppression and exploitation and abuse happen in faith organizations, too.

But this is different. They were supposed to love, encourage, teach, protect. Hurt is magnified in your situation – because it came from the least likely of sources.

Your chest and gut are still reeling from the depth of the wounds.

You keep asking heart-wrenching questions: “How could this happen? How could I have placed my trust in such people? How can You allow this to happen to me, God?”

They keep churning in your brain, robbing you of sleep, distracting your focus from life and work, barring you from normal engagement with people.

The specter of doubt overshadows everything and everyone. So, you try to distance yourself from everything that feels suspicious or threatening.

And most importantly, your faith in God is in deep crisis!

Sometimes, you just want to walk away – from everything.

To take the hit, dust off your shoes, and move in the opposite direction. To shun the hypocrisy – and the God they claimed around it.

To swear you’ll never again involve yourself with institutionalized religion, regardless of the organization.

You can feel your heart hardening and turning to bitterness as the unhealed wounds continue to fester. Temptation looms – it would be so easy to discard it all – but something is telling you no – don’t do it.

Then, what? Is there another option?

I got bitten, too, but yes, there is another way!

Open up to someone who can listen, understand, relate, and validate your wounds and vulnerability.

The best way to ease your burden is to share it. You don’t have to suffer alone. Let me bear it with you – let’s find our way together.

Together, we’ll lift our eyes from the hypocrites to God. Together, we’ll look in a new direction – and receive comfort and consolation from the Transcendent One.

You’ll come to realize He is also the Immanent One, who took on human form and endured the worst pain on earth. He is still present with you, closer than you realize.

Let Him restore your brokenness.

He can reignite hope and love in you – if you allow Him to do so.

To get started, simply call me at (720) 468-0424 or fill out the contact form.

I’d be honored to join you on your healing journey.