Where Was My Church? Spiritual Community in Crisis

In our deepest pain, we often turn to our spiritual family, expecting the hands and feet of Christ to hold us up. But what happens when that community fails to show up, or worse, causes more pain with well-meaning but hurtful words? This is my story of feeling abandoned by my church in the aftermath of loss, and the deep sting of platitudes like "God needed another angel." I will share how the story of Job's friends provided a surprising model for what true support looks like, and what I have learned about finding and building a community that can sit with you in sacred silence.