Wrestling With the Darkness — part 1 of Ecclesiastes sermon series by Ps Sam Powell
For the next few Sundays we want to feature a sermon series on the book of Ecclesiastes by Ps. Sam Powell. The series is not directly about abuse, but because many of our readers are without a church we want to help by offering some non-abuse-related biblical material from time to time. In addition to learning and growing in the knowledge of abuse and evil, it is good to balance our growth with other aspects of the Bible.
Here is the first sermon in the series: Wrestling With the Darkness
[Go to part 2 of the series]
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Sam Powell blogs at My Only Comfort. He is the pastor of First Reformed Church, Yuba City California. Until recently he also taught Hebrew at a seminary. We’ve featured things by Ps Sam Powell before on this blog and we value him as a colleague in the battle to expose and prevent domestic abuse in Christian circles.
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- Posted in: Christianity
- Tagged: Ecclesiastes, Sam Powell, sermons
Thank you for this. I am so thankful for this blog and the people behind it. It’s such a refuge as I go through this storm. By the time I was ready to formally withdraw from the church I was a member of, I was out of words. Out of explanations of why I was departing. Out of the need or want to explain. After expressing the details to people who understood and supported me, I realized I wasn’t wrong. I wasn’t the one that believed wrong. It was just too much to go through again. So I simply said I was no longer a member and didn’t want to be contacted. But they didn’t leave me alone. They sent letters and showed up at my house and had members show up unannounced. Without my husband’s support, I again made it clear I didn’t want to be contacted. I just wanted that chapter of my life over. I’m still wondering if when how and what they will do next. I’ve been threatened with discipline even though I had already withdrawn. I told them they don’t own me. I just want them to leave me alone. I don’t feel i owe an explanation after everything I’ve gone through with them. The refusal to help when I asked for it. The blatant misogyny. The spiritual abuse. It’s been very difficult to sort out mu feelings. I don’t regret it at all. I’m mostly just disgusted at how they believe pertaining to a lot of things. I think they defame Christ in their views on marriage. I’m very thankful for this site. It has helped me so much.