People are lured into church by hearing the language of intimacy and authenticity …

From one of my favorite books published this year … William P. Smith’s Loving Well Even If You Haven’t Been:

“People are lured into church by hearing the language of intimacy, authenticity, and genuineness, but when they experience their absence, they are left feeling even more hurt than before.  They had hoped finally to find a safe place where they could experience being loved, only to realize that Christians are not really all that good at it. Instead of being welcomed and embraced, often they can end up isolated and alone. So they walk away discouraged and cynical—with good reason.”

[A re-post from 2012]