The Tension Where Truth Lives

Returning Without Rushing — and Why Community Still Matters

I took a couple of days off—not because I was empty, but because I was listening.

There was a time when stepping away felt like falling behind. Silence felt irresponsible. Rest felt like disengagement. But formation has been teaching me something different: sometimes the most faithful thing you can do is pause without panic.

Rest isn’t always retreat.

Sometimes it’s recalibration.

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The Noise Around the Church

It’s impossible to ignore the tone of the moment we’re living in.

There’s a lot being said about the Church right now. About pastors. About leadership. About people who still choose to belong to a faith community. Some of it is rooted in real pain. Some of it is amplified by public platforms. Much of it is loud, sweeping, and dismissive.

I don’t feel called to argue with it.

I don’t feel assigned to defend myself or the institution.

And I don’t believe healing comes from shouting back.

But I do feel a quiet responsibility to encourage those who are weary—especially those who have grown cautious about community.

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Formation Was Never Meant to Be Solo

One thing I’m increasingly convinced of is this: formation happens best in community.

Not perfect community.

Not flawless leadership.

Not spaces without tension.

But real community.

The kind where faith is practiced, not just discussed.

The kind where you’re known, challenged, supported, and sometimes corrected.

The kind where you don’t disappear when life gets heavy.

Walking away from unhealthy dynamics may be necessary.

Walking away from community altogether rarely is.

Isolation can feel peaceful at first—but over time, it quietly starves formation.

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You Don’t Have to Choose Extremes

You don’t have to pretend the Church hasn’t wounded people.

And you don’t have to abandon faith community because of it.

Both things can be true:

• There are real issues that need addressing.

• There is still deep value in gathering, worshiping, serving, and belonging.

Formation teaches us to live in that tension without rushing to extremes.

You don’t have to be loud to be faithful.

You don’t have to disengage to be discerning.

And you don’t have to give up community to protect your peace.

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Returning Without Rushing—Together

Coming back today doesn’t feel like restarting. It feels like continuing—with more clarity.

I don’t feel pressure to comment on every headline.

I don’t feel the need to explain my pauses.

And I don’t feel drawn into the noise.

What I do feel is gratitude—for faith, for growth, and for the quiet strength that comes from walking this journey with others.

Peace doesn’t mean everything is resolved.

It means I’m no longer driven by the noise.

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Closing Reflection

If you’ve stepped back from church because you were tired, hurt, or disillusioned—I understand that more than you know.

But don’t let the noise convince you that faith was ever meant to be lived alone.

Community still matters.

Formation still requires relationship.

And grace still grows best where people are willing to walk together—imperfectly, but faithfully.

Sometimes the most courageous thing you can do

is not walk away,

but re-engage—without rushing.