Churches really ought to be a refuge for the weary, a safe house for the broken, a rescue for the abused and mistreated. These local expressions of God’s gathered people are meant to offer the love, hope, and healing that God himself offers us in the gospel.

Sadly, some of the most serious and enduring pain is inflicted by the church, by people in these churches. Sin creeps into the corners of our sanctuaries and corrupts leaders, ministries, and relationships. And it hurts.

Jackie Hill, a poet, was wounded by the church and resisted going back, until she realized the church with all its flaws is God’s only means of making her more like him. In three minutes, she shares her heart and some hope for the hurting.