A Heartfelt Letter to My Brothers and Sisters Who Have Left the Church

Dear friend,

I am writing you today out of the depths of my soul. Tears are welling in my eyes are these words are being produced because they come from a place in my being that is hurting.

You know I have tried to reach you. I’ve come by your house. I’ve written you (more than a few) cards. I’ve tried to reach you on social media, phone, text, and email. I pray you have not seen these attempts as badgering or nagging. Trust me when I say that they have come out of a heart of love for your soul, and a desire to have you come back home.

You are loved. I know that, in some cases, you may think you are not, but you are. I hear often from others who are praying for you–by name–and who have tried to reach out to you as well. They love you. They want you to come back home; to return “to your first love” (Revelation 2:4). Each time I come into the church building, I am filled with joy because I am in the presence of God and among my Christian family. That said, there is always a small part of my soul that aches, because I take a glance over to where you used to sit and you are not there. This happens every single week. That’s how much I think of you. I want you back as part of our Christain family so desperately, and it hurts my soul when I think of the joy it used to give me to see you sitting across the way.

You have been kind enough to talk to me and let me know at least some of the reason you left. I know you are hurting in some way. I know you think that what you are doing is justified. If someone (or a group of “someones”) really did hurt you, I can only say I am sorry. If I hurt you, I pray that you know that I’m sorry. Such is not the way Christians act, and my prayer is that you see my efforts to bring you back home as coming from a place of repentance as well as love.

Maybe you left and just stopped going to church anywhere. You are too busy to worship, or just don’t see the importance of coming to church. You “do your own thing” religiously. If that is because you never felt included in the work and in the family here, we are doing better, and we will do better. If it is out of a lack of understanding of Scripture and the importance of the church, please let me study with you. The Church is invaluable to the plan of God, and it is part of His plan for you, too.

Maybe you left and have gone into the denominational world. Christ built but one Church, and while we certainly are not perfect, we are striving to simply be what He requires. Maybe you think we have “too many rules” or are “too Pharisaical.” If that is justified, we repent. But we are going to do our best to only bind what God as bound and leave loose what God has loosed. We are going to do our best to honor God, both in action as well as in attitude. Our goal is just to be the Church that our Lord established and governs, nothing more and nothing less.

And maybe you are one who is in services every week, but have mentally and emotionally “left,” too. Your heart just is not in it. You say all the right things, but are more like that older brother of Luke 15, and are just going through the motions for your own sake, and not for the glory of the Father. I don’t know your heart, but I know some have that attitude, and my prayer is that you make it right with God. You are close to leaving for good. Please let me help. We’ve all struggled with our faith. We’ve all had seasons of doubt and disappointment. Let us put our arms around you, so you can express those struggles and come back to full faith.

Today I’m writing out of love, but also out of pain. I am going to keep trying. I am going to keep visiting. I am going to keep sending those notes. And I am most certainly going to keep praying.

Part of those prayers are going to be for my own forgiveness, that God will forgive me of times when I should have said something, but didn’t. I am going to pray that He gives me the wisdom to guard what I say to you, so that it is always the truth, but is also always spoken out of love. I am going to pray that He keeps my heart filled with compassion for you, and that He will continue to give me a drive and the energy necessary to reach you.

But part of those prayers are also–as they always are–going to be for you. I am going to pray that your heart is still soft enough to be reached. I am going to pray that, if someone did hurt you, you are able to overcome that. I am going to pray that you have a spirit that is willing to see the efforts of myself and others as coming from love for you and for your eternal soul.

I think about you often, as do many others. I have lost sleep over your soul’s destiny. I fight myself almost daily on whether this is the day to make yet another attempt to reach you, or if I haven’t given the last attempt enough time to take root. Trust me, if I didn’t fight this inner struggle, I’d reach out to you virtually every day. I pray for you–by name–regularly.

And next Sunday, I’m still going to glance around the auditorium, just to see if you are there. Back with your family who loves you. Back in the presence of God. Back home. And if you are, I’ll probably cry, but these will be tears of joy for you.

You’re my brother. You’re my sister. I love you. I miss you.

Please come home.

Adam

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AUTHOR: Adam Faughn