church and dysfunctional family (via nakedpastor)

There is an excellent post from David Hayward over at "naked pastor" on the church, and how it often seems to treat people like a dysfunctional family.

We could welcome and include people as themselves, living them unconditionally, like a true family should. But, as he points out:

Instead, we witness a remarkable disintegration of church life and reproduction because the level of conformity required is too demanding, soul-killing and life-sucking. It creates a path of pain and a world of woundedness. Instead of a flourishing of rich layers of expression, we see departures of so many unwilling to ever be associated again with such a dysfunctional model of family and relationship.

Seriously, just go read the whole thing. It's not that long:
http://www.nakedpastor.com/2012/01/08/church-and-dysfunctional-family/