Somewhere along the way, church became a place where many of us lower our voices, rehearse our sentences, and scan the room before saying anything remotely honest. Not because we’re about to confess a felony—just because we don’t want the look. The pause. The follow-up email. The quiet intervention from Aunt Helga, who “just has a concern” and a well-worn copy of the Church Manual.
Church shouldn’t feel like watching your back. It shouldn’t feel like speaking in code, or carefully substituting harmless words so no one mistakes a sincere question for rebellion. It shouldn’t feel like you’re constantly minding your p’s and q’s, lest someone decide you’re “drifting,” “dangerous,” or “asking the wrong kind of questions.”
And yet, many Adventists know this posture by muscle memory. We’ve mastered the art of the safe Sabbath School comment—long enough to sound spiritual, vague enough to avoid follow-ups. We save our real thoughts for the parking lot, the car ride home, or the group chat labeled “Do Not Forward.” We learn early which topics trigger Aunt Helga, which summon a committee, and which earn you a special prayer request delivered directly to the pulpit.
But a church built on fear is not a faithful church. It’s a fragile one. Faith that can’t survive honesty isn’t being protected—it’s being preserved in amber.
Here’s the hopeful part: church doesn’t have to be this way. Adventism at its best has room for curiosity, disagreement, laughter, and growth. A church where people can speak openly—without flinching—is stronger, kinder, and far more Christlike. Even Aunt Helga might exhale. And that’s a future worth believing in.
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