Summary: The husband who batters his wife breaks the marriage vows, not the wife who leaves him. Domestic violence and abuse is a gross violation of not only the victim of the violence and the immediate family; it also violates the spiritual integrity of the whole community of faith and each of its members. This communal aspect of domestic violence has long been neglected in faith communities. Church can be a place of help and healing for the victimized. It can also do harm by protecting perpetrators rather than victims, promoting wrong theology which ultimately keeps people in dangerous situations, or minimizing the problem. I hope this podcast can be one step in making our church community a place of safety and healing. Clinging To the Threshold of Hope A Sermon by the Rev. Dr. Kevin E. Frederick, Presbyterian Church, USA, adapted by Rev. Kristin Luana Baumann Right Relations Preaching Series. Right Relations are about creating strong and healthy relationships in all aspects of our life. God’s command to love God, self and other is a holistic command. God asks us to put love first, always. This has consequences to how we relate to creation, what job choices we make, how we spend our money, what public policies we support, and, of course, how we take care of ourselves, our families, and all other people. The preaching series does not cover all possible topics, but focuses on three areas of individual and societal importance. I will ask us to put our attention to three wounds in our personal and community life, so to promote awareness and healing: The first Sunday is about Domestic Violence. The second Sunday is about Human Trafficking. The third Sunday is about Reconciliation between First Nations and Canadian government and larger society.
