Hartford minister offers prayers for Trump, gets run out of town

[NewJeffCT]

Not quite what you think - the prayers were for Trump to be brought out of the darkness and into the light and to admit the harm he has done to others. Apparently, a few noisy Trump supporters were upset and made it uncomfortable for him. While neither side admits to the Trump criticism being the reason, it's pretty clear it started him down the path to exiting the church...

After the election of Donald Trump, Asylum Hill Congregational Church pastor Matthew Laney offered a blunt prayer for his congregation, asking the Lord to "bring the president out of darkness and into the light," and "admit the harm he has caused with his words and actions, to ask for forgiveness from the men, women and communities he's offended, wounded and assaulted."

Rev. Laney's words sparked substantial discussion about the role politics should play, if any, in the pulpit. And to hear some congregants tell it, they led, at least in part, to his departure from the 1,600-member church last Sunday.

"Matt's decision to bring his ministry to a close here has been a jarring change, leaving people in our church family to deal with a host of emotions including sadness, anxiety and even anger," the Rev. Erica Thompson, the church's associate minister and the Rev. John Collins, an interim associate minister, wrote to parishioners in this month's church newsletter.

They noted that some members expressed to them the desire to leave the church, while others voiced "deep misgivings about systematic failures."

http://www.courant.com/community/hartford/hc-hartford-asylum-hill-minister-20170621-story.html

[dalton99a]

1. The reverend is misguided

[NewJeffCT]

2. Weirdly

I thought I posted with blockquotes around the parts of the article, but it seems it didn't take?

[octoberlib]

3. Had it happen , too so I checked announcements and admin disabled

those features temporarily. Can't bold or excerpt either. It had something to do with the hack.

[Gothmog]

4. From his lips to G-d's ears

[NewJeffCT]

5. but

it seems to have been a small group of right wingers that started this... so, another decision by a minority of people.

[lindysalsagal]

6. Can't mention the other god when frump's the subject. Both are too selfish.

Breaking my heart.