I have been challenged in my prayer time and Bible reading time to engage on a journey of intercession for the American Church. I would like to think I’m just getting prepped to challenge others to pray for the American Church so I can just pass it off.

I just finished Nancy French’s new book, Ghosted, and believe me, I would rather call down the wrath of God on the American Church.

From the intro to the next to last chapter, I’ve been challenged and left emotionally gutted. I grew up in a conservative church in a conservative political movement. I’ve since worked through all that, leaving behind the political party and at least the denomination, even if I still hold to a lot of conservative theology and conservative political ideas. French’s introduction explained why I left the political party. The main part of her book explained my difficulty with the American conservative church, but I never knew the depths.

As French was detailing her account of being sexually assaulted by a church worker when she was young, my wife (we were listening to it together on a trip) said, “You have no idea how many stories I heard from girls on my dorm floor when we were in college. You knew some of them as friends.”

The hardest part was French’s reporting on massive abuse of campers at a nationally known camp called Camp Kanakuk. It was hard hearing the stories she related, but worse was the total lack of response from the American church, and she named some very high powered names in American Christianity on this one. SILENCE.

The American conservative church was completely non-plussed at her reporting.

And in the midst of this has been this study on intercession and the Lord challenging me to pray for the American church.

I am to pray for repentance. I am to pray for mercy. There is just too much to bear right now. I do not advocate for not speaking out on abuses. I applaud the brave heroes who stand up and speak. I am simply saying I am challenged with an “and.” YES, point out the problems… AND… intercede.

Even when I would rather call down wrath.