Winter 2026: Walking with the Wounded
Eyes to See
"Then he said to them, 'Is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the Sabbath, to save life or to kill?' But they were silent. He looked around at them with anger; he was grieved at their hardness of heart and said to the man, 'Stretch out your hand.' He stretched it out, and his hand was restored. The Pharisees went out and immediately conspired with the Herodians against him, how to destroy him." (Mark 3:4-6 NRSV)
For those of us in ministry to the wounded, this story from the Gospel of Mark has particular resonance. We know nothing about the man with the shriveled hand. We don't know his story; we know only that he was in the Synagogue on the Sabbath and that Jesus noticed him. We don't know what kind of man he was: good, bad, hard-working, lazy, likeable, malicious.
The Pharisees may have known him, and they may have known his story. They certainly were aware of his wounding. But none of that mattered to them. The Pharisees were only interested in their agenda, in how he might play into their need to protect their rules, their positions, their world-view from Jesus.
Jesus had eyes to see the suffering and the hardship that filled the life of the man with the shriveled hand. The Pharisees did not; this man's hardships were irrelevant to them. That fact angered Jesus. He grieved over their hardness of heart. And His anger and grief came not because they opposed His ministry. The anger and grief welled up because these leaders were blind to the need and the suffering of the man with the shriveled hand.
Our call as Christians is to notice the suffering in the world around us and to respond to it. We must SEE before we can, as Jesus commanded, feed the hungry, water the thirsty, welcome the stranger, clothe the naked, care for the sick, and visit the prisoner. (Matthew 25:31-46) Seeing is the necessary first step in loving our neighbors.
In the particular ministry calling of Redeemed Seasons, God asks us to have eyes to see the profound suffering of those with attractions, desires, and anxieties they didn't ask for. He asks us to see the anguish and profound grief of parents and family members who are trying to love well their prodigal sons and daughters.
Far too often, we in the Church close our eyes to the suffering, especially the suffering of the sexually broken, and we see only the ways in which we believe "those people" threaten our comfort, our safety, and our doctrinal orthodoxy. We, like the Pharisees, stand on the absolute integrity of our rules, while ignoring the shriveled hearts and spirits of those who carry deep wounds to their sexuality, their identity or their family.
Seeing is indeed the necessary first step in loving our neighbors as Scripture commands. See the need. See the suffering. See the brokenness. And then, as Jesus asks, we walk with the wounded as they journey with Jesus toward healing.
We ask for and welcome your prayers for Redeemed Seasons, and for the Body of Christ in whole, to have eyes to see as Jesus sees and to respond to what we see in the love with which Jesus loves us.
MDS
Many Journeys
Walking with the wounded in our ministry context necessarily entails undertaking many simultaneous journeys, as we accompany men and women who are surrendering themselves to the healing and transformational work of Jesus.
Some of our journeys are one-on-one engagements, either in spiritual direction or in soul care and mentoring. These engagements can be short in duration, or they can span years of spiritual formation and relationship. Among the 34 individuals currently meeting with us, about one-third have been with us for less than a year, but another third have been with us for 4 years or more. Each of these relationships, whether long-term or newly established, offers a deep and powerful context in which the Holy Spirit can minister: identifying the roots of brokenness and ushering the participant into the healing presence of Jesus.
Our support groups for parents and family members of LGBTQ-identified loved ones offer a collective context for shared journeys. These group settings allow participants to share their experiences with others who understand the unique pain and challenges of loving and maintain relationship with family members who embrace this broken lifestyle. The groups offer a safe setting in which we, as facilitators, can encourage and support parents and family members to entrust their loved ones to Jesus and to pursue their own healing through deeper relationship with Jesus.
The Holy Spirit is ultimately the guide for us, as care-givers, and for our clients, as we walk together the unique journey that Jesus has for each one of us.
Another Walker on our Team
We are thrilled to announce that Leah Olson, a long-time member of our Board of Directors at Redeemed Seasons, will be finishing her training as a Spiritual Director in the next few months. We have already begun referring direction clients to Leah, and we are looking forward to her continued care for and engagement with the men and women who come to RSM for help and support.
Congratulations (a little early) to Leah for completing her spiritual direction training, and WELCOME to the newest active member of our care-giving team!
