This week we continued our conversation on resilience in ministry by taking up the topic of suffering. If we’re honest, it’s difficult to understand the place of suffering in our lives and ministries. Should we choose to suffer as we serve others? Can we pursue wellbeing and wholeness in Christ while we, ourselves, are suffering? If so, how? And how do we love others who seem crushed by the weight of their circumstances and the pain caused by their relationships?
Dr. Ingrid Faro from Northern Seminary joined us on Aug. 24 to anchor our conversation on suffering and resilience in Scripture. Drawing from her own experiences of suffering as well as from examples from the Bible, Dr. Faro described three types of suffering: external, internal and intentional. She helped us understand how God can use each of these three types of suffering to transform us into the likeness of Christ.
After her talk, Dr. Faro responded to questions from attendees such as how to avoid a martyr complex in ministry, deal with toxic people and attend to our own suffering. If you missed the event and want to learn more about the connection between suffering and the way of the cross, you can watch a recording of the event.
Those who attended the event will receive “Grace Walk” by Steve McVey. Dr. Faro selected this book because it was so instrumental in her transformation that she often shares it with others.
Look for Dr. Faro’s forthcoming book, “Evil in Genesis: A Contextual Analysis of Hebrew Lexemes for Evil in the Book of Genesis,” coming out early in 2021 from Lexham Press.
