Public rebuking was very common in the WMSCOG.

Someone would make a gaffe then be chewed out in front of the entire congregation.

A “gaffe” could be something seemingly harmless, like offering to fill up cups of water for everyone.

Do you think that’s serving? Pouring water that someone else bought? Do you think that’s sacrifice? Someone else sacrificed to buy that water and you’re just taking the credit. So self-righteous!

Everyone would gather around, stunned into silence, trying to absorb the wisdom behind the rebuking so they wouldn’t have to get it themselves.

Certain people, who were deemed capable of taking it, would become frequent targets for rebukes, scapegoats to teach the rest of the congregation moral lessons.

I was not one of those scapegoats, but some of my close friends were. Even people strong enough to take it have a breaking point.

I didn’t need to be a scapegoat to internalize the harsh rebukes. They became voices in my head that filled me with crippling guilt for years, even after I left.