It appears that we are more connected than ever with the technological advances of our day, but I would simply argue that technology has provided better means of communication and fewer means for connection. \u00a0We desire to be \u201clinked in\u201d not realizing we\u2019re abandoning authentic relationships. Connection with God and others is one of the keys to Christian living.\u00a0 When we lose this essential link, we lose out.<\/p>\n
Acts 2:42, 46 \u201cThe community continually committed themselves to learning what the apostles taught them, gathering for fellowship, breaking bread, and praying. They were unified as they worshiped\u00a0at the temple day after day.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Since the beginning, God\u2019s people have gathered to worship Him. The Apostles established churches throughout the land, so the people would receive sound doctrine and be strengthened through fellowship, as they devoted themselves to gathering in worship to the Lord. \u00a0The modern-day church is full of people who attend less and less because their plates fill up with more and more as their priorities shift.<\/p>\n God intended us to be in relationship with Him and in community with others. When we spend time with Him, we see His heart, experience love, and we understand the felt needs of others. In community, we learn to love and honor one another, we learn to encourage and care for one another, and we take off our masks and become vulnerable. In community, we learn that we can\u2019t do life alone.<\/p>\n We all experience seasons of trials, yet all too often, we withdraw to a corner like an injured dog to lick our wounds. If only we would have the faith to expose them when beckoned and the wisdom to gather with our Master and His people, who can and will apply a healing salve to us. When we receive that, we are comforted, strengthened, and encouraged to move forward.<\/p>\n Recently, a good friend of mine was going through a difficult season. Her marriage was coming to an end, as her husband was an addict who was verbally and mentally abusive to her. I continually reached out to her, encouraging her to not forsake the fellowship, and she constantly shied away, choosing to communicate via technology rather than connect in full transparency. There was a shadow of shame and failure following her everywhere she went, and sadly, she couldn\u2019t see the light of day.<\/p>\n After a few attempts, she finally gave what she thought was a satisfactory answer, \u201cI\u2019ll be back as soon as this is over.\u201d My heart ached for her, and I immediately prayed for her and responded, \u201cDon\u2019t wait until this is over. We love you. God loves you. You need us. We need you.\u201d<\/p>\n What I didn\u2019t know was that my words were speaking to her heart and beckoning her to come out of the corner, out of hiding, and back to fellowship. She came to church the following Sunday and before the worship team reached the bridge to the first song, I glanced out of the corner of my eye, and I saw tears streaming down her face. Those cleansing tears that fell in worship, coupled with the love and encouraging words from friends, were the healing salve that she needed. She was stronger in fellowship and received the reassurance she needed to keep walking through the valley, not to pitch a tent and stay there.<\/p>\n She had become isolated and needed to grow stronger in fellowship. This happens when we commune with God in worship. It happens when we submit to community at the local church. It happens in conversations in small groups. Matthew 18:20 \u201cWhen two or three gather together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.\u201d <\/em><\/p>\n A couple of months after she came back, she found herself focusing on the felt needs of others and ministering to them. These ladies may or may not have had the same issues in their lives, but they had the same outcome\u2014isolation. My friend has been 100% committed to staying strong in fellowship. She has shared her story with many and is being used to draw the wounded out of the corner and into community.<\/p>\n Whatever you\u2019re walking through, don\u2019t allow the shadows in the corner to speak louder than the soothing call to come out of hiding.\u00a0 We are better together.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"excerpt","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":4660,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","episode_type":"","audio_file":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","filesize_raw":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[1031,1059,1051,1057,873,1045,863,1058,67],"class_list":{"0":"post-4659","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-general","8":"tag-discipleship-ministries","9":"tag-iphc-disciple","10":"tag-iphc-discipleship-ministries","11":"tag-iphc-womens-ministries","12":"tag-nicole-hammond","13":"tag-strong-in-fellowship","14":"tag-wm","15":"tag-wm-board","16":"tag-womens-ministries-2","17":"entry"},"title_es":"Fuera de la esquina y en comunidad","content_es":"Parece que estamos m\u00e1s conectados que nunca con los avances tecnol\u00f3gicos de nuestros d\u00edas, pero simplemente dir\u00eda que la tecnolog\u00eda ha proporcionado mejores medios de comunicaci\u00f3n y menos medios de conexi\u00f3n. Deseamos estar \"vinculados\" sin darnos cuenta de que estamos abandonando las relaciones aut\u00e9nticas. La conexi\u00f3n con Dios y con los dem\u00e1s es una de las claves de la vida cristiana. Cuando perdemos este eslab\u00f3n esencial, salimos perdiendo. Hechos 2:42, 46 \u201cLa comunidad continuamente se comprometi\u00f3 a aprender lo que los ap\u00f3stoles les ense\u00f1aron, reuni\u00e9ndose para la comuni\u00f3n, partiendo el pan y orando. Se unificaron como adoraban en el templo d\u00eda tras d\u00eda \u201d.<\/em> Desde el principio, el pueblo de Dios se ha reunido para adorarlo. Los ap\u00f3stoles establecieron iglesias en toda la tierra, para que la gente recibiera una sana doctrina y se fortaleciera a trav\u00e9s de la comuni\u00f3n, mientras se dedicaban a reunirse en adoraci\u00f3n al Se\u00f1or. La iglesia moderna est\u00e1 llena de personas que asisten cada vez menos porque sus platos se llenan cada vez m\u00e1s a medida que cambian sus prioridades. Dios quiso que estuvi\u00e9ramos en relaci\u00f3n con \u00c9l y en comunidad con otros. Cuando pasamos tiempo con \u00c9l, vemos Su coraz\u00f3n, experimentamos el amor y entendemos las necesidades sentidas de los dem\u00e1s. En la comunidad, aprendemos a amarnos y honrarnos unos a otros, aprendemos a alentarnos y cuidarnos unos a otros, y nos quitamos las m\u00e1scaras y nos hacemos vulnerables. En la comunidad, aprendemos que no podemos hacer la vida solos. Todos experimentamos temporadas de pruebas, pero con demasiada frecuencia, nos retiramos a un rinc\u00f3n como un perro herido para lamer nuestras heridas. Ojal\u00e1 tuvi\u00e9ramos la fe para exponerlos cuando se nos indique y la sabidur\u00eda para reunirnos con nuestro Maestro y su pueblo, que puede y aplicar\u00e1 un b\u00e1lsamo de sanaci\u00f3n a nosotros. Cuando recibimos eso, somos consolados, fortalecidos y alentados a seguir adelante. Recientemente, un buen amigo m\u00edo estaba pasando por una temporada dif\u00edcil. Su matrimonio estaba llegando a su fin, ya que su esposo era un adicto que la hab\u00eda abusado verbal y mentalmente. Continuamente me acerqu\u00e9 a ella, anim\u00e1ndola a no abandonar la beca, y ella constantemente rehuy\u00f3, eligiendo comunicarse a trav\u00e9s de la tecnolog\u00eda en lugar de conectarse con total transparencia. Hab\u00eda una sombra de verg\u00fcenza y fracaso sigui\u00e9ndola a todas partes que iba, y tristemente, no pod\u00eda ver la luz del d\u00eda. Despu\u00e9s de algunos intentos, finalmente dio lo que pens\u00f3 que era una respuesta satisfactoria: \"Volver\u00e9 tan pronto como esto termine\". Me doli\u00f3 el coraz\u00f3n por ella, e inmediatamente or\u00e9 por ella y respond\u00ed: \"No esperes hasta que esto termine Te amamos. Dios te ama. Usted nos necesita Te necesitamos. Lo que no sab\u00eda era que mis palabras le hablaban al coraz\u00f3n y la invitaban a salir de la esquina, a esconderse ya volver a la comuni\u00f3n. Ella vino a la iglesia el domingo siguiente y antes de que el equipo de adoraci\u00f3n llegara al puente de la primera canci\u00f3n, mir\u00e9 por el rabillo del ojo y vi l\u00e1grimas en su rostro. Esas l\u00e1grimas purificadoras que cayeron en la adoraci\u00f3n, junto con el amor y las palabras de aliento de amigos, fueron el b\u00e1lsamo curativo que ella necesitaba. Era m\u00e1s fuerte en el compa\u00f1erismo y recibi\u00f3 la tranquilidad que necesitaba para seguir caminando por el valle, no para armar una tienda de campa\u00f1a y quedarse all\u00ed. Ella se hab\u00eda aislado y necesitaba volverse m\u00e1s fuerte en la comuni\u00f3n. Esto sucede cuando comulgamos con Dios en la adoraci\u00f3n. Sucede cuando nos sometemos a la comunidad en la iglesia local. Sucede en conversaciones en peque\u00f1os grupos. Mateo 18:20 \"Cuando dos o tres se re\u00fanen en Mi nombre, estoy all\u00ed en medio de ellos\".<\/em> Un par de meses despu\u00e9s de su regreso, se encontr\u00f3 concentr\u00e1ndose en las necesidades sentidas de los dem\u00e1s y atendi\u00e9ndolas. Estas mujeres pueden o no haber tenido los mismos problemas en sus vidas, pero tuvieron el mismo resultado: el aislamiento. Mi amigo ha estado 100% comprometido a permanecer fuerte en el compa\u00f1erismo. Ella ha compartido su historia con muchos y est\u00e1 siendo utilizada para sacar a los heridos de la esquina y llevarlos a la comunidad. Pase lo que pase, no permita que las sombras de la esquina hablen m\u00e1s fuerte que la llamada tranquilizadora para salir de su escondite. Estamos mejor juntos.","author_name":"Nicole Hammond","jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/04\/Out-of-the-Corner-and-Into-the-Community.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4T9u2-1d9","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4659","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/19"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4659"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4659\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4660"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4659"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4659"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4659"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}