{"id":4723,"date":"2019-05-07T08:57:11","date_gmt":"2019-05-07T13:57:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/?p=4723"},"modified":"2019-05-07T13:33:24","modified_gmt":"2019-05-07T18:33:24","slug":"4-key-practices-for-healthy-christian-communities-pt-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/2019\/05\/07\/4-key-practices-for-healthy-christian-communities-pt-2\/","title":{"rendered":"4 Key Practices for Healthy Christian Communities Pt. 2"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em>This article is part 2 of a two-part series on healthy community. Read part 1 <a href=\"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/2019\/04\/05\/4-key-practices-for-healthy-christian-communities\/\">here<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>What if someone told you that church people are fake and judgmental? Would you be offended? These overgeneralizations hurt the reputation of the Church, yet, mainstream culture feels justified in holding Christians to a higher standard &#8211; and rightfully so. We are the redeemed. We are supposed to be different, and they know it. So, when Christian communities cover up sin or come across as cliquish and condescending, skepticism is to be expected.<\/p>\n<p>God IS a perfectly whole community as the Trinity, and this is adequate proof that healthy Christian community matters to God. To be true image bearers of God, the Church should endeavor to reflect the holy communal nature that we observe between Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.<\/p>\n<p>After researching Christian communities that were especially effective at fostering spiritual health and transformation, Christine D. Pohl distilled their characteristics into four practices. [1]<\/p>\n<p>1) Embracing gratitude as a way of life<br \/>\n2) Making and Keeping Promises<br \/>\n3) Living Truthfully<br \/>\n4) Practicing Hospitality<\/p>\n<p>In the first article, attention was given to gratitude and promises. This article will focus on living truthfully within a hospitable Christian environment.<\/p>\n<p>How important is truthfulness to God? Let\u2019s start by considering Jesus\u2019 bold assertion from John 14:6, \u201cI am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.\u201d We may focus on Jesus being the way to the Father and not give as much attention to Jesus being the truth. However, if we don\u2019t live truthfully, our efforts at discipleship and evangelism may fall on deaf ears.<\/p>\n<p>The author of Ecclesiastes warned us to be careful about making vows when we go to the house of God (Ecclesiastes 5:4-6). When Christians view their commitments to their community of faith as expendable, it is detrimental to the health, effectiveness, and reputation of the Church. So, we should be truthful with ourselves and others about our priorities and other obligations before making or breaking commitments.<\/p>\n<p>The story of Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5 also shows us that God values truthfulness. After observing the extreme generosity of another man, they sold property and said they were giving the income to their church. However, they kept some for themselves. Their sin was their deception. They should have been honest about what they could or would give instead of putting on airs. A person who is living truthfully will be at peace with their spiritual journey. Likewise, Christian communities that practice living truthfully will encourage generosity but alongside genuineness. They will support healthy boundaries and give people room to grow.<\/p>\n<p>In his work on emotionally healthy spirituality, Pastor Peter Scazzero explored Christians who unintentionally lean towards practicing forms of Gnostic dualism. [2] They may struggle with anxiety because they imagine Satan as almost equal to God and think of their bodies as a source of evil and their spirits as good. They forget that Jesus was fully God but also fully human and respected the needs of his body. So, some may over-commit themselves and over-spiritualize their circumstances. Often, they do not give adequate time to Sabbath keeping, relationships, family obligations, and personal health because they fail to be honest with themselves and others about their own physical and emotional needs. This overzealous form of Christianity is disconnected from reality and biblical teaching about the goodness of creation and the sovereignty of God. It is damaging to Christian communities because it is works-driven, leaves little room for true relationships, cannot be sustained, and will eventually lead to various forms of breakdown.<\/p>\n<p>Healthy Christian Communities support a transformation process, but the kind of personal truthfulness and courage that leads to real conversion and spiritual growth is rare without trust. Hospitality can open the door to trust, but a person\u2019s emotional and spiritual health cannot properly develop in a community that doesn\u2019t value promises, truthful living, and gratitude as a way of life.<\/p>\n<p>Hospitality is not simply about first impressions, a seeker-friendly environment, and follow-up with guests. The type of hospitality that the Church needs is radical hospitality that takes in broken people and walks with them along the path to wholeness. When a community of faith is intentional and sincerely committed to doing that together, it will have a tremendous impact. After all, the Church is not just the bride of Christ. It is the body of Christ and is IN Christ. So, the Church is intended to be part of the ongoing communal work of the Trinity; touching lives, cultivating hearts, and drawing people into a living, breathing, active relationship with a God who makes all things new. [3] (2 Corinthians 5:11-21)<\/p>\n<p>Footnotes:<\/p>\n<p><sup>[1]<\/sup> Christine D. Pohl, <em>Living into Community: Cultivating Practices that Sustain U, <\/em>(Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2012), 8-12.<\/p>\n<p><sup>[2]<\/sup> Peter Scazzero, <em>The Emotionally Healthy Church: A Strategy for Discipleship that Actually Changes Lives<\/em> (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2013), 51-59.<\/p>\n<p><sup>[3]<\/sup> Brad Harper and Paul Louis Metzger, <em>Exploring Ecclesiology: An Evangelical and Ecumenical Introduction<\/em> (Grand Rapids: Brazos Press, 2009), 19-30.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"excerpt","protected":false},"author":26,"featured_media":4724,"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":[4,1],"tags":[1031,1071,1034,1054,1045],"class_list":{"0":"post-4723","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-discipleship-ministries","8":"category-general","9":"tag-discipleship-ministries","10":"tag-healthy-community","11":"tag-iphc-discipleship","12":"tag-karen-lucas","13":"tag-strong-in-fellowship","14":"entry"},"title_es":"4 Pr\u00e1cticas Claves para Comunidades Cristianas Saludables (Parte 2)","content_es":"Este art\u00edculo es la parte 2 de una serie de dos partes sobre la comunidad saludable. Lea la parte 1 <a href=\"http:\/\/: https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/2019\/04\/05\/4-key-practices-\u2026tian-communities\/\">aqu\u00ed<\/a> . \u00bfQu\u00e9 pasar\u00eda si alguien te dijera que la gente de la iglesia es falsa y cr\u00edtica? \u00bfTe ofender\u00edas? Estas generalizaciones excesivas da\u00f1an la reputaci\u00f3n de la Iglesia, sin embargo, la cultura dominante se siente justificada al mantener a los cristianos en un nivel m\u00e1s alto, y con raz\u00f3n. Nosotros somos los redimidos. Se supone que somos diferentes, y ellos lo saben. Entonces, cuando las comunidades cristianas encubren el pecado o se vean como cliquish y condescendientes, el escepticismo es de esperar. Dios es una comunidad perfectamente completa como la Trinidad, y esta es una prueba adecuada de que una comunidad cristiana sana es importante para Dios. Para ser verdaderos portadores de la imagen de Dios, la Iglesia debe esforzarse por reflejar la naturaleza santa comunitaria que observamos entre el Padre, el Hijo y el Esp\u00edritu Santo. Despu\u00e9s de investigar las comunidades cristianas que fueron especialmente eficaces para fomentar la salud espiritual y la transformaci\u00f3n, Christine D. Pohl resumi\u00f3 sus caracter\u00edsticas en cuatro pr\u00e1cticas. 1) Abrazar la gratitud como una forma de vida 2) Hacer y cumplir promesas 3) Vivir con sinceridad 4) Practicar la hospitalidad En el primer art\u00edculo, se prest\u00f3 atenci\u00f3n a la gratitud y las promesas. Este art\u00edculo se centrar\u00e1 en vivir con sinceridad en un ambiente cristiano hospitalario. \u00bfQu\u00e9 tan importante es la veracidad para Dios? Comencemos considerando la atrevida afirmaci\u00f3n de Jes\u00fas en Juan 14: 6, \u201cYo soy el camino, la verdad y la vida. Nadie viene al Padre, sino por m\u00ed. \"Podemos enfocarnos en que Jes\u00fas es el camino hacia el Padre y no prestar tanta atenci\u00f3n a que Jes\u00fas sea la verdad. Sin embargo, si no vivimos sinceramente, nuestros esfuerzos de discipulado y evangelismo pueden caer en o\u00eddos sordos. El autor de Eclesiast\u00e9s nos advirti\u00f3 que tengamos cuidado al hacer votos cuando vamos a la casa de Dios (Eclesiast\u00e9s 5: 4-6). Cuando los cristianos consideran que sus compromisos con su comunidad de fe son prescindibles, es perjudicial para la salud, la eficacia y la reputaci\u00f3n de la Iglesia. Por lo tanto, debemos ser sinceros con nosotros mismos y con los dem\u00e1s acerca de nuestras prioridades y otras obligaciones antes de hacer o romper compromisos. La historia de Anan\u00edas y Safira en Hechos 5 tambi\u00e9n nos muestra que Dios valora la verdad. Despu\u00e9s de observar la extrema generosidad de otro hombre, vendieron propiedades y dijeron que estaban dando los ingresos a su iglesia. Sin embargo, mantuvieron algunos para ellos mismos. Su pecado fue su enga\u00f1o. Deber\u00edan haber sido honestos acerca de lo que podr\u00edan o dar\u00edan en lugar de poner aires. Una persona que vive sinceramente estar\u00e1 en paz con su viaje espiritual. Del mismo modo, las comunidades cristianas que practican vivir con sinceridad fomentar\u00e1n la generosidad, pero junto con la autenticidad. Apoyar\u00e1n los l\u00edmites saludables y dar\u00e1n a las personas espacio para crecer. En su trabajo sobre la espiritualidad emocionalmente saludable, el pastor Peter Scazzero explor\u00f3 a los cristianos que involuntariamente se inclinan hacia la pr\u00e1ctica de formas de dualismo gn\u00f3stico. Pueden luchar con la ansiedad porque imaginan a Satan\u00e1s como casi igual a Dios y piensan que sus cuerpos son una fuente de mal y que sus esp\u00edritus son buenos. Olvidan que Jes\u00fas era completamente Dios pero tambi\u00e9n completamente humano y respetaba las necesidades de su cuerpo. Por lo tanto, algunos pueden comprometerse demasiado y espiritualizar demasiado sus circunstancias. A menudo, no le dan el tiempo adecuado a la observancia del s\u00e1bado, las relaciones, las obligaciones familiares y la salud personal porque no son honestos consigo mismos y con los dem\u00e1s sobre sus propias necesidades f\u00edsicas y emocionales. Esta forma demasiado celosa del cristianismo est\u00e1 desconectada de la realidad y la ense\u00f1anza b\u00edblica acerca de la bondad de la creaci\u00f3n y la soberan\u00eda de Dios. Es perjudicial para las comunidades cristianas porque est\u00e1 impulsado por el trabajo, deja poco espacio para las relaciones verdaderas, no puede sostenerse y eventualmente conducir\u00e1 a varias formas de ruptura. Las comunidades cristianas saludables apoyan un proceso de transformaci\u00f3n, pero el tipo de veracidad personal y coraje que conduce a la conversi\u00f3n real y al crecimiento espiritual es raro sin confianza. La hospitalidad puede abrir la puerta a la confianza, pero la salud emocional y espiritual de una persona no puede desarrollarse adecuadamente en una comunidad que no valora las promesas, la vida sincera y la gratitud como una forma de vida. La hospitalidad no se trata simplemente de las primeras impresiones, un entorno amigable para el buscador y el seguimiento con los hu\u00e9spedes. El tipo de hospitalidad que necesita la Iglesia es una hospitalidad radical que acoge a personas quebrantadas y camina con ellas por el camino de la integridad. Cuando una comunidad de fe es intencional y est\u00e1 sinceramente comprometida a hacer eso juntos, tendr\u00e1 un impacto tremendo. Despu\u00e9s de todo, la Iglesia no es solo la novia de Cristo. Es el cuerpo de Cristo y est\u00e1 EN Cristo. Por lo tanto, se pretende que la Iglesia sea parte del trabajo comunal en curso de la Trinidad; tocar vidas, cultivar corazones y atraer personas a una relaci\u00f3n viva, respiratoria y activa con un Dios que hace que todas las cosas sean nuevas. (2 Corintios 5: 11-21)","author_name":"Karen Lucas","jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/05\/DM-Q2.2-Article-graphic.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4T9u2-1eb","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4723","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\/26"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4723"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4723\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4724"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4723"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4723"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4723"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}