As a follower of Jesus, and as a woman, I believe deeply that God has invited me to use my voice in many different ways. I am invited to use my voice when I teach and preach, when I sing, and when I sit with individuals in my counseling office and offer words of empathy and compassion. I am invited to use my voice when I am speaking with my children, encouraging them after a hard day and rejoicing with them when they experience victories. I am invited to use my voice when a friend calls, weeping over a profound loss, or when I am sitting with a group in my community and discussing topics that impact our daily lives and our souls.
Even though I believe in the importance of using my voice, I often find myself feeling insecure or unsure. Though I have grown in my confidence with experience and age, I still encounter moments (if I am honest, many moments) where I wonder if what I have to say matters. A part of me believes that I should stay quiet, keep my thoughts to myself, and not risk the vulnerability of speaking.
Perhaps you can relate to this feeling of insecurity or uncertainty about your voice. Maybe you have been told that your voice is not important. Maybe you have felt that something limits you from believing that your thoughts, your insights, and your wisdom are needed or valued. Certainly, we are all unique, and we are invited to use our callings in different ways. We all come from different cultures and theological backgrounds. Not all of us feel called to preach in front of a group, but I believe that every single one of us was given an invitation to use our unique voice to bring healing, hope, and transformation to the world around us. Jesus demonstrated this invitation when he interacted with women on the earth. I love the story of the woman at the well in John 4. Not only did Jesus invite her to have a conversation with him about spiritual matters, but she ran back to her village and verbally shared her encounter with Jesus with everyone, inviting them to come and encounter him for themselves.
Our desire for this Woven website is to create a community where your voices are heard and where you can read, hear, and be encouraged by the voices of other women. We are inviting you to share your stories with us. Periodically, we will be asking for you to share on specific topics so that we can use this website to weave together a tapestry that represents the multitude of beauty and wisdom within our Every Home family.
Right now, we are inviting you to share with us on the topic of community. What does spiritual community mean to you and look like for you? Please feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below or send your ideas by email to [email protected]. You can also take a video or voice memo of yourself answering this question on your smart phone or device if that is better for you (or simply leave a reply in the comments below). We are asking for responses by October 31st. We hope to share many of your thoughts on this website! Also, if you have any story of how God is using you in your community (even if it seems small to you), please share with us! We are so excited to highlight your stories and your voices here.
For me, a spiritual community is
A place where someone can truly be oneself…
A place where you can show and share your insecurities and still be accepted…
A place where we deeply understand how much corrupted we are…
A place where we immensely feel God’s grace and forgiveness…
A place where we enjoy one other’s fellowship…
A place where it is allowed to have mistakes…
A place where it is open for communication and new ideas but fiercely holding tight to a healthy theology that casts away guilt feeling and shaming…
A place that does not whatsoever compromise the true meaning of the Gospel…
I take part in this place by simply listening to people’s sufferings and giving a hand when needed. Taking part in this ministry helped me realize my own struggles and witness other’s struggles, which is when I truly understood the meaning of a spiritual community; a place full of sinners with one main thing in common-Jesus.
QU’EST-CE QUE LA COMMUNAUTE SPIRITUELLE SIGNIFIE POUR VOUS ET A QUOI RESSEMBLE-T-ELLE POUR VOUS ? WHAT DOES SPIRITUAL COMMUNITY MEAN TO YOU AND WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE TO YOU?
– C’est l’unification des frères et sœurs dans la prière ( It is the unification of brothers and sisters in prayer)
– C’est la communauté fraternelle sur la dimension spirituelle et sur le lien de fraternité. (It is the fraternal community on the spiritual dimension and on the bond of fraternity)
– C’est là où on se soutient les uns les autres dans la prière. C’est ici où chaque frère ou sœur participe à la prière et témoigne les bienfaits de l’Eternel. (This is where we support each other in prayer. It is here where each brother or sister participates in prayer and witnesses the blessings of the Lord)
– Il s’agit des cœurs animés par l’amour. On parle de la communion de vie et de rapport interpersonnel. ( These are hearts animated by love. We talk about the communion of life and interpersonal relationship)
La Communauté spirituelle ressemble à une communauté des frères et sœurs qui se réunissent dans la prière dans une nation ou dans toutes les nations.
Ils prient soit dans un lieu donné, soit à travers le zoom.( Spiritual Community is like a community of brothers and sisters who come together in prayer in a nation or in all nations.
They pray either in a given place or through the zoom).
Ernestine ZAKUMA Metela
DRCWEST
What does spiritual community mean to you and look like for you?
Que signifie la communauté spirituelle pour vous et à quoi ressemble-t-elle pour vous ?
1 – For me the spiritual community means an assembly of men, women and children who fear God, who observe the law of holiness, sanctification, fellowship and unity; who put into practice the word of God whose gymnastics is prayer as well as reading the Bible
1 – Pour moi la communauté spirituelle veut dire une assemblée des hommes, des femmes et des enfants qui craignent Dieu, qui observent la loi de la sainteté, de la sanctification, de la communion fraternelle et de l’unité ; qui mettent en pratique la parole de Dieu dont leur gymnastique est la prière ainsi que la lecture de la Bible
2 – This Community resembles the Church body of Christ, which according to Ephesians 5:27: “Glorious, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but holy and without blemish”.
So it resembles Christ Himself.
2 – Cette Communauté ressemble à l’Eglise corps de Christ, qui selon Éphésiens 5;27 : « Glorieuse, Sans tache, ni ride, ni rien de semblable, mais Sainte et irrépréhensible ».
Donc Elle ressemble à Christ Lui même.
It is thrilling to read the thoughts of our Sisters in Africa, and ii is so, because they think and feel just alike us in Mexico.
This reminds us that we all form the Body of Jesus and it is amazing!
God may continue the outreach in Africa and in every Continent of our World.
Gloria Silva – Mexico EHC