Faith and Prayers of Women in Community
“I am grateful to God, whom I worship … as my ancestors did, when I remember you constantly in my prayers. … Recalling your tears … I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that first lived in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, lives in you.” —2 Timothy 1:3-6.
Is it true that our faith can be transferred from one person to another, or from one generation to another? There are times when I feel that the faith of my mother and my grandmothers was holding me up in difficult times.
However, we all have our own unique faith journeys. It is a connection to the God of our understanding, the aspect of God that we may feel we alone have experienced. I do believe that we often find the God, the Christ, within ourselves by first seeing the Christ in another. Then that love of Christ is reflected back, enabling us to see the Christ in ourselves. Some people do not call it Christ. They call it divine or unconditional love.
Our community influences us so much. If we want to experience this love, Recovery groups tell us to “stick with the winners.” People in discernment of gifts would tell us to be around those we most admire, because they carry a part of us we have not yet recognized. C. S. Lewis would tell us to “act as if.” We will know how to “act as if” only if we are around others who have what we are seeking.
My experience is that we often find God in our community. Others around me show me the love of God. They share their faith. Of course, we always have the option of whether or not to receive it.
Today I share a community of women who are united in prayer and service, seeking a stronger faith through fellowship with one another. This is part of the Grace Chapter of Daughters of the King at St. Mark’s. I learn about love from each of them every day and am filled with gratitude for their continued presence. These are six women who recently took a vow of service and prayer as they joined this group. We will now learn more from them.
Joanna joannaseibert.com