My three-year-old and one-year-old had just thrown F5-level meltdowns for the first fifteen minutes of church (some of it in the pew, some of it in the nursery, some outside … you get the picture). We somehow rallied and stumbled back to our tornado of a pew.
Comfort in God’s Word
Despite all the cereal and busy bags and toys from home, what soothed my children most was when my toddler sat on Daddy’s lap to flip through the hymnal and my baby stood up to hold the lady’s hand behind us for the rest of the service. (Lisa B., if you’re reading this, you are a hero.)
They were feeling disconnected, and they were soothed by connecting to God’s Word through the hymns we sang and connecting to God’s church through the hand of a fellow sister in Christ.
Disconnected
Do you feel disconnected sometimes? I know I do. If you google statistics about loneliness, you’ll find that there are many people who feel isolated, misunderstood, and alone. That may look like a new mom who desperately needs a nap, a shower, and a conversation with another adult. Or a church visitor who doesn’t know anyone. Or a couple praying to find good friends for their family. Or a widow in a nursing home hoping that someone would come visit.
It might look like you and me in our daily lives, staying busy yet somehow feeling a disconnection from a loved one, a friend, or even from our church. We may even feel disconnected from Jesus, if we’re honest.
Christian Connection
When you feel disconnected, remember that God has not disconnected from you. Jesus says, “I am the vine; you are the branches” (John 15:5). He grafts us into Himself through His life, death, and resurrection. We are baptized into Him, and He is always near to us, whether we feel it or not. He shows up where He promises to be—in His Word and Sacraments. He will never leave us nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5).
He also connects us with other brothers and sisters in Christ to lift us up. He promises to be there “where two or three are gathered in My name” (Matthew 18:20). He tells us to “bear one another’s burdens” (Galatians 6:2) and to “encourage one another and build one another up” (1 Thessalonians 5:11). As Martin Luther once said, “Everything is less burdensome if you have a brother with you.”1
In short, as Christians we are connected in Christ. And that is a powerful thing—the kind of thing that soothes our loneliness and makes the devil run scared.
New Year, New Connections
Christ connects us to one another. And He calls us to reach out our hand, like my little one did in church. Reach out in Christian connection to fellow believers who will pray for you, encourage you, and just be with you. Reach out to bring someone a meal after their surgery, invite a family from your child’s class over for dinner, or reconcile with someone you’ve felt disconnected to for a long time. Reach out, knowing God will be with you.
My prayer for this new year is that it is one of connecting to others, so that we can point one another back to the one who makes us whole: our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. “And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful” (Colossians 3:15).
1 Quotation from Martin Luther is from Luther’s Works, American Edition, vol. 2, Lectures on Genesis: Chapters 6-14, ed. Jaroslav Pelikan and Daniel E. Poellot (St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1960), 335.
Scripture: ESV®.
Download this month’s Everyday Faith Calendar, which focuses on the church. You will find short Bible readings and prayer prompts for each day.
