For the week of July 6, 2006
Let's Get Back to the Meaning of Real Christian Fellowship
An Associated Press story published a few weeks ago reported that the average person has less than two close friends to their name. That number is down significantly from just a generation ago. Twenty-five percent of us have only one person we consider a friend.
I would hope to find things different in the family of God, but how many of us have had the experience of sitting in a sanctuary full of people, feeling terribly alone? That was my experience in transitioning from the Army to civilian life eight years ago. In the service, I shared unparalleled camaraderie with soldiers from all walks of life. When I came back to the 'real world,’ I felt lonely in this ‘Every Man for Himself’ existence. Seeking the same closeness with others I had in the military, I started visiting different churches in the area. In several congregations I attended, I was not so much as greeted with a "Hi, how are you?" or acknowledged with a handshake.
What a sad commentary on the state of some churches today. Attending church has become a kind of spectator sport. You walk through the doors, file away to the same pew you always sit in, and leave as quickly as possible without talking to a soul—remaining just as anonymous as you were before you came in.
Reading of the first-century church, we discover an entirely different picture of Christian fellowship. To attend a worship service was anything but an impersonal experience. Early Christians, in fact, met in each other's homes. They shared common meals. They were familiar with each other's hardships. They shouldered one another's burdens.
Paul urges us to recapture the spirit of the New Testament church when he says, "I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought" (1 Corinthians 1:10).
Is such an atmosphere of caring and unity possible today? It is if we will take time out of our busy, self-sufficient lives to participate in real Christian fellowship. Here's what that involves:
I like the way Romans 12:9-16 puts it:
"Love from the center of who you are; don't fake it. Run for dear life from evil; hold on for dear life to good. Be good friends who love deeply; practice playing second fiddle. Don't burn out; keep yourselves fueled and aflame. Be alert servants of the Master, cheerfully expectant. Don't quit in hard times; pray all the harder. Help needy Christians; be inventive in hospitality.
"Bless your enemies; no cursing under your breath. Laugh with your happy friends when they're happy; share tears when they're down. Get along with each other; don't be stuck-up. Make friends with nobodies; don't be the great somebody" (The Message).
I like it—simple and direct! That's exactly what we need to hear in middle of the rat race.
Can we be a fellowship that breaks away from the norm? A place where no one stands alone? Where we are all friends to each other and can be transparent?
Absolutely!
In fact, that is what convinced me to place my membership at the Eugene church of Christ eight years ago. What a difference it made when I met Christians who were genuinely interested in who I was as a person and wanted me to become active in the life of the body. I knew I had found home.
Maintaining a positive, caring, empathetic Christian fellowship takes work. All of us have to roll up our sleeves and get involved. We must refuse to let the busyness of our individual lives, petty differences, or pride get in the way of the warm, rich, nurturing fellowship that defines Christ's church.
This week, ask God to show you how you can take an active role in the life of the body and be a blessing to your brothers and sisters in Christ.
-William Sherman-