Fellowship

SAT., DEC. 3, 1983, 6:58 AM
FARM, FRONT OF FIRE

One of the goals of church life… and one of the realities of the true Body of Christ is fellowship. And what is fellowship that it is both desired and real? It is a relationship between and among humans that is more than friendship… more than just liking one another. It is a way of relating, with spirit as the compelling and binding force, recognized and acknowledged or not. It is a special kind of friendship based in a common servant relationship to Me as the Christ, and a common acceptance of Me, the Spirit, as Teacher and Director… again, whether that is recognized and verbalized or not.

One who has strong spirit, particularly when it is grounded in Me, can have fellowship with a great number and variety of people. He recognizes that some is more mutual than other, and he does love and cherish those wonderful instances of true mutuality which spirit recognizes, but there is fellowship… genuine… with many diverse people. It is particularly challenging and exciting to be in fellowship with some who are quite different from you, yet who acknowledge Me as the Way and the Life.

In some ways this experience you are having in the Evangelical Church is more of a fellowship than the “home church” from which you have come. In other ways, the longer term, more liberal environment is that of more fellowship. This isn’t a simple matter.

Time is a factor in fellowship. The best is that which is instantly mutual and that develops over time. Yes, time can even supercede proximity. Some fellowship grows in quality over time, even when the people involved are not in direct contact. Your experience with your quartet last Spring was an example, a fellowship based in some old songs and remembered experiences that was rekindled almost instantly. Yet the fellowship with Rog and Lib and with Ship and Lorna had a better quality because of acknowledged shared faith in Me.

Fellowship often has a “fun” quality to it… not necessarily, but often. I also must admit that some who do not acknowledge Me as Lord of Life have much immediate fun and are in fellowship one with another. Getting drunk and carousing together can be fellowship, just as you remember the fellowship of your baby-sitting coop parties, years ago. All fun is not fellowship, but when the fun is shared, it is.

I also must admit that some Christians limit the fun of fellowship, sometimes with concerns about safety and longer term values, but sometimes out of fear and conservativeness which is given virtue beyond which it deserves. Some fellowship stops short of fun, presumable for My “precarious” sake, and I often am sorry about this.

And, yes, there can be fellowship with animals that is mutual, even though the spirit factor is different. As you went and greeted your dogs this morning there was an air of fellowship. Because you were in the process of writing this you cut the time short, and you could see that they were disappointed. Fellowship with you is an important part of their lives, and to you the fellowship also is important.

There can be fellowship in a large gathering of people… in the very small gatherings… and in all “sizes”. The quality is simply different as there is less personal interaction. Here spirit is the factor. If you know there is mutuality of spirit then a large gathering can be a fellowship.

Tonight you shall watch a movie, in celebration of a friend’s birthday, and in the church. The gathering has the potential for fellowship. Be aware of how much is manifested. How is fellowship enhanced? How is it prevented?