Fellowship In The Church

MON., NOV. 2, 1987, 5:50 AM
FARM, STUDY

Last evening your group carried on a spirited discussion of the church of which you all are a part. I was there in the midst, naturally, and I would like to comment mostly on this matter of fellowship, as the title indicates. Fellowship among Christians is one of My real concerns.

Christians should like one another. This, of course, is essential to true fellowship. Yet the liking of fellow Christians has a love quality to it that makes it more mystical than other social relationships. Being Christian is not an all-or-none matter. The more a person feels love for others, and particularly for those with whom they share the faith, the more Christian they are. This is simplistic, but fundamental.

From whence comes this capacity to love? Part of it comes from personal desire and will. People who want to love others generally have more success than those who don’t feel this desire. Now this is influenced by fundamental relationship with Me, for I am the central fount of love. The closer your walk with Me, as Holy Spirit or as Jesus the Christ, the more capacity you have to love. This in turn, is influenced by your maturity as a Christian. If you are an “older spirit,” one who has been developing well, in the earth or in other realms, you have a more “natural” affinity for Me and My ways. The essence of spiritual development is the capacity to love, which manifests in concern and service for others.

Another part of this “whence comes” question is familiarity with people that allows you to see commonalities that encourage conversation, discussion, and shared activities. Fellowship is easiest when commonalities are mutually recognized and used as the basis for discovering more about that other, or others. Then come differences. Differences can be an important part of fellowship, for these can be seen as complementary to similarities rather than as competitors or opposites. So fellowship comes easiest with those with whom you are familiar, even as you realize differences as well as ways you are alike.

Presbyterians are not Christians who share their faith with others freely. The members of your church represent a range of belief, conviction, and interpretation of theological matters. Most feel that the peace and unity of the church is maintained best by keeping these disparate views hidden. This is superficially true, but it also impedes deeper Christian fellowship. Some churches require and therefore tend to have a rather common, narrow interpretation of the Christian faith. Fellowship is enhanced among those who believe alike and who know they believe alike. And then this becomes an impediment to fellowship with others, even other Christians, whose interpretations are different… or even unknown.

The Presbyterian Church must develop fellowship without this assurance of like interpretations, which, correspondingly, is both a strength and a weakness. It means that love and desire for fellowship must be the central core of this coming together, rather than assurance of doctrinal similarity. It will be interesting to see if there is a willingness on the part of many to introduce themselves to the congregation, as an individual, and tell why the church is important in the life of each. This should be a means to better fellowships, but it could be an evidence of differences, which some would see as anti-fellowship.

Part of fellowship comes from common experiences, such as worship, but also from some variety of experiences, such as the special services, the groups that meet for various reasons, the classes… The more different experiences you share in common with another person, the more likely that you will enjoy fellowship together.

Some fellowship is slow building and long lasting. Some fellowship builds quickly, is enjoyed briefly and then is gone. Some begins and then is not or cannot be nurtured, so that it remains in potential. And some is commenced and enriched through infrequent encounters. All are aspects of fellowship, one of the chief reasons for the Church in the earth.

Selah
6:58 AM
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