Sustenance for The Spirit
This post is actually a continuation of the previous post entitled, “Sensory Faith”. Sometimes I become inundated with thoughts and other messages on a topic, and it’s hard to get it all in one post. Succinct is not always the most efficient.
Recently, I was listening to a podcast by Jonathan Merritt called “Seekers and Speakers,” where the interviewee was speaker and author, Beth Moore. The topic was fellowship. I have to admit I was a little ho-hum at first. This is not a new topic by any means. But Beth Moore is always interesting, and she said some things that kept me listening and peaked my interest. First of all, the interview was conducted in 2018. Pre-pandemic. So as she described her background with church fellowships, traditional potlucks, and similar interactions she enjoyed as a youngster, I came to realize more fully how we church people have been impacted by the pandemic. Beth explained koinonia, and how the limited view of her childhood could be expanded to mean fellowshipping with Christians at work, as friends in the coffee shop or in other simple ways. She used the phrase “commonality of peculiarity” to describe the community of believers, and how we need to support each other now more than ever as the world views Christianity often in a negative light. Koinonia is the Greek word translated as “fellowship” in the Bible, perhaps best defined with synonyms like association, community, communion or joint participation.
Secondly, Beth made the point that in Acts 2, immediately after the church began, they were enjoying regular fellowship with one another (Acts 2:42). I began to ponder. I’ve been in conversation with people on and off during the pandemic, about how, as a church, we navigate through, upholding God’s view of the church and how exactly we’re supposed to operate. This is uncharted territory to say the least. Church leaders across the globe have struggled, weighing health and safety with worship formats, modifying programs, deciding who and how to gather, or not to. These have been difficult decisions, and anyone making these decisions needs our prayers now and in the future as we push forward. Many of these decisions involve fellowship.
So, where does that leave koinonia? As I mentioned in the earlier post (“Sensory Faith”) we have ways to continue Christian communion through texts, phone calls, letters and even visits to the door, if not inside someone’s home. And small groups seem to minimize risk. Wearing the masks is helpful. Meeting out-of-doors (when the weather is conducive) is also an option, with distancing of course. Fellowshipping may no longer involve large groups and lots of homecooked dishes, but that doesn’t mean it ceases to exist.
These thoughts piggy-back on a thought I’ve been formulating for a while. As an insightful friend recently shared…as children, many of us learned the poem with hand motions,
“Here’s the church
and here’s the steeple
open it up
and here’s all the people.”
But, perhaps the message still managed to escape us. Maybe our focus has been more on what takes place at the church building, on Sunday morning, than is intended in koinonia. Maybe church being a fellowship of people is something we know in our brain, but in reality, perhaps the pandemic is forcing us to practice a purer form of koinonia. Jesus said, “For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” (Matthew 18:20, NIV) It appears that any gathering, no matter the number, in Jesus’ name could be blessed. There are definite advantages to being able to gather as a large group at a designated time ( Ex: Sunday morning), encouragement being a huge one. But, it’s also important that we continue to fellowship, in true koinonia style, no matter what it looks like. It’s not all about Sunday morning. It’s not even all about pot lucks. It’s about koinonia. Christian connections with one another.
This means we have to be more creative, and if you have an idea, you should probably share it, or try it out. Let the Spirit lead you and your gifts to connect with others in unique ways. “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” (1 Thessalonians 5:11) Fellowship is as, or more important, than ever. Let’s keep it going and give God a place to thrive and work in trying circumstances. Continue on in His love.
Have a great day!
