f e l l o w s h i p

Fellowship. What does that mean to you?

Is it talking to the person sitting next to you in church for five minutes before service starts; or maybe going to lunch with some friends from church on Sunday afternoon? Maybe you take fellowship a step deeper and you pray from someone from Sunday school on your way to work Monday morning.

I've been learning over the last few months that true fellowship is so much more. 

“And if I have a faith that can move mountains, 

but do not have love, I am nothing.” 

~1 Cor 13:2

You have to love,

to serve, 

to suffer, 

to laugh, 

share your spiritual gifts, 

share your possessions, 

but before anything else you have to have fellowship with God.

So all the time you spend making meals for the hungry, or singing songs in the choir, or giving money to the poor or having game night with your friends is nothing, actually it’s not even possible without God.

The moment I realized that, it hit me so hard.

I spent over three months learning how I to have better fellowship with my friends and family. I spent a fair amount of that time patting myself on the back, because after all, I did so many good things. And once I found an area that I needed to grow in, I applied myself to it and became a better person! 

I was doing great.

I was pondering my recent spiritual growth late one night, jotting down notes, favorite passages and chapters from the book “True Community” by Jeff Bridges and in review I went to the table of contents for the book and chapter 2 made me stop in my tracks. “Union with God” it said.

And upon realizing my selfish folly and vain self-importance I fell off of my high horse and into the ever forgiving and amazingly understanding Savior. And Jesus reminded me,

“I am the vine; 

you are the branches.

 If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit;

apart from me you can do nothing.” 

~John 15:5