Called
into Fellowship
Fellowship.
What
comes to your mind when you here that word?
A
gathering time?
The
fellowship hall as part of a church,
which
has a variety of uses…
sometimes
for bible study or lectures…
or
for a community meeting…
or
for a reception…
or
a small worship service…
or
a meal.
All
of these events are a gathering together of people
with
something in common.
Paul
is not telling the Corinthians
they
are called into fellowship so
they
will meet Wednesday night for a potluck.
Paul
is emphasizing to the Corinthians
what
they have in common.
Jesus
Christ.
Our
scripture for today is only the first 9 verses
of
the first chapter;
the
start of Paul’s letters begins with a greeting
and
thanksgiving before he addresses the needs
of
the church and its immediate concerns.
In
these first 9 verses, Paul establishes a basis of trust
by expressing
confidence in the Corinthians;
he
knows not every community or church is perfect,
yet
he gives thanks for them anyway.
What
are the issues in the Corinth church?
There
is division, some aspects of a power play,
and
the focus not being on Christ and the gospel,
but
on individuals.
Paul
wants the Corinthians to recognize
their
fellowship in Christ.
That
is what they have in common; what unites them.
Paul,
throughout his letters uses many different words
and
phrases to promote unity:
kinship
language including brothers and sisters;
describing
believers as the body of Christ;
and
the word fellowship.
Paul
is talking about fellowship as
a
relationship and a partnership.
A
relationship with Christ and with each other;
the
individuals becoming partners in the ministry
of
the gospel:
have
you seen in some church bulletins
the
pastor is listed and then there is minister
and
it says all members;
there
is also the partnership with the Lord
-sharing
of his life and calling with us:
Jesus
calls us brother and sister.
When
looking up the definition of fellowship,
it
is simply defined as being part of a group;
also
as having or sharing with others
certain
things in common;
more
deeply defined as a partnership that involves
working
together and caring for one another
as
a company of people, a family;
a
family of faith.
How
might we today relate to the church in Corinth?
As
in Paul’s time, in today’s world there are divisions:
we
choose sides,
we
sometimes speak without listening,
we
find it hard to see our commonality,
only
our differences,
you
and I set ourselves apart.
This
is not what we are called to be.
and
our present-day independent way of the individual.
Stop
and think about that for a moment:
fellowship
is the opposite of isolation and loneliness.
Our
world is full of loneliness.
One
can be in a crowded room and feel alone,
or
feel more comfortable ‘staying out of the way’,
isolating
oneself as to protect oneself
from
being hurt emotionally or spiritually.
That
is a dark path,
and
we as believers in Christ are called to the light.
God
is light.
First
John speaks about love and fellowship and light.:
“…if
we walk in the light as he himself is in the light,
we
have fellowship with one another…”
We
need each other,
you
and I have a need to be together, to be in unity,
to
embrace what we have in common, what we share.
Earlier
I mentioned fellowship halls and meals
and
some basic definitions of fellowship.
When
I went to look up the definition of fellowship
in
the New Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible, it said:
see
communion.
Communion?
When
you and I hear the word communion,
we
think of the Lord’s Supper, the Eucharist,
the
bread and the cup.
When
I looked up communion; its definition: sharing.
Sharing.
You
and I as believers share things in common;
we
come together for worship to glorify God,
we
learn together about God’s Word and Jesus’ teachings,
we
share our faith as disciples of Christ,
we
are led by the Holy Spirit in our actions,
we
care for one another.
You
and I gather around table for the Lord’s Supper,
to
share the bread and the cup; communion:
it
is to not only remember the sacrifice, death,
and
resurrection of Jesus,
but
also, his love and continuing presence
as
we are commissioned to serve God and neighbor.
To
serve God and neighbor.
Not
to be isolated from one another,
yet,
to be in fellowship.
Which
brings us back to those fellowship halls and meals:
Yes,
you and I gather around tables for meals,
potlucks
or otherwise,
to
share friendship,
communicate
with each other,
learn
about each other,
to
practice hospitality,
build
community,
to
deter isolation and loneliness,
by
having fun, sharing our faith, and
to
be called into fellowship.
Tomorrow
is Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
As
I was preparing for today,
I
looked up to see what Dr. King had to say about fellowship.
The
quote I found comes from a sermon preached in April 1967,
focusing
on an urgency of that time.
Yes,
that subject was Vietnam.
Looking
at this in perspective,
Paul
was addressing the immediate needs
of
the Corinthians,
Dr.
King was addressing the concerns of the country.
Dr.
King’s quote…
“This
call for a worldwide fellowship that lifts neighborly concern beyond
one’s tribe, race, class and nation is in reality a call for an all
embracing and unconditional love for all men.”1
For
King, so many things come back to love.
Love
drives out hate.
It
shines in the dark places.
Being
called into fellowship is a call to love.
Love
of God and neighbor.
From
First John chapter 4:
“Beloved,
since God loved us so much,
we
also ought to love one another.
No
one has ever seen God;
if
we love one another,
God
lives in us, and his love is perfect in us.”
Fellowship,
sharing, love,
being
one in unity because of what we have in common…
you
and I are:
members
of the body of Christ,
disciples
together as ministers of the gospel,
brothers
and sisters, a family of faith.
Praise
God,
love
your neighbor as Christ loves us,
embrace
the Holy Spirit as one in unity…
Remember
the words of Paul,
that
are as meaningful today
as
they were when written to the Corinthians:
“God
is faithful;
by
him you were called into the fellowship
1
Sermon: “Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence” by Martin
Luther King Jr. April 1967.
