Cartoonology. There is great theology in cartoons and comics.
It is not secret, God’s people like to eat, and any excuse will do for conducting a fellowship meal. It gets kind of tough for us preachers when every woman in the church wants to know if you ate some of her pie or cake. Well, someone has to suffer for Jesus! Fellowship is good and biblical. We just need to make sure we understand what biblical fellowship is in order to fully experience it.
Many of us are familiar with the Greek word “koinonia” that is translated fellowship. The word could be translated partnership, as well. I like that word best because partnership involves investment, whether it is time, labor and/or money. True Christian fellowship necessitates a partnership. This means that one cannot just show up and sit back in the shadows or periphery and claim to be in true Christian fellowship with other believers. Imagine telling someone with whom you would consider entering into a partnership that you expect him or her to do all the work, put up all the money and show up every day at the office without you. That would be ludicrous. It is equally ludicrous to think the same way about church fellowship.
Another misconception about Christian fellowship is that you are automatically experiencing it if you sit at the same table and eat together. Nothing wrong with eating together, but if there is dissension, disunity, or other personal relationship problems, fellowship is disrupted. The truth is you can be absent from a church function, when legitimately necessary, and still be in perfect fellowship with the other believers. It is a matter of the heart. Hearts that beat as one in sync with God’s heart are experiencing true Christian fellowship.
1 John 1:3 (NKJV)
3 that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. 04-11-09
edrynn@verizon.net
Posts
