Meaning: 1) fellowship, association, community, communion, joint participation, intercourse 1a) the share which one has in anything, participation 1b) intercourse, fellowship, intimacy 1b1) the right hand as a sign and pledge of fellowship (in fulfilling the apostolic office) 1c) a gift jointly contributed, a collection, a contribution, as exhibiting an embodiment and proof of fellowship
The kind of fellowship the first letter of John is calling for is some serious stuff. Community, communion, intercourse, intimacy!?!? This isn't just Dunkin' Donuts and Coffee after church, this is FELLOWSHIP. In light of all the conversation going on in the run up to General Convention this passage can't help but catch my attention.
we declare to you what we have seen and heard so that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ... If we say that we have fellowship with him while we are walking in darkness, we lie and do not do what is true; but if we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.
As we struggle to stay in conversation (apologies to those who consider this a 4-letter word) we struggle to stay in communion, in fellowship. We share so that you might have fellowship with us... this conversation is Biblical. Keep talking for it is in sharing stories (not least of which the Gospel) that we find fellowship. And fellowship with you models fellowship with the father. "If we say that we have fellwoship... while we are walking in the darkness, we lie" I read this as "In order for us to be in fellowship we must be willing to admit, 'Yeah I might be wrong.'" Let's keep the conversationi going. Let's not run away to our camp. Let's not say things like, "we don't need you anyway" or "you'll come around." Let's enjoy the conversation, for that is were we find fellowship, koinonia, community, communion, intimacy.
1 comment:
What if we as a church body - I mean the huge Anglican church all had to go through some of what we go through at VTS...church music frustrations, liturgy discussions, fightin' friar practices, lunch, morning prayer canticles, move-ins...all that... wouldn't we see that we might have more in common than in conflict? Lord knows I (as a commie-pinko-liberal- postmodern - social justice oriented - sometime pacifist? - evangelical - liberal - orthodox catholic) see more in common with folks like SP or the other SP and CC and George S and Fabs than I do with some of the folks at seminary who I might on some surface level "agree" with on some litmus test of theological attitudes...
I like to think about who I would choose to go on a mission trip with, or who I would choose to be stranded on an island with, who I would choose to have a cup of coffee with, who I would want to work with as a clergy person... I would love to see us reach out to each other in the ways that endure ...rambling on and on, but good stuff here!
Post a Comment