December 4th: Fellowship

Submitted by The Rev. Shearon Sykes Williams

Koinonia' is a very important concept in Christianity. ‘Koinonia' is a Greek word that is usually translated ‘fellowship'. It is used to describe the intimacy shared between Father, Son and Holy Spirit and the intimacy shared between members of the Christian community.

In Acts 2:42, Luke writes that the first Christians “devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. That is still what characterizes our communal life today. It looks a little different in each day and age, but the basics are the same. Church is about learning together, growing in our faith together, praying together, participating in the Eucharist together and sharing our lives. Christianity is a team sport.

Fellowship is essentially about being together in Christ and sharing life’s joys and challenges, really caring about each other and showing love and support. Pre-Covid, we did that every Sunday by coming to one of the services in-person, going to adult forum and Sunday school and being together at coffee hour. Now we do it by participating in services on-line, on-line forums and Sunday school, virtual house churches and various small group Zoom gatherings. We have to work a lot harder at fellowship during Covid-tide, but it is so very important to stay connected. As John Donne so famously reminded us, “No man is an island unto himself.” Fellowship is the tie that binds. When we all get back together after Covid in-person, what a day of rejoicing that will be! Until then, we are keeping the faith and hanging together in a new way, in the fellowship of God and the fellowship of each other on-line.

I leave you with the old school Baptist hymn I grew up with. We sang it after we had communion to remind us that we were linked with God and linked with one another in the deepest kind of fellowship.

1 Blest be the tie that binds 
our hearts in Christian love; 
the fellowship of kindred minds 
is like to that above. 

2 Before our Father's throne 
we pour our ardent prayers; 
our fears, our hopes, our aims are one, 
our comforts and our cares. 

3 We share our mutual woes, 
our mutual burdens bear, 
and often for each other flows 
the sympathizing tear. 

4 When we are called to part, 
it gives us inward pain; 
but we shall still be joined in heart, 
and hope to meet again. 

5 This glorious hope revives 
our courage by the way; 
while each in expectation lives 
and waits to see the day. 

6 From sorrow, toil, and pain, 
and sin, we shall be free; 
and perfect love and friendship reign 
through all eternity. 

John Fawcett (1740-1817)