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Fellowship
Our English word, "fellowship" is the
translation of the Greek word, "koinonia." This Greek word is
derived from the root, "koinos," which was a prefix in ancient
Greek. If you were to add this prefix to words meaning
"living," "owning a purse," a dispute," and "mother," you would get
words meaning "living in community together," "owning a purse in
common," a public dispute," and "having a mother in common."
So we see that the root of the word, "fellowship," means "to hold
something in common."
The Greek word, "koinonia," was
used to describe corporations, labor guilds, partners in a law firm,
and the most intimate of relationships. From the usage of the
word, we can conclude that fellowship is a word denoting a
relationship that is dependent on more than one individual. It
is an interdependent relationship.
"Koinonia" is used nineteen times in
the New Testament and in addition to being translated as
"fellowship" it is also translated by the words," contribution," and
"participation." A close study of usage of this word shows
that action is always included in its meaning. Fellowship, you
see, is not just being together, it is doing together!
The American Heritage Dictionary
defines fellowship as, "The condition of being together or of
sharing similar interests or experiences." With a broad
definition like this, some might say that fellowship is nothing more
than hanging out or belonging to the same club. However,
fellowship, in its truest form, is so much more than several people
getting together in the same place for the same reason. We gather to
further the work and ministry of Christ and His Church.
"Fellowship" was not a word that was
heard much in mainstream culture, until recently with the popularity
of The Lord of the Rings movies, especially the first one.
Here is an excellent example of genuine fellowship. Frodo and
the others who made up the "fellowship of the ring" shared many
adventures together, but their partnership involved far more than
simple companionship. Because of all they went through together,
they came to know each other better and on a deeper level. They
formed incredibly strong bonds of friendship; and they sacrificed
much for one another, often enduring hardship and, in some
instances, even death. The adventures of the "fellowship" in
these movies gives us a glimpse into what it is like to have
authentic fellowship with other human beings ( and even some not so
human beings). Fellowship, just as it was needed by Frodo to
help him with his mission to destroy the evil ring, is also
necessary for Christians to help them live their lives in accordance
with God's will and purpose for humankind on earth.
Fellowship is one of God's principle
purposes for human beings. That is why we all feel the need
for companionship, love, and belongingness. Today, Christians
are typically not called upon to sacrifice their lives for one
another, but they can minister in other ways, such as providing
comfort and compassion when someone in their fellowship is grieving
lover a loss; offering physical assistance to help complete a move
or a home improvement project; lending emotional support to a friend
who is going through a tough time at work or at home; supplying
monetary relief to someone in financial need; helping a fellow
believer find the inner strength to follow God's leading in his/her
life; and the list goes on.
Christian fellowship also fosters
things like trust, hope, a sense of belonging, and purpose in life,
honesty about struggles, security, lifelong friendships, faith,
patience, selflessness, and best of all, true, unconditional love
that can only come from people who have a personal relationship with
God, the Author of love.
God created the perfect "organization'
for fellowship, and that is a community of faith. Community provides us with daily fellowship so that we can learn to develop
deep loving relationships and discover what it means to sacrifice
for others.
We are all members of God's family and there are billions of people
in that family, so we now have many new brothers and sisters who are
related to us by blood, Jesus' blood. Through this fellowship we can
travel life's road with our new family members, and during our
journey we can help each other get over the rough patches and
rejoice with each other when we're walking in the sunshine.
Here at St. John's we have great
fellowship! Below is just four of the groups where that
fellowship can be experienced. Join us as we continue to work toward
our mission : To know Christ and make Him known.
Episcopal Church Women
Episcopal Youth in the Community
Mary & Martha Guild
Men's Club
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