Fellowship

There is nothing like taking time to sit down to visit with friends and loved ones. Unfortunately, we don't often find the time in our packed schedules to do that. I find it hard to put on my calendar time for fellowship, but when it happens, I find it to be a blessing beyond measure.

This past Sunday at Epiphany was Stewardship Sunday. This year, we introduced a new program called "New Consecration Sunday." Since we worship on Saturday too, we changed it to "Consecration Weekend." Pastor Steve Kimm from Peace Lutheran Church in Beavercreek preached and led us through the process of filling out our Estimate of Giving cards at the Far Hills campus, and I led the program at the Austin campus. Being a new program, I confess I was anxious about how the program would be received, what the response would be, and hopeful that all the pieces of the worship and celebration would come together as planned. I give thanks to God for a wonderful group of volunteers and staff members who stepped up to help out this past weekend. What a blessing they all are!

One of the key elements of this stewardship program is a celebration meal after each service. Well, a congregation that worships six times on a weekend makes this a logistics challenge (as someone once told me, we don't have problems, we have opportunities!). To make this happen, we had desserts available for the Saturday Night worshippers and breakfast/brunch available for the Sunday service attenders. Would we have enough food? Would the food be warm? Would there be room for everyone to sit? What about those coming to the last service - would they eat before the service? These are the questions that kept me up at night (I don't remember covering ANY of these questions in seminary!). Thanks to the army of volunteers and the Little Miami River Catering Company, I found that I had nothing to fear. We had plenty of food for Saturday Night and for Sunday Morning at BOTH campuses. Attendance was up, the food was delicious, and the response of the congregation toward giving for the coming year looks very positive.

All that was great. But the one aspect I overlooked is the importance of fellowship. With our worship schedule, as well as our own personal schedules, our time at church on a Saturday or Sunday is somewhat limited to worship and education times. Then we head out the door to the next item on the agenda. What I experienced this past weekend was the joy of fellowship. We took the time to sit down and share a meal together and to visit. No set agenda. No topic for discussion. Nothing but food and fellowship.

When I was done with worship and the breakfast at our Austin campus, I came up to the Far Hills campus to check on things. When I entered the gathering space, I saw people lingering after their meal visiting with one another, and enjoying the time and space. This was a good hour after the service they attended was over. How great to see the community taking time to be together. The comment I heard from so many was, "We need to do this more often." How true.  How true.

We are called to community. We are called to be the body of Christ.

Selected verses from Romans 12:

As in one body we have many members, and not all the members have the same function,  so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another... Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good;  love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor.  Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer.  Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them.  Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.  Live in harmony with one another... Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Thank God for the community of saints.  Thank God for fellowship. 

Peace,

Pastor Charlie