A time of fellowship

It's been a long weekend. In the past couple of days I've really enjoyed some great fellowship. The holidays are a great time to get reconnected with friends and family and this past 4th of July was no exception. I was able to relax, spend some quality time with family and friends that I hadn't seen in a while or at least spend some time with lately.

The Christian term for "hanging out" is fellowship. It's also an important concept in our faith. Some may question what the big deal is. After all, what could be so important about getting together with friends. The Bible thinks it a critical issue. It encourages Christians to gather as often as possible. This is done so that we can encourage one another and bear each other's burden. It's a time to catch up with friends and family. What I mean is not get the latest gossip, but rather to find out what's going on in their lives. Some of them are doing wonderfully. Others are going from day to day. And yet others are struggling, barely able to stay above water.

It is for that purpose that we fellowship, so we can find out what our brothers and sisters need. Some times it's just a friendly ear to listen as we "vent" our frustrations with our current situation. Some times it's advice they're seeking on a problem they may be facing. Some times it may be something more significant. But the point is to be there for each other. I experienced all of those this past few days. I talked to people that were visiting from out of town. I talked to people that live in town, but whom I seldom get a chance to connect with lately. And I talked to people that I don't normally fellowship with, but for the chance encounter of being at the same place these past few days. Fellowship is not just about being together. It's about being there for each other. Finding out the needs and concerns of our brothers and sisters. It's not a gripe session or a gossip session. But it's time to be there for each other. Pray for each other. Celebrate each other. Fellowship is a wonderful gift God gives His children. Use it often.