Spending time together as a church is as ancient as… well, everything else we see the church doing in the 1st century. When you read the church’s beginnings as recorded in the book of Acts, you can’t help but notice the time and time again when the church ate together. I’m not talking about the specific time on the first day of the week when they came together to break bread in communion to remember the Lord’s death and sacrifice. I’m referring to the particular time that Christians spent together eating and fellowshipping with each other.
In the New Testament, these events were called “love feasts” (Jude 12). This description provides an understanding of what these times together were designed to be. The nature and purpose seemed to be intended to demonstrate a deep love within the church of Christ.
Side Note: Some scholars might argue that “love feasts” only referred to eating the Lord’s supper, and if so, that’s fine; the point is still valid. Time together is time to show each other how much we love each other.
Here at NHCOC, we love to spend time together, and it seems to also include time to eat together, and no one is going to argue that eating together is not a good thing. But for just a moment, let’s consider why we should take advantage of the time we fellowship together with or without a meal attached to it. We should fellowship together because it demonstrates:
Love: Your demonstration of love for one another can be manifested in a plethora of ways, but it’s impossible if you are not there. How do you show your love for others in your church family if you are with your church family? Practically speaking, when we get together for fellowship, be generous with your love by having good conversations with each other. Don’t sit off by yourself with your head down. Engage with each other and show each other how much you love one another.
Generosity: Your time and energy are precious, and spending both on your church family demonstrates what is truly important to you. Give your time in fellowship and be generous with your energy by taking the moments you have with one another as if it is the last time you will be together. For some, it might be. Be generous with your resources too. When we come together for a meal, bring enough for you and your family and share with others. This allows us to invite outsiders and people we are trying to reach to join us. Be so generous that no one would ever accuse you of holding anything back. (see Acts 5 for an example).
Obedience: There are multiple times in the Scriptures that we are told to do something with or for “one another.” One another passages are littered all throughout the New Testament, and if we are going to obey these one another passages, then we are going to have to be with one another often enough to take advantage of those times to obey those commands. If we are not keeping those commands, then it’s just another way of saying we are sinning. Fellowship together because you want to obey God.
Edification: Being together, laughing, smiling, telling stories, encouraging one another does so much for a church that it can be a defining factor of if we are a welcoming, friendly church or not. One of the themes surrounding all the “one another” passages we find in the New Testament is the theme of edification. If we are sharing struggles, joys, and everything in-between, then we are encouraging each other. So when you come together for fellowship, consider how you might stimulate one another for love and good works. (see Hebrews 10:24-25).
This Sunday, here at NHCOC, we will come together for a fellowship meal after morning worship and eat Mexican food (bring your favorite Mexican dish). Still, more than anything, we will be looking for ways to demonstrate LOVE, GENEROSITY, OBEDIENCE, and EDIFICATION. Join us, and let’s be together with “one another.”
I love you,
Alex