Letting go… to find real fellowship in Christ
Jim at “Crossroad Junction” has written a very good post called “Finding Ekklesia.” He touches on a subject that I’ve written about a few times as well.
I often get emails or phone calls or Twitter/Facebook messages asking something like this, “How do I find authentic fellowship?” Well, that’s what Jim’s post is all about.
And, before jumping ahead too much, don’t miss this statement at the beginning of his post:
As I’ve thought about this, it’s been hard for me to know how to respond. The last thing anyone needs is another “program”, “method” or “three easy steps” to find something that God designed to be authentically birthed, and sustained, organically.
Like Jim said, fellowship is something that we are designed for by God and empowered for by the Holy Spirit. So, if fellowship is natural for the follower of Jesus Christ, then why is it still so hard to find?
Jim touches on this later in his post:
Trust me. It really isn’t that hard. I have helped spark real fellowship time and again in different communities based on just that simple approach.
If that means letting go of the hurts that have defined you, then forgive and begin pursuing health.
If it means letting go of the sensibilities that have limited you, then let the washing of your mind through the power of His word begin to transform you.
If it means getting out of your lifeless funk, then maybe it’s time to get off your knees and start doing the things that bring you joy in the Lord – even if it is not “spiritual” – and then start expressing His resulting joy to others, because joy is life, and life is contagious.
(There’s much, much more in Jim’s post, so don’t stop reading with my excerpts.)
So, why is fellowship so hard for us? Because we don’t want to “let go”…
Thanks for blogging on this. It was a GREAT read!
One of the greatest things he said (for me) was: “There’s nothing wrong with imparting to others the measure of Christ which you have received from Christ, in the context of the diverse Body of Christ. But it is totally wrong to make Christ in you normative for all.”
I like this post. If were are hurt, causing us to avoid expressing Jesus’ life in connectedness, then by all means be encouraged to work though your healing and find Christ life in others.
Thanks for linking to that post. It was very encouraging, as my wife and I have tried to find ekklesia in “organic” churches without success and have found it in something I thought I had left for good – an “institutional” church. It’s a gathering that looks an awful lot like what is described in the post.
Great comments and follow-up to Jim’s post. Thanks alot everyone!
-Alan