From the Edges – Holy Fellowship and Friendship –

From the Edges – Morning Devotional

Pastor Calvin Cook

APRIL 17, 2024 – Holy Fellowship and Friendship

Scripture focus – Colossians 2:5 For though I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit and delight to see how disciplined you are and how firm your faith in Christ is.

Yesterday Gail and I made a short trip to visit a couple from our church that have been experiencing some challenges in life. Though it might have been labeled as a Pastor’s visit it was a visit with friends with a brother and sister in Christ. Though we hadn’t seen each other for several months, it was like we had never been apart. We told stories, shared concerns and frustrations and spoke of mutual interest. There wasn’t any talk of politics, everything that is wrong in the world, or running someone down, it was about like-minded people in a holy fellowship that included a wonderful meal.

I remembered back to elementary school, what some in my generation would label as the best days. How every morning we would start with roll call, or as the teacher called it taking attendance. As our name was called, we would stand up or shout out present or here. If there was absence of someone, when their name was called there was silence. I have been thinking the last few days about people in my life who have been absent. People who at one time were a very important part of my life who I had seen on a regular basis are now absent. I am not referring to those who have gone on to eternity, I am referring to living, breathing people who are still alive. I still pray for them, I think of all the times of fellowship, wondering where they are, and how they are. Hopefully that has not become a substitute for the real thing.

We have lost a few things, we have lost personal one on one relationships, fellowship without an agenda, how to have conversation. I think this is one of the most detrimental issues facing our young people today. Authentic relationships and conversations. As honesty burst forth it is what is affecting all of us.

To be honest with you, I am missing that also. In the role of the Pastor, I hear from many people on a regular basis, but little of it centers around just plain conversations and fellowship. I mean look at the dinners we have at the church. We sit with same small group of people that we associate with on a daily or weekly basis, we come in 5 minutes before the dinner starts, we eat, we hear the program if there is one and we go back to our same lonely lives.

Only we don’t view them as lonely, we view them as busy. We have allowed busyness to be an excuse for loneliness and honestly it is tearing our souls apart.

I fear we are on a trajectory as a people and society that needs stopped. We seriously need to embrace a holy fellowship once again. A time of speaking words of hope and encouragement into the lives of each other. Whether that be on a morning walk, over a cup of coffee, on the creek fishing, or just in an intentional time of fellowship, it will bring comfort to our soul.

Yesterday did more for me than I am sure I did as a Pastor; it was a time of holy fellowship. It is a desire of my heart. Will you join me to bring a holy fellowship back into our lives, our families, our churches, our communities once again.