Avoid the pitfalls of going it alone spiritually

The Rev. Jeff Barclay, pastor, Christ Community Church, 1100 Kasold Drive:

While the Christian faith is personal, it is essential for it to be lived out in community. I enjoy the creative buzz of a runner’s high. Sometimes after a long solo run I return convinced I had an epiphany. But after I’ve revealed its mysteries my wife has asked, “Honey, but did you think about …?”

Do I need the counsel that comes from the fellowship of at least one other person? Yes, all the time! Last week someone dropped by my office declaring, “I don’t need church.” Then proceeded to describe a life faltering from spiritual isolation.

The church is described as a “called-out assembly” and “a body necessarily dependent upon each member.” Yes, the Bible references strong, successful individuals. But its pages also reveal the pitfalls of going it alone. Elijah had convinced himself that he was the only faithful one left, thus wrongly concluding he should die, too. Or think about General Barak who would not lead his troops into battle unless Deborah the prophetess joined him.

Proverbs says, “As iron sharpens iron, so does the counsel of faithful friends.” It also advocates the “wisdom of a multitude of counselors.” Much of my life has revolved around sports. Even in the individual events in which I competed, the camaraderie of the team, just like my Christian community, encouraged me during my failures and kept me humble in my successes.

I once worked as a commercial diver. Most repairs required functioning alone in dark, muddy rivers. It was essential for my fellow divers to be on the surface working the lines. This reflects the book of Hebrews, which urges Christians know their fellow-worshippers, in ways that best serve others, loving and laboring together as a worshipping community.

— Send e-mail to Jeff Barclay at jeff@1inchrist.org.

Fellowship encourages sharing life together

The Rev. Terry Newell, pastor, Crossroads Cowboy Church, 1225 Oak St.:

Sunday morning comes, we rush to get ready, jump in the car, arrive at the church just in time to get our seats for the Sunday morning service. Service is over, a handshake at the door; it’s off to the next week. For many Christians in America, this is the extent of fellowship we get on a weekly basis.

Hebrews 10:25 “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another …” is often used as a motivation to encourage people to attend church, which most certainly is part of its meaning. But, there is more to it than just this once-a-week experience. As we examine the early church in Act 2:42 we see that “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” They devoted themselves, not to a building, not to a denomination, but to the teaching of God’s word and fellowship. They lived and shared life together. They ate together and prayed together.

The church in 1 Corinthians is described as a body in 12:27 — “Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.” The church is made up of its parts, and just as a part of our physical body doesn’t function on its own, the same is true with our spiritual life. We were created with the need and desire to have fellowship with others.

How important is fellowship in one’s religious experience? If we cut off a hand or finger we become weak or could die from a loss of blood. If we cut ourselves off from the fellowship with others in our spiritual life we lose the strength and support that comes through shared faith, experience, prayer and accountability.

— Send e-mail to Terry Newell at crossroads_cowboy_church@yahoo.com.