Church Service vs Fellowship

For the longest time, I thought that going to church was fellowship. I was gathering with fellow believers to praise God, pray, and hear the Word of God preached. Then last Sunday I had a thought. I was sitting in church with everyone else, and we were all facing forward and listening to a single person speak. That person was the only person speaking, and there were no questions directed at the large group of people looking back at him. There was no "iron sharpening iron" going on, just a shepherd feeding his flock. It reminded me of public school being touted for socializing kids. If you dared to socialize in school, you usually got in trouble!

I'm not saying that fellowship is not a part of a church service. It is - a very small part. It is in the quick greetings as you come in and sit down. It is in the small talk before the service starts. It is in the few minutes of chatter as you shuffle out to your cars. That isn't the fellowship that I see in the early Church.

The early Church met often, sometimes daily. They shared meals and their lives with each other. They knew the struggles and victories that their brothers and sisters were experiencing because they talked openly to each other. They lived communal lives that were pointed towards the God that drew them together. They moved in their community to demonstrate the Kingdom of God to those who didn't believe. They worked together to bring in a harvest for Christ.

I believe that attending church is necessary. I need to be equipped to do the things that God is calling me to do. But I also need to gather with the brethren to share my life with them and to discuss the things of God. I need to do this often, sometimes daily. When I do, everything in my life is easier to deal with. When I don't, it can be a struggle to do simple things. We were made for fellowship. If you don't have that, then get it. Find people that can meet up and hang out once a week to share a meal and get into the Word. You can study scripture or watch a short sermon online and talk about it. Check out local churches and see if they have bible studies. If you manage your calendar well, you might be able to hang out with Christians more days in a month than not. And don't forget to invite the people at church to those gatherings. They are probably as hungry as you used to be for real fellowship.