“Christians are like the several flowers in a garden that have each of them the dew of Heaven, which, being shaken with the wind, they let fall at each other’s roots, whereby they are jointly nourished, and become nourishers of each other.”
– John Bunyan (Leaves of Gold, pg. 29)
I’ve been in church a long time. A long time. I remember sitting in a pew with my parents when I was too young to know what was going on. I developed friendships with other children in church growing up. Generations of older Christians became spiritual models for me. There are not many facets of my life that haven’t involved brothers and sisters in Christ, and I am most grateful for the way they continue to season my life.
In the New Testament, the word “fellowship” comes from the word koinonia. The root of that word is koine, which simply means “common.” When the Bible talks about fellowship, it isn’t talking about being chummy with someone. Rather, it speaks to the reality that there is something held in common, and thus expressed in the living out of our relationships. What is it that Christians hold in common? The living presence of Christ.
The apostle Paul writes in Philippians 2:1, “Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion….” The “ifs” are assuming these things to be true. Yes, there is encouragement in Christ. Yes, there is consolation in love. Yes, there is the Spirit’s presence in our common life as followers of Jesus. This is what Bunyan describes as the “dew of Heaven” that rests on us. The writer of Psalm 133 has the same image in mind, describing the unity of God’s people like the dew that falls on Mt. Hermon. It is fresh and life-giving.
Through the years I have experienced that “life-giving dew” shaken upon me by those in the church. As a pastor I have seen it happen more times than one could count. The people are gathered, someone is struggling, the wind of the Spirit moves, and the dew of heaven falls from one Christian upon the other. That kind of encouragement and comfort is a gift from God, and it comes directly through our koinonia in the church.
The church often gets a bad rap from people, both from those who have been part of a church and those who have never darkened the door. Sometimes the accusations are justified; often they are not. I would never go looking for a perfect church. If I found one, they would not want me as a member. The church is full of broken people. Sometimes we forget that. Yet with all the blemishes of our brokenness, it is within that common life that God in His extravagant grace pours out the blessing of His presence. For me, I wouldn’t trade that for anything. What I have gained in the koinonia of the church is irreplaceable.
See you along the Winding Path.
The Winding Path 