We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ. 1 John 1:3
“Because God has already laid the only foundation of our fellowship, because God has bound us together in one body with other Christians in Jesus Christ, long before we entered into common life with them, we enter into that common life not as demanders but as thankful recipients. We thank God for what He has done for us. We thank God for giving us brethren who live by His call, by His forgiveness, and His promise. We do not complain of what God does not give us; we rather thank God for what He does give us daily. And is not what has been given us enough?”
Dietrich Bonhoeffer in Life Together: The Classic Exploration of Christian Community (New York: Harper One, 1954) 28.
I have had the most amazing retreat with four dear co-workers between our GTP governance and accountability meetings in New Zealand. Lake Wakatipu and the Remarkables (pictured above) were stunning! It felt like “The Fellowship of the Ring” enjoying the gift of “The Fellowship of the King.”
As you worship God this weekend, thank God for the gift of fellowship with Him through Jesus Christ and praise Him for the related gift of community with brothers and sisters. Together, we have everything we need in Jesus Christ, so we can be a generous community obedient to our calling, united by forgiveness, and strengthened by promise.
In Christ we have all we have ever needed and will ever need, and we can trust Him daily for our bread and everything else because He is enough. Rest in that profound truth today. Let it saturate your soul. We have fellowship! Enjoy it as a gift and show that you have received it by living thankfully, openhandedly, and generously.