Fellowship

It is a Friday night ritual.

Someone sends the text: “Starbucks tomorrow? 7am?” (OK, in COVID-land it is “Virtual tomorrow?”). Responses come. “I’m in.” “I’m a go.”

Saturday morning arrives. Three men get up early to talk. Yes, just talk. The topics are as various as life: wives, children, work, politics, books, movies, sports, anything really. Though God and the Bible always find their way in.

We were roommates once, almost two decades ago, single and “carefree.” Many things have changed since then. We have become husbands, fathers, employees, middle-aged, season ticket holders, late night counselors of teenagers, soccer game chauffeurs, sons of aging parents. Over the years, we have switched jobs, churches, political parties, hobbies, passions. We have seen success. We have experienced failure.

But a few things have not changed. Jesus has remained Savior and Redeemer. We have held fast to him as the foundation of our friendships. We have committed to not let busy lives cause us to drift apart. We have not let secondary differences of opinion cause division. We have prioritized time together to share the highs and lows as they come.

"Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken.”–Ecclesiastes 4:11-12

Some Saturdays, I have been low and cold. But God, through fellowship with these friends, has lifted me up and thawed my heart. I have been weak and faced failure. But God, through them, has strengthened me and led me to persevere and sometimes succeed. While it has been toil at some times, I have been rewarded many times over.

I believe in the importance of fellowship because it’s in the Bible, true. But I also believe it because I have lived it, Saturday after Saturday, in simple-but-profound conversations with imperfect-but-loving friends.

My prayer is that you can experience this same strength through fellowship with friends. They need not be friends of twenty years (though I highly recommend it!). You don’t need to meet on Saturday morning, or drink coffee. Just bring friendship, compassion, the Holy Spirit, the truth of the Bible, and a commitment to each other. And watch God work.