By Spencer Clark
Would it be possible to spend too much time in fellowship? For some Christians, who isolate themselves from the body of Christ except for worship and the occasional event, the answer is certainly no. More fellowship would be a good step towards remedying the situation. But what if fellowship is the only thing a church spends their time doing outside of worship? No evangelism, no study, no prayer, no encouragement, no mentoring, and no shepherding. Could, perhaps, there be too much fellowship in that case? How can that be what Jesus intended for the church and the Christian life?
In the church of Corinth, their priorities became misplaced. Some wealthier Christians were going ahead and eating without waiting for their poorer brethren (1 Cor. 11:20- 22). An event that should have been focused on the death of Jesus Christ had become a common meal of self-indulgence and socio-economic discrimination. Instead of serving the Lord, they were serving their belly. Fellowship became about food and not about the Gospel.
Don’t get me wrong. Fellowship is essential. It characterized the ministry of Jesus and the life of the early church (Acts 2:42). Jesus used meals to tear down social barriers (Matt. 9:10) or to teach people hard truths (Luke 7:36-50). He even took time to eat after an intense period of ministry when they were unable to eat (Mark 6:31). Fellowship should complement, accompany, and supplement the work of the Lord, but never replace it entirely.
Christians need to eat together, but let’s not neglect the other important works and activities of the church. Meals should not be just about consuming food or having a good time, but as an extension of our call to be faithful and carry out the Gospel in this world. Neither should we add a little bit of Jesus to our meals just to say we did. Find ways to model how Jesus ate with people or how the early church ate and worshipped together. We must also be careful that we do not become like Corinth and take something holy and turn it into a self-gratifying feast. Let us eat together as a church, but let us eat with a purpose that is God-honoring and furthers the work of His kingdom.