A Moment With Pastor Fred

Do you ever suffer from the “winter blues?” I do at times, especially about now. While Susan and I love the snow and the winter season, come early March we’re looking forward to warmer weather.

We might not be able to help on the weather aspect, but we can bring a little “sunshine” and “warmth” inside! Don and Sue Depoorter have once again invited us as a church family to their home for a time of fellowship, food and fun. The date – Friday, March 13 (and don’t let that date scare you, we’re not superstitious).  The menu is a taco bar – and we need some help bringing things. Sign up on the table in the foyer – along with what you can bring.

I never watched the 1980s TV show Cheers – about a tavern’s patrons. But the show’s theme song always spoke volumes to me – Sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name and they’re always glad you came; You want to be where you see, troubles are all the same. You want to go where everybody knows your name. Cheers is the world’s substitution for the church – or what the church should be. No, we don’t cry in each other’s beer but we must provide Christian hope and help.

Familiar words often lose their meaning. Such a victim is the word fellowship. We often use it – let’s get together for some fellowship. Eating might include fellowship but it doesn’t define it. NT fellowship involves authentic relationships sourced in Christ. Social activities create a context for fellowship to take place.  J.I. Packer said, “As we value the health of our own souls and of the Christian church, then, we must learn to prize fellowship.”