“If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose.” (Philippians 2:1-2)

“James Muilenburg…was an angular man with thinning white hair, staring eyes, and a nose and chin which at times seemed so close to touching that they gave him the face of a good witch. In his introductory Old Testament course, the largest lecture hall that Union (Theological Seminary) had was always packed to hear him. Students brought friends. Friends brought friends. He once said…”Every morning when you wake up…before you reaffirm your faith in the majesty of a loving God, before you say I believe for another day, read the Daily News with its record of the latest crimes and tragedies of mankind and then see if you can honestly say it again.” (Buechner, Frederick. Listening to Your Life. HarperOne. Kindle Edition.)

“Koinonia” is the Greek word that means “fellowship, sharing in common, communion.”  The word Koinonia occurs 20 times in the Bible. The first occurrence of Koinonia is Acts 2:42, “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” It is a primary understanding in the Christian Church that fellowship should be a key aspect of our life together. When we say that we are followers of Jesus, then we must make it a priority to come together in love, faith, and encouragement. That is the essence of Koinonia.

If Koinonia is to mean fellowship, being in agreement with one another, even being united in purpose, then we need to strive to serve others and alongside each other. But as Buechner recalls for us in his lectures from the Seminary Professor Muilenburg, the news we consume every day describe a society and world that creates a lot of angst within us – rather than comfort and assurance. And yet it is to this world where we are called to share “Koinonia” with each other based on our common Koinonia with Jesus Christ.

When I joined a local Lutheran church, my wife and I were placed into a “Koinonia” group. It was a group of couples who were all in a similar place in our lives. And the purpose of the group was to be in fellowship with one another. Whether you have recognized it or not, most likely you already have such a group. And if you don’t then form one. Find some people to form a Koinonia group where you can break bread together, be united in purpose, and strive to serve others. 

Pastor Dave 

“I see Reinhold Niebuhr, for instance, in a beret with the wind ballooning out his raincoat as he walks his poodle along Riverside Drive. A stroke had left his speech slightly indistinct at times and one arm less than fully functional, but he always gave me the impression of great energy and wit, great involvement in the events of his time. He had been Roosevelt’s adviser. He was Auden’s friend. There seemed to be no phase of human history that he didn’t have at his fingertips, no eminence that he couldn’t have attained in any field where he’d chosen to attain it; but it was to the church that he gave himself in all its shabbiness as well as all its glory…” (Buechner, Frederick. Listening to Your Life. HarperOne. Kindle Edition.)

The Greek word “Diakonia” is the word from the bible usually rendered as “service” or “ministering to others.” As such, the gift of serving is having the desire and ability to help others, and to do whatever it takes to get a task accomplished. Serving can also be referred to as “ministering,” of which the Greek word “Diakonia” (from which we get the English “deacon”) means service of any kind or helping those in need.

What are the biblical examples of service?  2 Corinthians 9:12-13 states “For the ministry of this service is not only fully supplying the needs of the saints, but is also overflowing through many thanksgivings to God. Because of the proof given by this ministry they will glorify God”.  Or, Acts 6:1 says “Now at this time while the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint arose on the part of the Hellenistic Jews against the native Hebrews, because their widows were being overlooked in the daily serving of food.”

Reinhold Niebuhr was an American Reformed theologian, ethicist, and professor at Union Theological Seminary for more than 30 years. His impact on Christian thinking cannot be understated. Buechner’s description of him as he encountered him in his later years demonstrates what kind of impact we can have simply by living the “Christ-like” life to the end of our lives.  

Serving others in the name of Christ can come in so many different forms, and there are so many needs in the church, the community and in the world.  Service does not require a lot of money, just the time and the interest in living out the Gospel message to love your neighbor each and every day. 

Pastor Dave