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Previous Challenge Entry (Level 1 – Beginner)
Topic: Fellowship (among believers) (10/11/07)
Phony fellowship

We are all phony. No matter how ‘open, honest and real’ we think we are, we are all putting on some front. It is true. If you have ever been to a church, I am sure you have seen phony people firsthand. We ‘church goers’ come into a pretty building, dressed head to toe in our Sunday best. Our children are neatly groomed and we have given them the third degree on how perfect they must behave. We have our ‘plastic smiles’ on to indicate to everyone that we have it all together. We greet each other with our friendly, toothy smiles saying the polite phrase “Hello, how are you?” We don’t really care how they are, we are looking for the “good, how are you?” How fake we all are. These are the people we call our ‘brothers and sisters in Christ’ yet, we won’t let them into our hearts. We don’t want them to see what is really happening inside of us. We carry the burden alone in fear of not looking like we have it all together.

I wonder what it would be like to come to the place where we have true fellowship with one another. What would happen if we could put away our plastic smiles and our ‘we have it all together’ look and truly embrace one another? If we could only put down our pride or our shame or just look past ourselves for one minute, we would see so many people who need Jesus. We would see so many who hurt alone. It only takes one person to begin to reach out to another and the phony fellowship begins to fall away and a real, intimate, life changing fellowship can begin.

I wonder what would happen if our church hallways were filled with people hugging one another, crying on each other’s shoulders and praying for one another. I’ll bet more hurting people would come to church. I’ll bet more hurting people would leave church on Sunday feeling refreshed, renewed and loved instead of more exhausted, disillusioned and hurt by the Church. I believe if we would just reach out a little, the true fellowship among believes could begin to be restored to people who truly love and care for one another; what a beautiful picture that would be.
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Member Comments
Member
Date
Jan Ackerson
10/20/07
This is certainly thought-provoking. I'm not sure I agree with your first paragraph entirely--certainly there are many, many of us who ARE in caring, unphony churches. But your writing really gives us reasons to examine ourselves, and our fellowships.
Sharon Henderson
10/20/07
Wonderful, thought provoking comments. I have been in the church you describe and I, too, thought that was the way all churches were. I have since experienced true worship and true heart-felt deep fellowship in other churches. If this is a true story of what your church is like, I encourage you to visit other churches, perhaps outside of your current denomination. Visit an Independent Bible Church or Evangelical Free Church or some other Bible believing Bible teaching non-denominational church. There are real, caring, compassionate, true believers out there.
Donna Powers
10/22/07
Although I agree with you to some extent, I think that those who put on a false front are in the minority - at least, in the churches that I've been fortunate to know. While we sometimes keep our most intimate thoughts and problems to ourselves, I believe that most of us are open to the leading of the Spirit. If a brother or sister had a problem and voiced it, I think the Body would be ready to help and support them.
I agree we should be open and truthful. I also am glad that many of us are.
Joanne Sher 
10/24/07
A definite call we all need to hear! Well-expressed, though like the others, I know there ARE churches with real fellowship (and real fellowship in churches like the one you described!). Keep writing!