The Oxford American Dictionary (the electronic version that came with my Mac) says:
fellowship |ˈfelÅËŒ sh ip| noun
1. friendly association, esp. with people who share one’s interests : they valued fun and good fellowship as the cement of the community.
• a group of people meeting to pursue a shared interest or aim.
• a guild or corporation.
2. an endowment established or a sum of money awarded to support a scholar or student engaged in advanced research in a particular field : a four-year postdoctoral fellowship.
• the status of a fellow of a college or society : she held the Faulkner fellowship.
This morning I spoke at the Lake Minnetonka – Excelsior Morning Rotary Club. They meet every Wednesday morning at Maynard’s in Excelsior. I like speaking at service organization meetings. They are always very welcoming and are founded on a mission of service.
As I watched the group interact this morning it reminded me of the importance of fellowship in our spiritual lives. I look at personal faith practices, meditation, prayer, reflection, all as important spiritual fitness exercises and routines. But if I had to choose just one spiritual fitness exercise, I’d have to choose the practice of fellowship. It is important to feel like a part of something that is bigger than yourself. To feel like a part of something where you are accepted as who you are, imperfections and all, because of a “common interest, value or purpose”.
I think that is why there is such a tight bond and culture among public safety professionals, we accept each other (as well as hold each other accountable) because of our common mission, we protect. And we actually enjoy each other’s company, just as these rotary members clearly do.
So to the Lake Minnetonka – Excelsior Morning Rotary Club, thank you for the opportunity to share my message on spiritual fitness, and thank you for the fellowship we shared.
Question for the day: “Where do you share the fellowship experience?”
