10/09/2026
Why investing in fellowship is essential
My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
When a child begins kindergarten, we often ask, “Who are your friends? Who do you play with?” When a teenager wants to go camping, a parent may ask, “Who is going with you?” We understand that it matters to have someone beside us—someone to share the journey, to help when the path is difficult, and to make the good moments even brighter.
We learn early in life that friendship matters. A faithful friend tells us the truth, rejoices in our good fortune, and does not abandon us when we are in trouble. The Book of Proverbs says, “A friend loves at all times” (Proverbs 17:17).
Yet as we grow older, we can lose the habit of nurturing friendship. Our lives become busy, and our relationships can become limited to particular activities: colleagues at work, companions for a drink or a game of tennis, people we see in one part of our lives but not another. These connections can be valuable, but Christian friendship asks something deeper of us. It invites us to care for one another beyond convenience.
The Church is called to be a community of that kind of care. In the early Church, believers “devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers” (Acts 2:42). They gathered, prayed, shared what they had, and learned to live as one family in Christ.
Here, at the altar, we share the one Body and Blood of Christ. We come from different homes and different experiences, yet we gather around one holy table. Our fellowship is not simply a social arrangement. It is part of our life in Christ. As Saint Paul writes, “If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice together with it” (1 Corinthians 12:26).
But we know that Christian communities do not always live up to this calling. We can become divided by disagreements, suspicion, cliques, or judgment. We may keep our distance from the community, believing that we can follow Christ better alone. Others may wonder why more people do not join us. Both questions deserve our reflection: Are we making room for one another? Are we offering the kind of fellowship that helps people feel welcomed and valued?
Jesus gives us a powerful example. He calls his disciples not servants, but friends. He says, “I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father” (John 15:15). He does not call us to friendship because we agree on every matter or have the same background. He calls us to love as he has loved us.
That love does not mean we must think alike. We may hold different political views, come from different traditions, have different educations, and see life through different experiences. We will not agree on everything. But we can choose to remain together in Christ—with humility, patience, and respect—because we are all loved by our heavenly Father.
The church should be a place where people can speak honestly, listen carefully, forgive sincerely, and find the courage to begin again. Saint Paul urges us, “Bear one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2). Sometimes bearing another’s burden means offering practical help. Sometimes it means listening without judgment. Sometimes it simply means noticing when someone is missing and reaching out.
Friendship gives us strength to do together what we could not do alone. The Scriptures remind us, “Two are better than one… For if they fall, one will lift up the other” (Ecclesiastes 4:9–10). A word of encouragement can restore hope. A patient conversation can heal a misunderstanding. A welcome offered to someone who feels alone can open the door to a new life in the community.
So let us begin with ourselves. Let each of us ask: Do I make room for others? Do I speak in a way that builds trust? Do I reach out to someone who may be walking alone? These small acts of love can shape the life of our church.
The future of our church and the strength of our unity depend on the relationships we build today. Let us make this community a place where love, understanding, humility, and mutual respect have room to grow. We do not need to wait for someone else to begin. It starts with you and me.
Christ gave his life to gather us together in love. When we come to the Lord’s table, we come not as strangers, but as brothers and sisters. Let us carry that fellowship beyond the church doors.
Dear brothers and sisters, friends do not let friends walk alone. Walk with one another through difficult days and joyful ones. With a little humility, patience, and love, the journey becomes lighter—and our life together becomes a witness to Christ.
Amen.
Fr. Zacharia Saribekyan
