IN GOOD COMPANY

JENNY NELLES, STAFF EDITOR

Ask ten people to describe what Christian fellowship means to them, and you'll likely get ten different answers.

Just writing out all the ways one can describe fellowship in this welcome could fill up the page: The expression of goodwill toward a visitor in church. Mrs. So-and-so's annual barbecue. The space in church testimony meetings where I can hear the healings of others, and feel their prayers. ... The list goes on.

But fellowship can be a pretty deep spiritual concept, too. This week's Sentinel begins with an examination of its roots in the Bible. Shirley Paulson takes us through fellowship's Christian origins as the disciples committed to supporting each other while spreading the gospel. She starts off by mentioning, "According to the Bible accounts of the early Church, fellowship was as essential to the completeness of church as prayer, proper teaching, and the movement of the Holy Spirit." And how does this translate into action? Well, that all depends. Paulson goes on to say, "Our actions need to be inspired and rooted in 'fellowship with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ.' This knowledge naturally draws us into a loving relationship with all those who wish to be close to God" (p. 8).

Then, Mary Baker Eddy Library Researcher Michael Davis gives us a window into the role of fellowship among those first members of The First Church of Christ, Scientist. He says, "There are numerous letters and accounts in The Mary Baker Eddy Collection that show Mary Baker Eddy's attempts to help Christian Scientists stay with her teachings and to heal anything that divided them and disrupted their fellowship" (p. 11).

The Church Manual helps anchor our decisions along the way. This is wonderfully freeing and lets each expression of fellowship be based on sincere prayer. Just how it takes shape is up to each of us.

WHAT I SAY UNTO YOU I SAY UNTO ALL, WATCH.—JESUS

The Christian Science Sentinel was founded in 1898 by Mary Baker Eddy, and its mission remains the same: "to hold guard over Truth, Life, and Love." The Sentinel continues to report on the unlimited ways that the healing power and presence of the Christ activates, uplifts, and transforms the lives of everyday people around the world.

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