CYPRESSWOOD CHURCH OF CHRIST
August 1, 2004
PLEASE LIFT UP TO GOD THE FOLLOWING:
Our congregation The Stolte’s in Germany
Our nation, military and leaders David and Leon in the Navy
Various friends, co-workers and relatives Yevette’s parents
Keith traveling to Brazil
FUTURE EVENTS:
August 2 - SYS at Southeast
August 9 - SYS at Clear Lake
THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE KING
“They devoted themselves to the apostles teaching and to the fellowship…” (Acts 2:42).
For those of you who have either read the books or seen the movies, or both, there are many lessons that can be learned from J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings. One of the most valuable lessons is that of fellowship. It all began when Frodo Baggins is invited to the counsel meeting with men, elves, and dwarfs. After much debate, Frodo volunteers to carried the Ring to its destruction at Mount Doom. Volunteering to go with him would be the wizard Gandalf, the future king Aragorn, Bolomir, the elf Legolas, the dwarf Gimli, and the hobbits Sam, Merry, and Pippin. This group is declared the Fellowship of the Ring. As the story proceeds, Gandalf disappears in the caves of Moria, and Bolomir dies protecting Frodo. The fellowship is torn apart at this time; at least that is how Tolkien describes it. Frodo and Sam head into the dark territory to Mount Doom. Merry and Pippin have been captured by Orcs, escape, reunite with Gandalf and eventually with the rest of the fellowship. The others pursue the captured Hobbits, win a battle, join to defend city of Minas Tirith, and eventually are victorious.
What the movie doesn’t show but Tolkien tells in an appendix is important concerning fellowship. After the evil is dealt with even in the Hobbits beloved Shire, several important things happen. Gandalf, Frodo, and Bilbo Baggins, Frodo’s uncle, head to the sea and join the elves as they sail to what many think is heaven. Merry and Pippin return to the city to live out their lives with Aragorn, die, and are buried with him in his tomb. In the movie, before the black gates of Mordor, Gimli says to Legolas something to the effect: “Who would have thought that I would die with an elf?” Legolas responds by saying, “Would you die with a friend?” Gimli clearly states, “I can do that!” I like that! Their friendship is seen in the appendix when Legolas finishes building a boat. Gimli joins him and together they sail off. And finally there is Sam, who in my opinion is the hero of this tale. Selfless, determined, always standing by Frodo’s side, Sam marries, has a number of children, is the mayor of his town, being reelected seven times. In the end, he says good bye to his family, and heads to the sea, where he too is carried by ship to “heaven,” as the last ring bearer. At that Tolkien says the fellowship ended.
But I wonder if that is the case? This was a strong fellowship that endured struggle, danger, death, hopelessness, and yet in the face of overwhelming odds, stood firm together. And what of our fellowship? What kind do we have? In the face of death, separation, struggle, disappointment, and a host of other events, how do we stand together? Paul calls us “the fellowship of the Spirit” (2 Corinthians 13:14) and “called into fellowship with His Son” (1 Corinthians 1:9), John that we “have fellowship with one another” (1 John 1:7) and “our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son” (1 John 1:3), and Luke simply states that the first Christians continued not in fellowship but “in the fellowship” (Acts 2:42, NIV). This fellowship is based on our relationship with the King. It is his fellowship, the fellowship of the King. Jesus is our King who has conquered the evil we faced, and now gives us abundant life and confident expectation, better known as hope. This fellowship develops over the years, and for each of us, many become involved in it. Some pass through briefly, others remain for years.
This past summer we had the opportunity to see brothers and sisters and friends we have not seen for over twenty years. What a fellowship! We have all grown a little older, have had our health problems, gain a little here and lost a little there. But we could tell stories of our times together, both the joys and the pains. We could see our children and how they have grown. We saw what was home for a number of years and how it has changed. And we are all brought together because we are in the fellowship. And one of the most interesting things about this reunion is that it felt like we had only been separated for a brief time. Maybe we will never see each other again, this side of heaven, but we look forward to that time when we will set sail to our heaven, to be with our Father, and with all who have gone before us and those who will follow.
One of the popular, almost everyday happenings in Tolkien’s work was singing. Everyone had songs. Some told their own story, others repeated history, some lamented, and others looked forward to hope. We sing a number of songs in this area but one comes to mind that captures the unbroken fellowship, such as found in The Lord of the Rings. It is called, “There’s A Stirring.” Here are the words:
“There’s a stirring deep within me, could it be my time has come?
When I see my Gracious Savior face to face when all is done.
Is that His voice I am hearing, come away my precious one.
Is He calling me? Is He calling me?
I will rise up, rise up, and bow down, and lay my crown at His wounded feet.
There’s a stirring deep within me.”
(by Annie Herring, in Praise Hymns, #161)
Like I said, there are many lessons found in The Lord of the Rings. I think the greatest is the idea of fellowship and how that plays out in our everyday life. One day, when all is said and done, we will be in the eternal fellowship. Until then, we wait, and listen, to hear our Savior calling us home, bringing His fellowship together.
George B. Mearns