I subscribe to emails from TheSchoolOfChrist.Org (Chip Brogden) who strives for a SBNR (Spiritual But Not Religious) approach.
Chip, like all of us, has his blindspots, but he has some profound insights in other areas, and an awesome way with words.
This morning's email once again brilliantly put into words what I already knew in my heart:
Is fellowship a noun, a verb, or a spiritual state of being?
If you think fellowship is a noun (a person, place, or thing) then you may think of fellowship in terms of a church, a group, a meeting, or something to be attended.
If you think fellowship is a verb (an activity) then you may think of fellowship as something you do with others - go to church, have a meeting, or get together with friends.
The problem with seeing fellowship this way (as a person, place, thing, or activity) is the fellowship only lasts as long as you're around other people.
What happens when you stop going to church, or attending, or meeting?
The fellowship ends, and we have to go out "looking" for it again.
But...
If you think of fellowship as a spiritual state of being, you will realize that if we walk in the Light, we already HAVE fellowship with one another (1 John 1:7). [Compare http://biblehub.com with NWT]
The Fellowship of the Son is not restricted by people, places, things, or activities.
This Fellowship transcends time and space.
Family is Family, whether you "meet" with them every day, once a week, seldom, or never.
On the other hand, you can meet ten times a week with people who aren't walking in the Light and you'll never experience true Fellowship - even though you're hanging out with each other.
I call that "social interaction with spiritual overtones."
Most people aren't looking for fellowship anyway - they're looking for friendship.
Nothing wrong with Friendship, just don't confuse it with Fellowship.
Friendship only lasts so long as we are "like-minded" (everyone likes "me" and agrees with "me").
Fellowship in the Son lasts so long as we are walking in the Light.
If you want to learn more, go here and listen to this:
http://theschoolofchrist.org/webinars/have-you-really-forsaken-the-assembling.html