Fellowship – Fraternal Gatherings
Lesson 16: Fraternal Gatherings
Introduction
One of the most important parts of Ecclesial life is meeting with others of “like kind” (Philippians 2:2); because “iron sharpens iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend” (Proverbs 27:17). We have spoken of loneliness (see lesson 13 – Isolation). If we are always in isolation, and we never see another Brother or Sister from one week to the next, we are going “lose our first love” (Revelation 2:4).
Fraternal gatherings, Readings Classes, Bible schools and Seminars should be a major part of our Ecclesial life, as Brothers and Sisters in Christ. It is essential that we are all involved in these activities from the youngest to the eldest. Even if your part is simply the part of cleaning up the rubbish after the event, then you have done your part.
So often it is the case that Ecclesias only hold these types of events when the white-man comes to visit. This does not have to be the way. We can run a great number of these events without the white-man and in many respects they are much better and fulfilling if we do them ourselves. I don’t know about you, but I find listening to someone speaking in a foreign language for hours on end, breaking every five minutes for his words to be translated into Swahili really tiresome. And, these white-men, they do not know what we are really interested in; and they never seem to broach the important topics. Certainly, I would never ask questions in front of them – I don’t want to seem stupid and I do not want them to get the wrong idea about me. So, yes, it is entirely better if we run these events ourselves.
What is a Fraternal Gathering?
Probably, this is a good place to start, because many will not know what a fraternal gathering is. From it’s title it is obviously some kind of gathering. A fraternal is a word closely related to the word brother. And so with a fraternal gathering we have a group of amicable brethren (and sisters) joining together in comradery.
That’s all very nice, but what happens at a fraternal gathering? Good question. Normally what happens is that an Ecclesia will invite members of neighbouring Ecclesias to join with them for Bible study. The Bible study can last anything from two or three hours through to an entire day. Speakers will be chosen, appropriate food prepared, a programme of events designed. The gathering might also include other aspects, like a sports event, or children acting out parables, or a preaching activity. This last you may hear referred to as a “study and serve” event.
What is a Readings Class?
This is somewhat similar to a Fraternal Gathering, however instead of having Bible talks the Brothers and Sisters join together to read their Bibles (maybe the daily readings) or a Bible book that has been provided / purchased. This is really useful if you have members that cannot read for themselves, or perhaps the book is written in English or Hebrew and needs to be translated so that members who do not understand the originating language can understand what is written.
We currently run two weekly readings classes; one for the daily readings and one based upon a Bible book written in the 1950s. Both classes are really enjoyable. We particularly benefit from the discussion and questions that arise during our readings. This is markedly useful for our sisters who do not have partners in the Truth. These are able to ask questions of the Brethren; and we Brethren make our best attempts to answer those questions. We enjoy the fellowship so very much.
What is a Bible School?
Again, a Bible School is very like a Fraternal Gathering. However, a Bible School does not only go on for a few hours, or a whole day, these can go on for a week or more.
The advantage to a Bible School is of course that you get continuity in your study and you get to stay over night, and enjoy the break from the world. If you have never experienced a Bible School for a week then you should really try this. Many describe it as a “taste of the Kingdom”. Imagine if you will a whole week in which you can enjoy fellowship. A whole week away from the trials and worries of this life. A whole week without the pervasive foul language of the people around us. A time of tranquility and solemn contemplation of the Word of God.
What is a Seminar
Again, a Seminar is very like a Fraternal Gathering. However, with a Seminar we do not only invite our Brothers and Sisters, we also invite men and women who are our current “contacts” and / or men and women who have not come into contact with Christadelphians before. Regularly this is part of our preaching efforts (see lesson 20 – Preaching).
Be aware that if you hold a seminar then there may be an expectation from attendees for “per diem” - this is a small payment to cover lost income for a days lost wages.
Funding an event
Funding events, like a Fraternal Gathering is probably the primary reason why many Ecclesias are prevented from holding Fraternal Gatherings.
There is a cultural assumption that the person who has invited you must pay for the guests food, bus fare, and lost wages. This is not how a Co-operative society operates. If I attend a Fraternal Gathering, then I should expect to bring my own food, I should expect to pay my own bus fare and accept with humility that I am going to lose a days wages; I should even think about bringing a small offering to the host to help pay for all the other expenses that are associated with running a gathering. It is I that will benefit from the study. I need to thank God for that, and I should be grateful to my Heavenly Father for the great blessing of it.
If all the guests pay their own way, then the burden of funding the event becomes much less. As an individual we will never afford to invite a large number of people to our hall; but as a community then, we certainly can. This is the wonder of a cooperative fellowship.
Planning
Running any kind of meeting of this nature is going to require a great deal of planning. In my local Ecclesia we run a study and serve event once every year. Our speakers are booked up seven years in advance to the event.
Most Ecclesias that intend to run events like this will create a small committee that can easily meet together. These will make all the arrangements on behalf of the Ecclesia. Organizing the talks, the food, the room, the accommodation, the funding and everything needed for the event so that it runs smoothly and professionally.
Speakers
If you are going to organize a beneficial event, then you are going to need a good speaker. It is certainly no good inviting someone who knows nothing of the Bible, nor is it a good idea to get someone to speak who cannot speak the correct language (1 Corinthians 14:28). Getting the correct speaker is crucial to your event.
There might not be anyone suitable locally; and it might be necessary to invite someone from a long distance. If you do this, then it would be appropriate for the Ecclesia to make a donation towards the speakers traveling expenditure. Funding such, again may be a problem (see lesson 19 – Fund raising).
If all local Brethren are inadequate to the task of speaking at your event then there are other possibilities. Consider using a book (see Book Reading), or recorded talks either video, or audio. You might even want to organize a virtual speaker, that is one using Zoom, Skype or Google hangouts or other such means.
Remember that some of these alternatives will require electricity and / or internet and there might be the need to hire equipment e.g. a generator for the time when you are running the event. Also remember that hire companies may have to put your event into their booking diary.
Recorded talks
There is a vast library of recorded Christadelphian material that is available see:
In English:
Audio / Video - https://www.christadelphian.or.tz/talks
Video - https://www.youtube.com/ChristadelphianVideo
Books - https://www.christadelphian.or.tz/books
In Swahili:
Books - https://www.christadelphian.or.tz/publications
There is enough material here to keep you busy for several lifetimes
Food
Food is always a big consideration, particularly if your gathering is to extend over a period of several days. It is common practice for every attendee to bring a little of their own food. Commonly the food that they would normally have eaten had they been at home. The food brought can then be gathered together and used communally.
It may of course be necessary to cook food. This will be particularly difficult if you do not have a kitchen area in your hall. A good hall will always have a cooking area.
If you do not have a kitchen then it is always fun to build a large wood bonfire in an open place, and cook using the wood fire. This is a particularly fun activity for children.
Halls with kitchens
If you have a hall or are intending to build a hall then having a kitchen area is always of massive benefit.
When you are not using the kitchen for a fraternal gathering or the like, then the kitchen should still be used. The door of the Ecclesial hall should always be open (see lessons 3 and 15). The concept of a “Soup house” is that the Ecclesial hall is somewhere that the very poor starving person can always get a morsel of food to eat when they are hungry. They will also get the Word of God preached to them, along with good advise on where they might find work in order to pay their keep (Luke 10:7).
An Ecclesial kitchen can also of course be run as a business; and their should always be good food both temporal and spiritual emanating from its doors.
Accommodation
If you are going to run an event for several days, or in some cases just a single day, then there is going to be a need for accommodation. I have certainly just slept on the floor under the stars, but this is not for everyone; and might not be safe.
Building a hall with beds is a good idea; just like building a hall with a kitchen, a hall with beds can be used as a guesthouse. But halls might not be available, and if they are few have been built with this level of foresight. Accommodation will more often than not be staying with Brothers and Sisters in their homes. I have found with experience that this is one of the greatest parts of fellowship. A word of warning – don’t expect to actually get any sleep; generally speaking, you will find that you will be talking all night long. Lonely Christadelphians sure know how to talk!
Online
We have spoken briefly about the possibilities of on-line activities. This may include joining together in one spot and having an online speaker or it might involve us joining another Ecclesia via a remote link-up (see lesson 13 – isolation).
With the uprising of the internet; joining together via an online service is becoming more and more common. If you speak English then it is possible to attend one Bible School or another pretty much every day, over the course of a year. This might cost an extreme amount of money for internet vouchers, but certainly you will learn an incredible amount this way, and you will not be lonely.
Why we do this
A blessing is pronounced by our Lord Jesus Christ on those who hunger and thirst after righteousness. This is important because it brings us right into the Ecclesia. Collective study is a command, meeting together as often as it is possible for us. The meetings must be food and drink to us. We must never be bored by a brother’s address, however inadequate we might consider it to be. We must grow in grace and in an ever-increasing knowledge of the Divine will. Some can have only a brief appearance permitted them on a Sunday morning due to health and other reasons. For them the effort is the harder. It is almost always true that the man or woman who eats and drinks sparingly of the things of the Truth will satisfy their appetite with other food, food of the pleasures and ways of the world. Also, the type and taste of the food is so different. To eat of the one is often to lose the taste and the desire for the other.
We are very blessed in having so many spiritual meals provided for us that so often the pangs of hunger can be readily satisfied for the one who thirsts after righteousness.
The differing fraternal meetings throughout the year are luxuries that the brethren and sisters can enjoy, tonics to increase our spiritual alertness. So we must persist in the regular attendance, as far as is humanly possible, at every meeting.
Now Jesus knew that personal effort was needed to practice and to persevere in righteous qualities. At the end of 3½ years the disciples had not brought them into proper play in their lives. At the last moment they were quarreling amongst themselves with pride, as to who should be the greatest. It is useless to think that we can reach the kingdom without sacrifice, without striving. It requires conscious effort, the destruction of that which has the power of death, that is, the evil promptings of our flesh. Our hearts, minds, eyes, ears, hands, feet must all be used in a conscious effort to bring these qualities into play. This is the goal of Fraternal Gatherings. We join, so that we can help one another gain the Kingdom.
How often we find ourselves in situations that provoke wrong thoughts, wrong deeds. How often we think and act according to the lust of the flesh. Well, the world is our training ground, as is the Ecclesia, but the world especially, It is full of those things, those temptations that the disciple must reject. These are the temptations that we must pray to be guarded from, and then to set our hearts to withstand them. It is, of course, wrong to put ourselves in those positions where temptations abound. It is as though Adam and Eve camped all night and all day before that tree they were forbidden to touch, always staying within arm’s reach of it, instead of being so far away that the temptation did not exist.
So let us be harsh and severe with ourselves and let self-discipline govern our lives, Matthew 5:27: “Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: but I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her bath committed adultery with her already in his heart. And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: ... If thy right hand offend thee, cut it off.” Here is the harshness of self-discipline required by Christ, a bringing into subjection every thought according to his will.
Matthew 5:43: “Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; that ye may be the children of your Father.”
Let us consider again the emphasis laid by Christ on the need for his disciples to be such men and women. It is not sufficient to be merely peaceful men and women in our own hearts to ourselves. We must be peace-makers. This is a creative quality. It is far more than merely avoiding a dispute, merely avoiding a display of personal anger; it is the creating of an atmosphere, a way of life where peace with God and with our fellow-men comes first, peace in the home, peace in the Ecclesia, peace among those with whom we work. Errors in doctrine and practice are disturbers, breakers of peace. Peace-makers must first build those essential foundations of righteousness.
This is why we have Fraternal Gatherings.