I was out for a walk one day when loud cawing attracted my attention to a tree across a distant field. A convention of crows blackened the tree. Glancing around, I spotted crows flying towards this congregation from every point of the compass. Strange! Was it curiosity that brought them winging their way from distant corners of the township? Or was it news of carrion to devour? Not speaking crow-talk I couldn’t tell, but it did remind me of the importance of gathering together with other Christians.

Crows are not solitary creatures; they forage in small flocks. Many birds and animals pass their lives in the company of others of their species. Gaggles of geese. Coveys of quail. Herds of deer. Packs of wolves. Flocks of starlings.

Earth’s gregarious creatures teach us many lessons, among them the importance of togetherness. The siren song of open fields and tract-less forests may charm us with the wonder of solitude but we need fellowship too.

In our noisy crowded world, solitude is a treasure. We would all be much better off if we wrote no trespassing over the special blocks of time when we seek God alone. But if we don’t balance solitude with companionship we run the risk of becoming eccentric, self-centred and anti-social. Especially in this time when the siren song of cell-phone screens screams for our attention.

With Mary Helen, my first wife, and now Phyliss, I’m fortunate to be seldom completely alone. I’m often so contented with my little corner in the country, I don’t miss the crowded malls and busy streets of the city I left behind. Without care, I might even find excuses to stay home from church services. After all, gas is so expensive!

Taking that route would be extremely harmful. The early church “devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. . .All the believers were together . . . Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts”[1] The time would come when they would be scattered, but even when hounded from place to place, they sought each other out. The strength they gained from togetherness enabled them to withstand persecution and thrive even while the society around them decayed.

Alone, we struggle against impossible odds to extend the kingdom. Alone, our potential is often unrealized or blunted. Alone we are one-sided, imbalanced—caricatures of what we can be together. In the context of a church fellowship, our gifts flower and the body of Christ is built up.

Following a solitary path through life creates distortions of viewpoint and character. By contrast, “as iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.”[2] “There was a man all alone; he had neither son nor brother. There was no end to his toil. . . . Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.”[3] What is true of two people is doubly true of groups of people joined by their allegiance to Jesus Christ.

Alone we are easy targets. Twigs easily bent. Susceptible to temptation, to whispers, to wild schemes, to an exalted opinion of ourselves. Therefore, “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”[4] Clearly, the writer of this epistle faced the same challenge in his day as we do in ours—of convincing people about the fundamental importance of regular Christian assembly. Too many in our day claim, “We worship God quite well, thank you, on the golf course, in front of a TV set, or while walking on the beach.”

Even when other Christians disappoint us, and they do, it is dangerous to conclude that we would be better off doing our own thing. Instead of complaining about our local church, we should give thanks for the opportunity to share our joys and sorrows with others whom Christ has called out of darkness. We need fellowship, the comforting, edifying, encouraging, challenging, worshipping company of others. (Don’t misunderstand me here, many of our churches could use a healthy dose of self-criticism leading to genuine renewal. A vibrant church is always undergoing spiritual renovation.)

The deceitful elixir of self-reliance is a heady brew I know all too well. Some of us seem to be born with an independent streak. In weak moments, I dremt of settling down in a log cabin in a lonely Rocky Mountain valley. Then I wake up to reality, to moods that can only be driven off by the exuberance or encouragement of others. I could list dozens of times when gloom or discouragement, even despair, has been banished by forcing myself to go to a prayer meeting or a worship service or a Bible study. Often the very act of sitting down with other believers raises the spirits. There’s a group of guys I regularly meet with for Bible study and lots of laughs. If crows instinctively band together, shouldn’t we gather regularly with other believers to join our voices in worship and prayer?

Heavenly Father, listen to my prayer as I bow in supplication and praise. Help me to treasure these times of quietness. But Lord, you know my temperament. Assist me to balance solitude with fellowship. You know, Master, that our church is far from perfect and I have many foibles. Move me to overlook the very human frailties of others, to celebrate the real evidences of your Spirit at work. Please help me not to forget that we are all spiritual beggars seeking bread. Speak to me through your servant’s preaching. Unite my heart with others in worship. Guide me to join others in prayer. Use my gifts to serve the church. May I be an encouragement, a comfort, a blessing to others. Lord, I thank you for the times when you meet me in solitude and the many times you come close in the midst of the church family!

(Let me know your thoughts on this subject. If you appreciate this blog, please pass it on. If I can help you spiritually, let me know. Further articles, books, and stories at:  Facebook: Eric E Wright Twitter: @EricEWright1 LinkedIn: Eric Wright ; Eric’s books are available at: https://www.amazon.com/Eric-E.-Wright/e/B00355HPKK%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share)

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[1] Acts 2:42,46

[2] Prov. 27:17

[3] Eccl. 4:8,9-12

[4] Heb. 10:25