Faith and Friendship...

This month, I have been thinking a great deal about friendship and faith.

During our Council meetings, we have been devoting time to discernment about our identity as an English language, international, ecumenical ministry in Denmark, and our roles as Council leaders in that ministry. Among the wonderful conversations of care and concern, is the ongoing desire for individuals in our congregation to get to know one another, as a means to relate deeply to our diverse experiences of life and faith.

In other words, how are we as a congregation finding ways to build relationships with one another than can lead to the deep learning, sharing, and caring that members of a Christian Community need to nurture a life of faith?

At first, it seems that there is an obvious answer to this question. Of course, ICC provides multiple opportunities every month, not just to gather in worship on Sundays, but worship, education and fellowship throughout the week. We are reminded of these events in weekly bulletins, monthly newsletters and on the website, too.

But honestly, there are so many organizations that demand our time, energy, and provide social outlets for us who make Denmark our home.

So, what is the quality and nature of friendships that we seek to build in a Church? With so many places and opportunities to find friendships in our community, what is unique about friendships that we experience in a community of faith?

It just so happens that as our council is asking these questions, Tværkulturelt is hosting their annual conference on the first weekend in November. The theme is Venskab på tværs, and it will consider the nature and purpose of making friendship across cultures and faiths.

I will open the conference on Friday night at Freden’s Kirke, with a lecture given on the subject of Friendship’s role in forgiveness and reconciliation, globally and locally. The weekend will continue with lectures and practicuums given on building friendship across cultures and faiths. The conference will end on Sunday morning with a panel discussion at Sct. Andreas, followed by the conference joining our regular worship and fellowship at ICC.

This conference will be a chance for us to continue to ask this question about why it is that we seek friendships with one another, and why you would choose to make a community of faith a source of our friendships.

In the Bible, there are different kinds of love that are mentioned, and one is “philos”, which is the love that one has for friends. This is the kind of love that we find when we dedicate ourselves to gathering for fellowship after worship, attending bible study, coming to outings, participating in Diner for Six and the many group activities that are offered at ICC. But, again, we can find friends of this kind of love in many places. So, the question remains...what is unique about the friends that you will make in a community of faith?

Jesus reminds us through his teachings and parables, that there are many reasons to make friends in this world...to benefit one another, return favors, support one another, be comfortable when we are outside of our comfort zone. But Christ defines the purpose of friendship through the lens of faith in the 15th chapter of John, “no one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” He goes on to say, he does not call us servants any longer, but friends, and that we will be his friends if we follow in his way. In other words, we have been given the opportunity and means to develop friendships that live out the love of God that we yearn for.

One way to discover the love of God is by deepening friendships that bear a quality of shared faith. We do need all kinds of friendships based on common interests, gifts and activities, but no less important are your friendships that bear an authentic texture of God’s love, and provide the space to share God’s love active in your life. The purpose of Christian community is always to increase our relationship with and experience of God. But if we want to nurture that experience of God in our daily lives, might one way be through deepening friendships that have a different texture than what we commonly find in the world? In these days, I encourage you to strive to share your time in fellowship, developing your friendships with your fellow Christians in your community of faith.

For where two or more gather in Christ’s name, he promised to be there. Christian community is not just another activity in a busy schedule, it is a nourishing gift from God.
In your journey to seek God active in your life, I encourage you to devote the time to finding a friend at ICC or where you live, gather in Christ’s name, and watch what happens!