Hotdogs and Fellowship

HOTDOGS AND FELLOWSHIP

How much time do you spend in fellowship with others? In our society, it
seems that each of us is so busy that we just don't have time to fellowship
with one another. Yet, this is one of the very things that helped the early
church to grow. In Acts 2:46-47, we read of the early church: "And day by
day, going in agreement together regularly to the Temple and, taking broken
bread together in their houses, they took their food with joy and with true
hearts, giving praise to God, and having the approval of all the people; and
every day the number of those who had salvation was increased by the Lord."
(BBE)

One of the examples of growing churches is fellowship in homes, sharing
meals and sharing God's Word. Yet, we have gotten away from the very thing
that will strengthen us, our relationships with others and cause the church
to grow.

I've heard a lot of different reasons for not doing this, things like: "I
just don't cook any more", or "It's too expensive to provide a big meal for
folks", or "I'm afraid they won't like what I fix" or even, "The house is
not cleaned up or straightened up enough for company" or even, "I don't have
room". I really don't believe that any of these excuses are good reasons not
to have folks in for fellowship.

My wife and I have been having folks into our home for the past 42 years. We
have had little and we have had a lot, we have had large homes and small
homes. We have had little children in diapers, we have had children who had
to get up for school in the mornings, we have held jobs that require us to
get enough rest to go to work. We have had very little money and were able
to offer very little in the way of food or refreshments, but we have always
done what we could to have fellowship with folks anyway.

Some of our long time friends down Texas way are Dave and Joyce Palk. Dave
was sharing with me awhile ago that they were going to go back to having
"Hotdog fellowship" at there house. (For those someplace other than America
who may be reading this, hotdogs are Sausages or Frankfurters).

Dave told me that they used to just invite people over for hotdogs and
potato chips and not go to any trouble. Then they started thinking that
maybe they needed to have more or maybe better food. So, they started fixing
other dishes and before long it became a full meal and then it just became
too much trouble so they stopped. He said that he finally realized that
people really came for the fellowship and that the food was secondary. He
said they were reintroducing "Hotdog Fellowship" at there house once more.

I think Dave has it completely right. I can tell you from experience that
people really don't come to see how clean your house is or how well you have
decorated it. They come because just like you, they are desperate for
fellowship, friendship and relationships.

Do you remember how Jesus said you would be able to identify Christians? In
John 13:35 he said, "Your love for one another will prove to the world that
you are my disciples." (NLT)

How about trying it? What do you have to loose? You loose nothing, but stand
to gain a relationship with those who are just as desperate as you for a
friend. If you invite me over for a hotdog I'll come and I'll bet most other
people will too.

Russ Lawson

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