Coffee used to be a communal thing.

By that, I mean, you brewed a pot, and then everyone sat around and drank it, usually chatting together. But now, there are machines that allow you to make one cup in your home without reference to anyone else. Of course, it has advantages for those who live alone, etc. But, apart from that, isn’t it mainly one more way to break up the society that we used to know in our homes and neighborhoods—and churches?

So far as churches go, the same thing is happening in other ways. We all live at distances, rarely see each other during the week, drive to church, look at the back of people’s ears sitting in pews before us, exchange a few words, and drive home. Since this is true, and since we need the fellowship of one another—stimulating each other to love and good works (Hebrews 10:24)—then, we are going to have to do more to create (artificially) what used to be automatic. Without giving it thought, planning and providing opportunities, it isn’t going to happen. The fellowship of the saints, already dwindling, will finally disappear in those places where nothing is done to reverse the trend.

The passage in Hebrews calls for thought—consideration of ways to stimulate one another. God knew fruitful fellowship would occur only if we used our heads to come up with ways to see to it that it does. Soooo . . .what are you personally going to do about it? This isn’t something to be done by the leadership alone; you too can think of ways you can reestablish communal activity—even without a pot of coffee!