Dickinson, Faith, and Church

Some keep the Sabbath going to Church –

I keep it, staying at Home –

With a Bobolink for a Chorister –

And an Orchard, for a Dome –

Some keep the Sabbath in Surplice –

I, just wear my Wings –

And instead of tolling the Bell, for Church,

Our little Sexton – sings.

God preaches, a noted Clergyman –

And the sermon is never long,

So instead of getting to Heaven, at last –

I’m going, all along.

Emily Dickinson, 19^th Century Poet

I encountered this poem the other day and found it quite interesting. As you know, I have been pondering the principle of fellowship in the Body of Christ – so this piece struck a chord within me. I’ll pause for a moment as you let out the laughter concerning my enjoyment of poetry…. And so we continue.

I don’t know if you’ve noticed this, but many contemporary believers share this same attitude as Emily Dickinson. I have heard many say that they celebrate the Sabbath, and enjoy preaching of the Word, from the comfort of their own homes – aided by the television broadcast of Joel Osteen, DVDs they receive from the 700 Club, or the like.

Are these tools helpful in your walk with Christ? Certainly. But they cannot replace fellowship with other believers. Let me explain why:

And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.

Hebrews 10:25

Paul originally wrote the above passage as a description concerning the appropriate response to God’s grace and mercy through the sacrifice of Christ Jesus. In the initial context, believers may have been abandoning fellowship in order to avoid persecution; but whatever the case may be, Paul stresses the importance of gathering together in the name of Jesus, and encouraging one another in the faith.

Let’s face it – life is hard! How much more so when you are a follower of Christ? In truth, we cannot walk in faith alone; we were created do this in community. After all, we have made into the Body of Christ to be united as one. Is any part of a unified whole separated? In other words – does your arm function if cut off from the body? No. It was created to work in unity with the whole. It is the same in the Church. We are meant to participate together and cooperate; it is vitally important! (Read 4 Reasons You Need Fellowship to expound on that point).

Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.

Romans 12:4-5

Am I saying that you have to participate in the traditional Church program – attending a conventional congregation for worship on Sunday and Wednesday? Not necessarily. What I am urging is that you would plug-in to a gathering of fellow believers. There are plenty of house churches, organic congregations, and bible study small groups that fulfill the function of gathering together for encouragement!

My point is this: you need fellowship! I know I’ve been stressing this theme a lot lately – and that is only because of its importance.

So, in conclusion, what do I think of Emily Dickinson’s poem? Well, I think she was truly missing out on awesome component of faith. My initial thoughts were, “Man, I wonder how her life would’ve looked if she had connected with a local body of Christ-followers. Would her poetry look different – and even be more powerful? Would she have decided to follow Christ, rather than turn from Him? Would the support and prayer of believers have curbed her doubt and anxiety concerning God?”

I know one thing for certain: Emily Dickinson, as is true with every other individual, would have greatly benefitted from fellowship.


Photo Credit: Unknown / Foter.com / Public Domain Mark 1.0