Fellowship of Friends, A New Unexpected Beginning

It has been one year since Jeremy and I found ourselves stepping away from our Sabbath gathering, that we had started with our dear friends.  This was not at all what we saw coming.

God had been teaching us and leading us, and Jeremy knew that a time of change was ahead.  He first started talking to me about these things back in 2020.

This post is about the many things that have been discussed and prayed over these past few years, that have brought us to this new place.  An uncomfortable place, but a place that we believe God has asked us to be in, and to obey Him in.

This past year I have cried a lot, and asked God where do we fit.  We do not fit with the Saturday (Sabbath keepers) worshippers, and we do not fit with the Sunday worshippers.  I love the body of Christ, and I do not think that Jeremy and I are really all that different than most true seekers of Yehovah God.  But, what He has always called us to, since we were teenagers, is a life style of community.  Living in community every day.  That calling has never left us.  It isn’t always easy, but we do the best we can.

About a dozen years ago, God began to show us something else, His Sabbaths.  He used our dear friends, the Elliott family, to show us the beauty of His appointed times, His Sabbaths.

So, here we are at a place where we want to honor and remember His Holy Days, including His weekly Sabbath, but we also want to live daily in community.

It is this goal, vision, that began a new thought in us.  What if we started meeting with others not just on Sabbath, but on other days, being intentional about encouraging and motivating one another in community living.  What if we made an effort to make the church an everyday thing.

That is where the idea of “fellowship of friends,” came from.  Below are some verses that impacted us as we discussed what is next for the Hirn family.

One question we wanted to be certain we understood and obeyed:

How do we keep and honor the weekly Sabbath?

Specifically, we want to have a day of rest and remembrance.

Secondly, we wanted to understand what God expects when we gather in His Name. 

What is commanded and what is required/suggested in regards to a sacred assembly/holy convocation in the Scriptures?

A “holy convocation” (also translated as “sacred assembly”) 
The Hebrew Word for “holy convocations” is “Mikra Kodesh” (מִקְרָא קֹדֶשׁ).
Mikra (מִקְרָא): This word means “reading,” “calling together,” or “convocation”.

Kodesh (קֹדֶשׁ): This word means “holy” or “sacred”.

Mikraei Kodesh (מִקְרָאֵי קֹדֶשׁ): This plural form refers to the “holy convocations” or “sacred assemblies”.

Mikra Kodesh (מִקְרָא קֹדֶשׁ): This singular form refers to a “holy convocation” or “sacred assembly”.
The Hebrew phrase for “holy convocation,” appears 17 times in the Bible, with 11 occurrences in Leviticus chapter 23 and 6 in Numbers chapters 28 and 29.
Both these passages outline the various holy days that the Israelites were to observe, and the sacrifices (offerings of worship) that were to be done.

List of Holy Convocations:
Sabbath (weekly): Leviticus 23:3 states that the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, a holy convocation.
Passover/Unleavened Bread: Exodus 12:16 and Leviticus 23:6-8 mention the first and seventh days of the week of unleavened bread as holy convocations.
Pentecost/Shavuot: Leviticus 23:21 mentions Pentecost as a holy convocation.

Day of Trumpets: Leviticus 23:23-25 mentions day of Trumpets as a holy convocation.
Day of Atonement: Leviticus 23:27 and Numbers 29:7 describe the Day of Atonement as a holy convocation.
Feast of Tabernacles: Leviticus 23:39-42 mentions the first and eighth days of the Feast of Tabernacles as holy convocations.

Significance:
These holy convocations were meant to be times of rest, worship through sacrifice, and remembrance of God’s covenant with His people.
Leviticus 23:4:
This verse states, “These are the appointed feasts of the Lord, the holy convocations, which you shall proclaim at the time appointed for them”.

There is very little instruction on how to apply “holy convocation” outside of the community living in the wilderness or promised land. Specifically, there is no instruction for the weekly Sabbath on how to observe this sacred assembly. But, the only verse, Leviticus 23:3, that speaks of “holy convocation” on the seventh day of the week, also speaks of “your dwelling Place.” the place where we live. This lends to the idea that this convocation can be done in your home.

What is the seventh day Sabbath?
It is a day of solemn rest, a day of ceasing from work. The weekly Sabbath is not only mentioned when instructing the Levites on how to observe the appointed times in the tabernacle/temple, but it is also mentioned in many other places as a day of rest. We are commanded in the ten commandments, the ten Words, to make rest the most important element of Sabbath, rest for all, even slaves.

How are we to observe the Sabbath outside of the Promised Land?
The Commandment:
Exodus 20:8-11, states, “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns”.
This means refraining from work, business, and other activities that would prevent rest and focus on God.
Some additional passages about Sabbath:
The Sabbath is described as a sign of God’s covenant with Israel (Exodus 31:13) and a reminder of God’s creation and redemption.
Isaiah 66:22-23
According to Isaiah 66:22-23, the Sabbath will remain forever.
Isaiah 58:13
The Sabbath is a day to do the Lord’s will and refrain from seeking our own selfish pleasure (see Isaiah 58:13-14)

More passages we considered on how to observe the weekly Sabbath:
Hebrews 4:9-11: This passage speaks of a “Sabbath rest for the people of God” that goes beyond physical cessation from work, emphasizing a spiritual rest in God’s grace and salvation. It encourages believers to “make every effort to enter that rest”.
Mark 2:27: Yeshua taught that the Sabbath was made for our benefit, not the other way around, emphasizing that the Sabbath is a time to focus on God and our spiritual needs.
Matthew 11:28:Yeshua invites people to come to Him and find rest, suggesting that true rest is found in Him and in a relationship with God.
Matthew 18:20: Yeshua promises that “where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am among them”. This emphasizes the importance of gathering with other believers for prayer and edification

Passages in the New Testament about gathering that could be applied to Sabbath assembly, but can also be done on other days of the week.
Hebrews 10:24-25:
“And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.”
This verse highlights the importance of not abandoning the practice of gathering together, but rather using these gatherings to encourage and build up one another in faith and good works, especially as the end times approach.
Acts 2:42:
“And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.”
This verse illustrates the early church’s practice of gathering together for teaching, fellowship, prayer, and the sharing of meals, demonstrating the importance of community and mutual support.
1 Thessalonians 5:11:
“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.”
This verse directly encourages believers to actively encourage and build one another up, emphasizing the importance of positive and supportive interactions within the community.
Galatians 6:2:
“Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.”
This verse emphasizes the importance of supporting and caring for one another, sharing in each other’s burdens, and fulfilling the law of Christ through mutual support.
Colossians 3:16:
“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with gratitude in your hearts to God.”
This verse encourages believers to dwell on the word of Christ, teaching and admonishing one another, and expressing gratitude through reading of poetry/verse and singing, promoting spiritual growth and unity.
Romans 15:6:
“So that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
This verse emphasizes the importance of unity and working together to glorify God, which is achieved through mutual encouragement and support.

Some passages that speak on meeting in homes:
Acts 2:46: “And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayer. And they continued daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart”.
Romans 16:5: “Greet also the church that is in their house”.
1 Corinthians 16:19: “Aquila and Priscilla greet you heartily in the Lord, with the church that is in their house”.
Colossians 4:15: “Greet the brethren in Laodicea, and Nymphas, and all those in her house”.
Philemon 1:2: “To Philemon our dear friend and fellow worker, and to Apphia our sister, and Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church in your house”.

A NEW PLACE

We want to always be seeking God and His Truth, we want to walk in obedience, and we want to allow the Holy Spirit to correct us and put us back on the proper path when we have gone off course.
As we continue to seek to honor God by keeping His command regarding Sabbath, and his instructions regarding assembly (holy convocation) and community (ecclesia), we find ourselves at a new place.

This new place of building community daily, and gathering with others often, not just on Sabbath.
With much humility, we seek to put feet to our calling, and to step out in faith.  We would like to invite you to join us.

We are calling our “church” Fellowship of Friends.  We see you as a member of our church (assembly, community, fellowship, etc.)  We do not see our church as building or place, but rather a group of people with like-minded convictions living life together in community.

We have begun being intentional in how we spend our Friday evenings and Saturday hours as a family so as to set it aside for a time of rest and remembrance, as well as, intentional Bible reading and purposeful discussion.
We are being intentional in prayer for our family, friends, and greater community.
We are looking for opportunities to love and encourage those in our community daily in faith.
We are hoping to invite others over occasionally for fellowship and encouragement.

We also hope to share in feast time activities and gatherings in the future as God leads.

As you can see there has been a lot of Scripture studied and discussed as we seek to obey God the best that we can, and we realize we are probably still not getting things right.  But, it is our desire to do our very best to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to love all people He created.  So, we press on.

There is a song that goes through my mind often these days.

Written by ktmom15

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