Koinonia
“All who believed were together and had all things in common; they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need.”—Acts 2: 44-45.
Mac graduation Friday
In her brilliant sermon at Saint Mark’s Episcopal Church, Patricia Matthews reminds us of the winning word in the 2018 Scripps National Spelling Bee that weekend: Koinonia. Fourteen-year-old Karthik Nemmani from McKinney, Texas, correctly spells this word of Greek origin, meaning Christian fellowship or communion with God.
It refers primarily to fellowship with other Christians in community. Patricia reminds us that this 91st National Spelling Bee, with its 515 qualified participants, was televised on none other than ESPN. In this sports network, we watch football, basketball, baseball, or soccer more often!
When I heard the winning word that weekend and Sunday from Patricia, my heart skipped a beat. Koinonia had been in my heart for almost a week. Langley, our oldest granddaughter, had just graduated from high school and was headed to the University of Georgia. I had been praying about how I could support her in this decision. The answer came as I read a review of two books about Clarence Jordan in The Christian Century.
I want to remind Langley about Mr. Jordan, perhaps one of the most outstanding graduates of the University of Georgia. His competency in Greek led him to produce his “Cotton Patch” version of the New Testament, as he strove to communicate the Bible’s message in everyday language.
Jordan also founded Koinonia Farm as a farming community of believers sharing their lives and resources, following the example of the first Christian communities. Out of this movement came Habitat for Humanity International by Millard Fuller, and later The Fuller Center for Housing, Jubilee Partners, and much support for the Civil Rights Movement.
First DOK Chapter at St. Mark’s
Also, that Sunday at our church, a group of women met to begin discernment toward creating a Daughters of the King chapter at St. Mark’s. Daughters of the King also seek koinonia—specifically fellowship with other women who want a more profound spirituality and relationship to God through prayer, service, and evangelism.
I will keep koinonia in my heart for a few more years to see if I observe any more serendipitous connections of synchronicity in our world.
Now, over six years later, that newly formed Grace Chapter of Daughters of the King at St. Mark’s numbers over 40 women who meet monthly, praying every day for every member of this congregation and the needs of the world.
During the pandemic, the Daughters began a new ministry, reaching out to women in prison who have requested books to read. The ministry is called Free Read and was the brainchild of Tandy Cobb Willis. It has now expanded to be a ministry of the whole church.
Since this writing, we have traveled to Texas, El Dorado, Shreveport, Memphis, and Springfield, Missouri, to meet with other women of the Daughters of the King.
I now love hearing about our grandchildren’s adventures and connections since we travel less and less.
Langley has now graduated from Georgia and is finishing her first year at NYU Law School to study international law. Zoe is finishing her junior year at Tulane, where she has experienced Koinonia New Orleans’ style! Last fall, she spent a semester in Copenhagen. She travels to New York City and Stockholm for two women’s conferences this summer.
Mac graduates from the University of Georgia this month and then goes to Liverpool for a year to earn a master’s in sports management. Gray is finishing his first year at Kentucky studying art and journalism, and Turner is finishing his first year in the honors college at the University of Arkansas studying biomedical engineering. He is off this summer to Belgium to further his studies. Elizabeth is now driving.
Our community continues to expand as we hear stories of connections from all over the country and worldwide. I have faith in the future as I see what our children’s children are doing.
The Koinonia continues.
Joanna. joannaseibert.com https://www.joannaseibert.com/