Koinonia
Formation of Grace Chapter Daughters of the King 2018 at Saint Mark’s
“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.
In her brilliant sermon at Saint Mark’s Episcopal Church, Patricia Matthews reminded us of the winning word in the 2018 Scripps National Spelling Bee that weekend: Koinonia. Fourteen-year-old Karthik Nemmani from McKinney, Texas, correctly spelled this word of Greek origin, meaning Christian fellowship or communion with God. It primarily refers to fellowship with other Christians in community. Patricia reminds us that the 91st National Spelling Bee, with its 515 qualified participants, was televised on ESPN. On this sports network, we watch football, basketball, baseball, or soccer more often!
When I heard Patricia say the winning word that weekend and again on Sunday, my heart skipped a beat. Koinonia had been on 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 University of Georgia’s most outstanding graduates. His proficiency 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, a farming community of believers who share their lives and resources, following the example of the first Christian communities. From this movement came Habitat for Humanity International, founded by Millard Fuller, and later The Fuller Center for Housing, Jubilee Partners, and significant support for the Civil Rights Movement.
Also, that Sunday at our church, a group of women met to begin discerning how to create a Daughters of the King chapter at St. Mark’s. Daughters of the King also seek koinonia—specifically, fellowship with other women who seek a more profound spirituality and relationship with God through prayer, service, and evangelism.
I will keep koinonia in my heart for a few more years to see if I notice any more serendipitous connections or synchronicity in our world.
Now, over eight years later, the newly formed Grace Chapter of Daughters of the King at St. Mark’s includes more than 40 women who meet monthly and pray daily for every member of this congregation and for the needs of the world. During the pandemic, the Daughters launched a new ministry, Free Read, which reaches out to women in prisons, recovery centers, and homeless shelters who have requested books to read. The ministry was the brainchild of Tandy Cobb Willis and has since expanded into a ministry of the whole church.
Since writing this, we have traveled to Texas, El Dorado, Shreveport, Hot Springs, Memphis, and Springfield, Missouri, to meet other women of the Daughters of the King.
I now love hearing about our grandchildren’s adventures and connections because we travel less and less.
Langley has now graduated from Georgia and is finishing her second year at NYU Law School, studying international law. Zoe will soon graduate from Tulane as a Newcomb Scholar and has experienced Koinonia New Orleans’ style! Last fall, she spent a semester in Copenhagen. She traveled to New York City and Stockholm for two women’s conferences that summer.
Mac graduated from the University of Georgia last year and then spent a year in Liverpool to earn a master’s in sports management. Gray is finishing his second year at Kentucky, studying art and journalism. Turner is finishing his second year in the honors college at the University of Arkansas, studying biomedical engineering. He visited Belgium last summer to study water management. Elizabeth is now driving.
Our community continues to grow as we hear stories of connections from across the country and around the world. 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/