Fellowship And Golf

Dale Wiley

For the past 3 or 4 years Harold Nicks, Jim Fuqua, Bob Raby & I have been playing golf most every week. During that time, there’s been no bad language, no nasty jokes and a minimal amount of gossiping. Occasionally, as my golfing partners advance in age, some health issues arise. Shoulder pain, knees going out or a pulled hammie. Then they have to go on the injured reserve list. No problem because we go straight to the bench and in comes Elder Jim Humphries to take his place. Still, there’s no bad language, no dirty jokes and a minimal amount of cheating. 

Last Friday Jim and I were playing at Paul Walker and around the 6th hole noticed a couple of older men behind us and asked if they cared to join us. They agreed and one of them hit his ball in the woods and then into the creek.  A few choice words followed. Then on the next hole he hit a window in a house and then more words followed, some of which Elder Jim had not heard since his Army days back in the ’60’s. 

Jim and I were talking later how nice it was to be able to play weekly with a group of brothers that chose not to behave that way, even when the ball doesn’t always go where we want it to go and that we appreciate the fellowship of our brothers in Christ.

Fellowship with our Brothers and Sisters in Christ encourages and uplifts one another to be more Christ like and has a great influence on those around us, whether it be the Crew on Grub Night, the Young at Heart Ladies, or Tuesday’s Ladies Bible Class at Kathy’s, to maintain our spiritual growth. 

Remember these words:

1 Corinthians 1:9: You were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

1 John 1:3: That which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us.