John
Fawcett was the beloved minister of a small, rural church. He was
called to a larger church in the city, but at the last moment he
changed his mind. He simply couldn’t tear himself away from the
beautiful fellowship of his small church. Out of that experience he
wrote these words: “Blest be the tie that binds our hearts in
Christian love; the fellowship of kindred minds is like to that above.”

Those
are indeed familiar words but Fawcett also wrote: “We share our
mutual woes, Our mutual bur-dens bear, And often for each other flows
the sympathizing tear.”

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J. Michael Shannon is professor of preaching at Cincinnati Bible College in Cincinnati, OH.