The Fellowship of the Saints: What The Lord of the Rings Taught Me About Walking Together in Christ

“You can trust us to stick to you through thick and thin - to the bitter end. And you can trust us to keep any secret of yours - closer than you yourself keep it. But you cannot trust us to let you face trouble alone, and go off without a word. We are your friends, Frodo.” Merry Brandybuck, The Fellowship of the Ring

If you’ve ever read or watched The Lord of the Rings, you know that fellowship is more than just a social word. It’s not about potlucks and coffee times. It’s not shallow small talk or shared interests.

It’s about walking together toward something worth suffering for.

It’s about loyalty, sacrifice, and a bond that deepens in danger and holds fast in darkness.

And that’s exactly what the church is meant to be.

More Than a Gathering: A Fellowship

When Elrond formed the Fellowship of the Ring, he didn’t choose warriors based on resumes or background checks. He chose a wildly different group of people who were willing to commit to a difficult road together.

A dwarf. An elf. A ranger. A wizard. Four hobbits. A steward’s son.

They weren’t naturally compatible. They argued. They misunderstood one another. And yet, they stayed. They walked. They fought. They protected one another. Why?

Because they shared a mission bigger than themselves: to destroy the Ring, resist evil, and preserve the good.

That’s what the church is supposed to be.

Not a social club. Not a Sunday-only audience. But a fellowship: a diverse band of flawed people united by something far greater than themselves: the mission of Jesus.

Acts 2:42 (ESV) says:

“And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.”

Not occasional fellowship. Not casual fellowship. Devoted fellowship.

When the Road Is Hard, Real Fellowship Shows Up

One of the most iconic scenes in the trilogy is Frodo’s attempt to leave the group at the end of the first film. He thinks he has to go alone. The Ring is his burden, his cross to carry.

But Sam won’t let him.

“I made a promise, Mr. Frodo. A promise! ‘Don’t you leave him, Samwise Gamgee.’ And I don’t mean to. I don’t mean to.”

That moment always sparks emotion in me.

Because that’s the kind of fellowship we all need, someone who doesn’t just walk with us in comfort, but who swims through the river behind us when we try to run away.

That’s the kind of church Jesus calls us to be.

Galatians 6:2 (ESV) says:

“Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.”

Sometimes we’re Frodo - carrying more than we can bear. And sometimes we’re Sam - showing up when it would be easier to stay home. Either way, we walk together.

The Enemy Always Wants to Divide

In The Two Towers, the Fellowship is scattered. Some are captured. Some are grieving. Some are running.

But the goal of the enemy, whether Sauron in Middle-earth or Satan in our lives, is the same: divide and conquer.

“The eye of the enemy is moving. He is here.” Aragorn

Ephesians 6:12 (ESV) reminds us:

“We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against … the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.”

We’re not each other’s enemies. We’re allies. And when Satan isolates us, he weakens us.

Fellowship is our resistance.

Fellowship Isn’t Always Easy, But It’s Always Worth It

The Fellowship of the Ring wasn’t perfect. Boromir was tempted. Legolas and Gimli clashed. Aragorn wrestled with fear and doubt. Frodo felt the weight of his calling.

But they kept walking. They kept showing up.

That’s what real church fellowship looks like. Not perfection, but perseverance. Not ease, but endurance. Not flawless community, but faithful companionship.

And slowly, over time, something beautiful happens.

• Enemies become friends (Legolas and Gimli).

• Burdens become shared (Sam and Frodo).

• Broken people find healing (Aragorn, Boromir, Frodo).

The Bonds of Fellowship Are Forged in Fire

The Fellowship of the Ring didn’t form in comfort, it formed under the shadow of danger, loss, and impossible odds.

They fought side by side. They bled for one another. They stood guard through sleepless nights and crossed wastelands together. That kind of bond doesn’t form by accident. It’s forged in fire.

And that’s true of the church, too.

Real fellowship isn’t forged through surface-level smiles and small talk. It’s built through shared suffering, confession, and perseverance when things get messy.

Jesus said:

“Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” John 15:13 (ESV)

Fellowship requires sacrifice, of time, of pride, of comfort. But the love it produces is unlike anything this world can offer.

We’re Not There Yet, But One Day…

The Fellowship of the Ring eventually breaks. Boromir dies (spoiler alert!). Frodo goes ahead. Others are captured or scattered.

But their bond endures, and their mission carries on. And in the end, evil is defeated. Peace is restored. The king returns.

Sound familiar?

The church today is a fractured fellowship. We’re scattered. We struggle. We disagree. But one day, the King will return, and our fellowship will be complete.

“And so we will always be with the Lord.”1 Thessalonians 4:17 (ESV)

We’re not walking in circles, we’re walking toward home. And we don’t walk alone.

So Let Me Ask You (as I ask myself):

• Are you walking through your faith alone right now?

• Have you given up on fellowship because someone let you down?

• Do you only seek community when it’s easy or also when it’s hard?

• Are you bearing someone’s burdens, or are you trying to carry your own in silence?

• Who in your life needs a Samwise Gamgee, and could you be that person?

Let’s Be a Fellowship

This year at Woodland Hills Church of Christ, our theme is Fellowship. And I believe God is calling us to go deeper.

To stop seeing church as a building, and start seeing it as a brotherhood. A sisterhood. A bond forged not in fire and fantasy, but in truth and grace.

Let’s not just attend church - let’s be the church.

Let’s not just talk about fellowship - let’s live it.

Let’s walk together, fight side by side, carry each other’s burdens, and fix our eyes on the goal ahead.

Because like Frodo, we all have a mountain to climb and burdens to bear.

But praise God we don’t have to do it alone.

Until the journey is complete,

Jonathan Pilgrim

P.S. Want to go deeper in fellowship this week? Text a friend and ask how they’re really doing. Invite someone into your home. Confess a struggle. Pray with someone. Whatever it looks like, take one step closer to walking together.