SCRIPTURE: 1 Corinthians 14
OBSERVATION/APPLICATION:
Our gatherings as Jesus-followers ought to be edifying, inclusive and orderly.
When the Corinthians met together, their focus was on having powerful, charismatic gatherings. Paul urges them to focus rather on having loving, edifying gatherings. Its great if you have a powerful personal encounter with God, but that is something you can do on your own; keep the focus on your public gatherings mutual blessing and encouragement. Let the love of Jesus be tangible when you get together.
In this passage, Paul stresses that their public gatherings should be edifying (better to teach in plain language than to pray in unknown language, vv.1-25), inclusive (everyone shares something, each person in turn so no one person dominates it all, vv.26-33) and orderly (speaking in turn, not being disruptive, not allowing personal conversations between spouses, vv.29-40). Do what it takes so that everyone can benefit together!
It seems to me that the pendulum has swung to the other extreme. In order to control the crowd, we have ceased to be inclusive. The whole gathering is led by a few, or by one man up front. People are passive, receiving whatever is given or imposed on them. I am starting to think that we need to find ways to increase the participation of everyone present – not just in singing songs, but in sharing struggles, testimonies, wisdom, etc. I feel that in order to be edifying, we need to return the ‘worship’ and the ‘word’ to the people, to be inclusive. We need to become active participants, not passive recipients. Each person needs to have the opportunity to offer their own praise or prayer or testimony or teaching. How this is done will take planning and direction, so that it remains edifying, inclusive and orderly.
By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. [John 13:35] I am convinced that this is how the Spirit speaks and works best, when every member of the body participates, sharing the love and truth of Jesus. Not by charismatic worship, nor by eloquent messages by trained preachers, but by real, raw, down-to-earth interaction between ordinary Jesus-followers. People will be impacted: When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. [Acts 4:13].
PRAYER:
Lord, release the church to be the church, when we gather and when we serve!
I agree with what you have written above Norm and am encouraged by it. I have been impacted and inspired by what people have shared during Sunday morning service (however simple it is – that is the beauty of it!)and I value the time you have given to make space for this to happen. There is always the fear in allowing time for sharing because one person may end up dominating or go on too long…etc. I guess it takes wise leadership 🙂 and all of us taking on the call personally to be the body of Christ. I can begin to see how this process will help build us into the body of Christ, otherwise it is too easy to live in our own little bubbles, with no awareness of other people’s struggles and success’. I think it is also important to have a strong undergirding of prayer, it is a challenge to really ‘be’ the church, together, strong, and unified. We are all broken people with our own weakness’ ….
Cindy