May the mumbling commence!
Sometimes, I think about worship the way it is now. It can become quite a monologue, with a pastor preaching and the congregation listening. Sometimes, worship bands give the worship and praise and hymn music that same professional feel.
Sometimes, the children’s story is the only thing that engages the children. Sometimes, the children’ story is the only thing that engages adults. And, if the children’s story fails to engage, then worship seems somewhere out there – inaccessible to me.
That is not the way that worship should feel. God is close by everyone, and worship (as long as it worships the Lord) can take as many different forms as there are people in the sanctuary. But that can be uncontrollable and chaotic. Read what Paul writes about to the Corinthian church in First Corinthians chapter fourteen:
Well then, my brothers, whenever you meet let everyone be ready to contribute a psalm, a piece of teaching, a spiritual truth, or a "tongue" with an interpreter. Everything should be done to make your church strong in the faith.
If the question of speaking with a "tongue" arises, confine the speaking to two or three at the most and have someone to interpret what is said. If you have no interpreter then let the speaker with a "tongue" keep silent in the church and speak only to himself and God.
Don't have more than two or three preachers either, while the others think over what has been said. But should a message of truth come to one who is seated, then the original speaker should stop talking. For in this way you can all have opportunity to give a message, one after the other, and everyone will learn something and everyone will have his faith stimulated. The spirit of a true preacher is under that preacher's control, for God is not a God of disorder but of harmony, as is plain in all the churches. (Verses 26-33)
Let everyone be ready to contribute! Not a few people, nor many people, but everyone come to worship ready to contribute. Worship will look more like a sharing time of faith in action of all the members of the congregation. Each person sharing should have as a goal making the entire church strong in the faith.
Again, that can be chaotic. And, as Paul writes, God is a God of harmony not disorder. Note that Paul speaks of harmony. Harmony does not imply that all people will worship the same way or even speak on the same movement of the Spirit.
How can we establish harmony and meaning out of potential chaos? Paul tells us to take turns. Imagine that – take turns. Maybe everything I need to know I learned in Kindergarten. That would make worship services quite different.
I remember experiencing a Catholic mass in Guatemala where the priest did not speak in a monologue teaching sort of way. He would ask his people a question that was not rhetorical. And the people thought and answered. It was a sort of call and response, structured by the priest. We also see some of this dialogue in the context of African-American preaching.
How can this happen in the Caucasian context? The best way that I saw dialogue happen in the Caucasian context was when a church body held Sunday school after worship. I remember that fellowship well and fondly – Americus (GA) Mennonite Fellowship. The adults discussed the sermon and the sermon text.
It is one way that can open the dialogue up about the preaching and the preaching text. It helps us to make worship more accessible. And that is a good thing, because a goal of worship is for everyone to praise God and for everyone to grow in faith.
And this passage also underscores the point that every Christian has at least one sermon in them. Paul tells us to limit the preachers to two or three a service. That could lead to a potentially long service!
What do other worshippers do when a preacher is preaching? They are to think over what has been said. Apply it to their lives. They are to open themselves to the moving of the Holy Spirit. Maybe they will have a word from God for the dialogue to share and build up the faith of the church.
Beware engaging in worship will change you! Strengthening faith will change your life to align with Jesus.
Enough mumbling for now…
Peace Out
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