Several months ago we spent time working through 1 Corinthians 12-14. Within this “Early Church Worship Guide,” we clearly find the apostle Paul writing, “So, my brothers, earnestly desire to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues. But all things should be done decently and in order” (14:39-40). For many, these two verses seem to be mutually exclusive statements. For the apostle Paul, they were not. Several months ago, a young lady attempted to explain to me what she believed speaking in tongues was (though she clearly had not studied the whole of Scripture) and over the years I have heard many other people attempt to either explain away this passage or to find support for practices and experiences that Paul clearly did not intend. At the very heart of exegesis is the desire to allow the text to speak for itself. We are not to read into this passage, nor any other passage of Scripture.
We could obviously spend hours discussing the role of the charismata (gifts of the Holy Spirit), but before one engages that conversation, we need to clearly understand seven characteristics that the apostle Paul explicitly states will characterize Christian worship gatherings. These seven characteristics should be pragmatic and not simply rules and regulations that we check off. Note the seven characteristics:
(1) Christian worship is to be vocal – As you’ll note, Paul does not say, “When you come together bring a holy silence!” Rather, Paul writes to the Corinthians, “When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation” (v. 26). As you’ll note, each of the contributions that Paul lists are vocal contributions.
(2) Everything must be understood by the majority – In just forty verses, Paul emphasizes the importance of worship contributions being intelligible in well over nine separate statements! As you read through 1 Corinthians 14, one cannot ignore Paul’s explicit statement that the early Christians should “strive to excel in building up the church” (v. 12). This should be a foundational characteristic for what occurs during a corporate worship gathering.
(3) True worship must be balanced – No congregation should ever become “the church of prophecy” or the “church of tongues” or “the church of healing.” According to Paul, each of the gifts has a special and unique purpose and function and they are all for the building up of the local congregation! So there should never be “too much” of any one gift. This is better understood by recognizing that we should never focus on one gift to the determinant of others or in a way that would minimize the importance that each of the other gifts have. This happens far more than it should! Perhaps a better way to state this would be to say that we cannot truly have “too much” of a gift but we can certainly focus “too much” on a gift, ignoring others!
(4) True worship must be orderly – While this is not always embraced by those of us in the Charismatic/Pentecostal movement, we must note that chaotic worship is not Biblical! This is not to say that your understanding of what is chaotic is unbiblical, because for some, simply raising hands to the Lord is chaotic. In verse 40, Paul states that “all things should be done decently and in order.” Order is the English translation of the Greek word taxis which is defined as an arrangement, order, or a fixed succession observing a fixed time. This verse gives serious support to the concept of having a Liturgy or an “Order of Service” that many mainline denominations have. While there are issues that arise with that model, we can certainly find agreement with the guiding principle. Any worship gathering that is chaotic, confusing, and outright uncontrolled is not Biblical. Please do not read into this. This does not mean that the Holy Spirit is not allowed to move; it simply means that our flesh, emotions, or personal preferences cannot become the excuse for chaos. This is further supported when the apostle Paul writes, “the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets” (v. 32), clearly implying that a person has the ability to restrain his or her self.
(5)True Christian worship should be shared worship – It would be unthinkable, in the 1st century, to have a corporate worship gathering that did not, at the very minimum, give people the opportunity to participate. Read that again. It would be unthinkable to have worship gatherings where everyone simply showed up and “watched the show.” Corporate participation is the foundational benchmark of 1 Corinthians 14! Again, verse 26 indicates that the Corinthians understood this! Evidently, people were showing up prepared to contribute to the worship gatherings. In fact, Paul had to give some regulations regarding the prophetic ministry because it was getting out of control! At the very least we should be willing to contribute and this requires that we spend time asking God for opportunities and taking them when they arrive.
(6) True worship must always be Scriptural – Experience can never supersede the written text of Scripture. Paul could not express this any clearer than by writing, “If anyone thinks that he is a prophet, or spiritual, he should acknowledge that the things I am writing to you are a command of the Lord” (v. 37). The Scriptures are able to make us “wise for salvation” (2 Tim. 3:15) and are specifically “profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness” (2 Tim. 3:16). The Scriptures are, quite frankly, our safety net. To go beyond them is to enter into an area that can easily become ensnared in the methods and philosophies of the world. We are wise to recognize the inspiration of the Scriptures by the Holy Spirit.
(7) True Christian worship should be real – Paul, as a Hebrew scholar, would have been well aware of that which was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: “Because this people draw near with their mouth and honor me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me, and their fear of me is a commandment taught by men” (Isa. 29:13). Christian worship should be authentic for numerous reasons, not the least of which is that when the people of God are real and transparent with the Lord, who sees all, His presence manifests itself. This, in turn, will cause non-believers to worship God and state, “God is really among you” (1 Cor. 14:25). Authenticity must characterize our worship gatherings because God cannot be fooled. What we do and say in the secret of our heart will be exposed (cf. Eccles. 12:14).
I honestly believe each of these seven characteristics could be expanded into seven chapters and possibly even seven books! Seriously, there’s a lot of content within Paul’s commandments They each carry an overwhelming amount of support from more than just the Pauline corpus and certainly it is not limited to 1 Corinthians. Our main concern, I think, is to align ourselves individually and corporately with how God directs us through what the Holy Spirit inspired Paul to write some approximate 2000 years ago.
What are your thoughts? Where have congregations gone wrong and what can we do to bring about change? Why do you believe Paul made these “rules and regulations,” as one author labeled them.
Luke is a pastor-theologian living in northern California, serving as a co-lead pastor with his life, Dawn, at the Red Bluff Vineyard. Father of five amazing kids, when Luke isn’t hanging with his family, reading or writing theology, he moonlights as a fly fishing guide for Confluence Outfitters. He blogs regularly at LukeGeraty.com and regularly contributes to his YouTube channel.
Luke,
Your seven point summary of Paul’s regulations for the early churches worship is fantastic. It would appear that the sine quo non is point number two, “Everything must be understood by the majority.” We would do well to heed Paul’s advice here.
Far too often I have had conversations with well-meaning people who are more concerned about themselves during worship and outright neglect what is beneficial for the wider church. This is a problem that requires correction, though in a loving manner. At its very core is self-idolatry, which is sin. Secondly, as you noted, Paul explicitly prohibts such a practice.
Write the book, Luke. I will read it.
Bob Kauflin blogged a humorous summary of the Top Ten Ways to Write Bad Worship Songs awhile back. The top ten steps to writing bad worship was,
1. Aim to write the next worldwide worship hit.
2. Spend all your time working on the music, not the words.
3. Spend all your time working on the words, not the music.
4. Don’t consider the range and capabilities of the average human voice.
5. Never let anyone alter the way God originally gave your song to you.
6. Make sure the majority of your songs talk about what we do and feel rather than who God is and what he’s done.
7. Try to use as many Scriptural phrases as you can, and don’t worry about how they fit together.
8. Cover as many themes as possible.
9. Use phrases and words that are included in 95% of all worship songs.
10. Forget about Jesus and what he accomplished at the cross.
You should really read what he writes under each of the ten suggestions. The irony is hilarious!
Bob Kauflin blogged a humorous summary of the Top Ten Ways to Write Bad Worship Songs awhile back. The top ten steps to writing bad worship was,
1. Aim to write the next worldwide worship hit.
2. Spend all your time working on the music, not the words.
3. Spend all your time working on the words, not the music.
4. Don’t consider the range and capabilities of the average human voice.
5. Never let anyone alter the way God originally gave your song to you.
6. Make sure the majority of your songs talk about what we do and feel rather than who God is and what he’s done.
7. Try to use as many Scriptural phrases as you can, and don’t worry about how they fit together.
8. Cover as many themes as possible.
9. Use phrases and words that are included in 95% of all worship songs.
10. Forget about Jesus and what he accomplished at the cross.
You should really read what he writes under each of the ten suggestions. The irony is hilarious!
I have to send this link to our worship director! First seven insights on what a worship service should look like and then ten funny steps to writing bad worship. Thanks guys! Made my day!
I have to send this link to our worship director! First seven insights on what a worship service should look like and then ten funny steps to writing bad worship. Thanks guys! Made my day!
Shake me up and turn me around, Lord. Two words finally jumped out at me. Each one! (v.26) Are we still so dull? How can we, me, be so blind? This tells me that I should be prepared and have something to be ready to offer most every time we meet and so should everyone else, not just a few people. God is so good and if we ask I expect he will give us something to share every time we meet. It may be for one, a few or the whole body. Let’s ask! I’m inspired to encourage others by showing them these two words. As Jesus said, “It is written – Each One!” (1 Cor. 14:26)
Shake me up and turn me around, Lord. Two words finally jumped out at me. Each one! (v.26) Are we still so dull? How can we, me, be so blind? This tells me that I should be prepared and have something to be ready to offer most every time we meet and so should everyone else, not just a few people. God is so good and if we ask I expect he will give us something to share every time we meet. It may be for one, a few or the whole body. Let’s ask! I’m inspired to encourage others by showing them these two words. As Jesus said, “It is written – Each One!” (1 Cor. 14:26)
i’d like to see number 5 more in my church. it seems like three people do everything, and i mean everything.
i’d like to see number 5 more in my church. it seems like three people do everything, and i mean everything.
I have spent the last day thinking about this subject. As a professor of Pastoral Studies and Practical Theology, the issue of involvement is one that weighs heavy on my heart. I am afraid that we in the academy have done a far better job of creating a divide between the “professional” pastor and the typical Christian who sits in the pew.
As you noted, Tony, item number five is and should be a concern that we all share. Those who are sitting in the pews should be frustrated when they are unable or prevented from contributing and Pastors should be just as concerned when the congregation is happy with just sitting.
I’d like to think that this is changing, but to what extent is another concern. Some seem to be reacting to the problems and in turn create other problems. We treat symptoms rather than the actual problem.
What will it take to create a healthier synthesis between those whom God has gifted to lead and equip between those who are in the process of moving towards that maturity? I have not the answer apart from our need for the Holy Spirit to bring about another reformation.
Considering the problem,
William
I have spent the last day thinking about this subject. As a professor of Pastoral Studies and Practical Theology, the issue of involvement is one that weighs heavy on my heart. I am afraid that we in the academy have done a far better job of creating a divide between the “professional” pastor and the typical Christian who sits in the pew.
As you noted, Tony, item number five is and should be a concern that we all share. Those who are sitting in the pews should be frustrated when they are unable or prevented from contributing and Pastors should be just as concerned when the congregation is happy with just sitting.
I’d like to think that this is changing, but to what extent is another concern. Some seem to be reacting to the problems and in turn create other problems. We treat symptoms rather than the actual problem.
What will it take to create a healthier synthesis between those whom God has gifted to lead and equip between those who are in the process of moving towards that maturity? I have not the answer apart from our need for the Holy Spirit to bring about another reformation.
Considering the problem,
William
As to your concern about everyone participating…
There are many factors that need to “grow” into place and all affect the other in some way (& these are not in order):
1) The congregation as a whole needs to trust their church leaders. (please don’t take this to mean it in a “blind, cult sort of way.”) I mean real trust that they are praying and in communication with God’s will as much as possible. That way, the leaders are ready “in season” should something be said that is un-Biblical or against what the church believes. Or, to affirm what someone is saying.
2) If the congreagtion trusts the leadership and they are offered the freedom to share in their own way during the gathering, the congregation will feel more free to share what God has put on their hearts. Trusting the leadership goes along with this because they are also there to “protect & correct gently” if necessary.
3) The people have to be preparing for the gathering, of course. Preparation by staying close to God, in His Word, and in His presence throughout the week makes a big difference in your own perspective of expectations. It makes Sundays more of an event to look forward to, than just a few hours of “time” you must put in to make God happy.
4) Being prepared makes a big difference in whether a lot of people will share something. A lot of times, it’s scary to share something if you haven’t checked it out (especially if you are a perfectionist and easily embarrassed if you happen to possibly be wrong about something. ) If they trust the leaders, trust that God has given them this word, song, etc., and are prepared- what could hold them back? Not much!
I hope what I said makes some sense (I’m typing really fast because I gotta go!) All of these things grow by trial and error, just like learning how to walk- you gotta let go of the end table sometime, and more likely than not, you are gonna bump your booty a few times before you get the hang of it. But keep trying- you will be rewarded!
As to your concern about everyone participating…
There are many factors that need to “grow” into place and all affect the other in some way (& these are not in order):
1) The congregation as a whole needs to trust their church leaders. (please don’t take this to mean it in a “blind, cult sort of way.”) I mean real trust that they are praying and in communication with God’s will as much as possible. That way, the leaders are ready “in season” should something be said that is un-Biblical or against what the church believes. Or, to affirm what someone is saying.
2) If the congreagtion trusts the leadership and they are offered the freedom to share in their own way during the gathering, the congregation will feel more free to share what God has put on their hearts. Trusting the leadership goes along with this because they are also there to “protect & correct gently” if necessary.
3) The people have to be preparing for the gathering, of course. Preparation by staying close to God, in His Word, and in His presence throughout the week makes a big difference in your own perspective of expectations. It makes Sundays more of an event to look forward to, than just a few hours of “time” you must put in to make God happy.
4) Being prepared makes a big difference in whether a lot of people will share something. A lot of times, it’s scary to share something if you haven’t checked it out (especially if you are a perfectionist and easily embarrassed if you happen to possibly be wrong about something. ) If they trust the leaders, trust that God has given them this word, song, etc., and are prepared- what could hold them back? Not much!
I hope what I said makes some sense (I’m typing really fast because I gotta go!) All of these things grow by trial and error, just like learning how to walk- you gotta let go of the end table sometime, and more likely than not, you are gonna bump your booty a few times before you get the hang of it. But keep trying- you will be rewarded!
mrsdoemrx,
You’ve added more more challenges to me! Thank you! I am one of those ladies that doesn’t know how or when I should share what I believe the Lord has placed on my heart. Often times it is prayer, but our church does not allow for much outside of the pastor, worship leader, and a few deacons.
Even if we did have more opportunity, I’m pretty sure it would be difficult for me to be stretched to the point of sharing things in front of everyone! I’ll keep trying though! Thanks for what you just wrote though. It really hit home. This keeps getting better.
mrsdoemrx,
You’ve added more more challenges to me! Thank you! I am one of those ladies that doesn’t know how or when I should share what I believe the Lord has placed on my heart. Often times it is prayer, but our church does not allow for much outside of the pastor, worship leader, and a few deacons.
Even if we did have more opportunity, I’m pretty sure it would be difficult for me to be stretched to the point of sharing things in front of everyone! I’ll keep trying though! Thanks for what you just wrote though. It really hit home. This keeps getting better.
Before I make my point, let me just state that I too believe that more people need to be involved. It is a shame that the church has become focused upon a single man or a small group of people. Yet, what concerns me is how easy bad theology can spring up when everyone is allowed to give their two cents. Therefore, there must be a strong group of men providing solid theological correction when needed.
It would be a false notion to assume that you cannot have both.
Just a quick thought — The “bad theology” exists whether or not it is expressed. Only when it is expressed can it be corrected, like a teacher discovering that a student believes that 2+8 =16.
Before I make my point, let me just state that I too believe that more people need to be involved. It is a shame that the church has become focused upon a single man or a small group of people. Yet, what concerns me is how easy bad theology can spring up when everyone is allowed to give their two cents. Therefore, there must be a strong group of men providing solid theological correction when needed.
It would be a false notion to assume that you cannot have both.
Just a quick thought — The “bad theology” exists whether or not it is expressed. Only when it is expressed can it be corrected, like a teacher discovering that a student believes that 2+8 =16.
I like what mrsdoemrx said.
However, I also believe that a major part that serves to perpetuate the problem of the lack of participation by the congregation has to deal with the way that the church views the role of the pastor in ministry. Many Christians categorize people into 2 main categories: (1) those who Are in the ministry, and (2) those who Are Not in the ministry. They categorize people such as the pastor, elders, worship leaders, etc. as those who Are in the ministry; and categorize everyone else in the congregation (themselves included) as those who Are Not in the ministry; thus they leave all of the ministry-related activities to those who are supposedly the ones who are in the ministry. Religious institutions such as Bible colleges and seminaries play a fundamental part in perpetuating this idea, by acting as the doorway through which all people desiring to be certified for work in the ministry must enter; in other words, a person’s ability to be in the ministry is based upon the level of education that they have received. Is this idea Biblical? Acts 4:13 says the following:
“Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus.”—Acts 4:13
What’s interesting about this verse is that it says that they were uneducated and untrained, which appears to contradict the philosophy that Bible colleges and seminaries operate on. While it is important that Christians rightly divide the word of truth, we must remember that God equips the called, not calls the ones that we equip.
Song of Solomon 1:6 says the following:
“Do not look upon me because I am dark, Because the sun has tanned me. My mother’s sons were angry with me; thy made me the keeper of the vineyards, but my own vineyard I have not kept.”—Song of Solomon 1:6 (KJV)
“My mother’s sons” is another way of saying ‘my brothers. The Bible talks about fellow believers being ‘brothers and sisters in Christ.’ The term “vineyard” is used interchangeably with the word “ministry” in many Bible passages such as the Parable of the Tenants in Mark 12:1-12. Substituting “ministry” in place of the term “vineyard,” we get the following:
“Do not look upon me because I am dark, because the sun has tanned me. My mother’s sons were angry with me; they made me the keeper of the (ministries), but my own (ministry) I have not kept.”
Are there different types of ministries besides that of the pastor or worship leaders? Exodus 35:30-33; 36:1 says something rather interesting about this subject:
“… See, the Lord has called by name Bezalel …and He has filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom and understanding, in all manner of workmanship, to design artistic works, to work in gold and silver and bronze, in cutting jewels for setting, in carving wood, and to work in all manner of workmanship…and Bezalel and Aholiab, and every gifted artisan in whom the Lord has put wisdom and understanding, to know how to do all manner of work for the service of the sanctuary shall do according to all that the Lord has commanded. –Exodus 35:30-33; 36:1
If we consider ministry as being called by God to serve Him with the abilities that he has equipped us with, then we could say that Bezalel was in the ministry—as a jeweler! Even though he didn’t serve as part of the Levitical priesthood, he was still in the ministry!
If we can’t identify those meant for the task of church leadership according to the level of education that they have received, then how are we to identify those whom God has given the task of church leadership? Jeff Van Vonderen, in his book “The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse,” says the following about recognizing true spiritual authority in the church:
In Israel, the criteria for leadership and authority was based on three things. The first criterion was age: you had to be old. Second, gender: you had to be male. And third, race: you had to be Hebrew….In the New Covenant, then, we see that Jesus established a new basis of authority. It was no longer age, gender, or race. It is now based on the evidence of the Holy Spirit within you. Attributes like maturity, wisdom, genuine holiness, and real knowledge are required in order to evidence Jesus’ brand of authority. “Because I said so” does not work anymore….So if my basis for authority is solely that I hold an office, I have a false basis of authority….Moses clearly demonstrated the authority of one who had come to know god through a personal relationship. In fact, it was his very authority that the scribes were presuming for themselves. Moses was to them the authority. But even his authority wasn’t his….His authority came from the fact that he truthfully and clearly told the people exactly what god told him. If God had given him something to say and moses had turned it around, somehow making it different, he would not have had authority….It means that the authority was in the truth, not in Moses.
As I said, I like what he has to say here.
I like what mrsdoemrx said.
However, I also believe that a major part that serves to perpetuate the problem of the lack of participation by the congregation has to deal with the way that the church views the role of the pastor in ministry. Many Christians categorize people into 2 main categories: (1) those who Are in the ministry, and (2) those who Are Not in the ministry. They categorize people such as the pastor, elders, worship leaders, etc. as those who Are in the ministry; and categorize everyone else in the congregation (themselves included) as those who Are Not in the ministry; thus they leave all of the ministry-related activities to those who are supposedly the ones who are in the ministry. Religious institutions such as Bible colleges and seminaries play a fundamental part in perpetuating this idea, by acting as the doorway through which all people desiring to be certified for work in the ministry must enter; in other words, a person’s ability to be in the ministry is based upon the level of education that they have received. Is this idea Biblical? Acts 4:13 says the following:
“Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus.”—Acts 4:13
What’s interesting about this verse is that it says that they were uneducated and untrained, which appears to contradict the philosophy that Bible colleges and seminaries operate on. While it is important that Christians rightly divide the word of truth, we must remember that God equips the called, not calls the ones that we equip.
Song of Solomon 1:6 says the following:
“Do not look upon me because I am dark, Because the sun has tanned me. My mother’s sons were angry with me; thy made me the keeper of the vineyards, but my own vineyard I have not kept.”—Song of Solomon 1:6 (KJV)
“My mother’s sons” is another way of saying ‘my brothers. The Bible talks about fellow believers being ‘brothers and sisters in Christ.’ The term “vineyard” is used interchangeably with the word “ministry” in many Bible passages such as the Parable of the Tenants in Mark 12:1-12. Substituting “ministry” in place of the term “vineyard,” we get the following:
“Do not look upon me because I am dark, because the sun has tanned me. My mother’s sons were angry with me; they made me the keeper of the (ministries), but my own (ministry) I have not kept.”
Are there different types of ministries besides that of the pastor or worship leaders? Exodus 35:30-33; 36:1 says something rather interesting about this subject:
“… See, the Lord has called by name Bezalel …and He has filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom and understanding, in all manner of workmanship, to design artistic works, to work in gold and silver and bronze, in cutting jewels for setting, in carving wood, and to work in all manner of workmanship…and Bezalel and Aholiab, and every gifted artisan in whom the Lord has put wisdom and understanding, to know how to do all manner of work for the service of the sanctuary shall do according to all that the Lord has commanded. –Exodus 35:30-33; 36:1
If we consider ministry as being called by God to serve Him with the abilities that he has equipped us with, then we could say that Bezalel was in the ministry—as a jeweler! Even though he didn’t serve as part of the Levitical priesthood, he was still in the ministry!
If we can’t identify those meant for the task of church leadership according to the level of education that they have received, then how are we to identify those whom God has given the task of church leadership? Jeff Van Vonderen, in his book “The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse,” says the following about recognizing true spiritual authority in the church:
In Israel, the criteria for leadership and authority was based on three things. The first criterion was age: you had to be old. Second, gender: you had to be male. And third, race: you had to be Hebrew….In the New Covenant, then, we see that Jesus established a new basis of authority. It was no longer age, gender, or race. It is now based on the evidence of the Holy Spirit within you. Attributes like maturity, wisdom, genuine holiness, and real knowledge are required in order to evidence Jesus’ brand of authority. “Because I said so” does not work anymore….So if my basis for authority is solely that I hold an office, I have a false basis of authority….Moses clearly demonstrated the authority of one who had come to know god through a personal relationship. In fact, it was his very authority that the scribes were presuming for themselves. Moses was to them the authority. But even his authority wasn’t his….His authority came from the fact that he truthfully and clearly told the people exactly what god told him. If God had given him something to say and moses had turned it around, somehow making it different, he would not have had authority….It means that the authority was in the truth, not in Moses.
As I said, I like what he has to say here.
HebrewScholar, I like what you said about people categorizing everyone into those who ARE in ministry and those who ARE NOT. That is too true!
Another thing I have noticed, in my experience, is that even when people want to participate in a church service, it is often either not encouraged/permitted by the leadership, or is confined to only certain types of contributions. For example, a typical Catholic or Lutheran church would only permit contributions in the form of standing, sitting, kneeling, and reciting or singing rote phrases. A Minnesota-type Baptist church would encourage warm, joyous facial expressions while singing the worship songs, but would not approve shouting or jumping or anything too demonstrative. (This is unlike Southern Baptist, which is its own category, lol.) Throwing out commentary during the sermon or standing to “deliver a message from the LORD” would be frowned upon at many churches.
Even pentecostal/charismatic churches that encourage exuberant worship are often very specific about what sort of participation is allowed outside of worship time. Most of them take a “sit down and shut up” approach, except for the occasional word of prophecy or something.
I have been to only a handful of places that attempt to encourage more participation from the “audience”, placing the congregation in a position of “valued member of the body of Christ” rather than “observer of clergy/church leadership over the body”.
HebrewScholar, I like what you said about people categorizing everyone into those who ARE in ministry and those who ARE NOT. That is too true!
Another thing I have noticed, in my experience, is that even when people want to participate in a church service, it is often either not encouraged/permitted by the leadership, or is confined to only certain types of contributions. For example, a typical Catholic or Lutheran church would only permit contributions in the form of standing, sitting, kneeling, and reciting or singing rote phrases. A Minnesota-type Baptist church would encourage warm, joyous facial expressions while singing the worship songs, but would not approve shouting or jumping or anything too demonstrative. (This is unlike Southern Baptist, which is its own category, lol.) Throwing out commentary during the sermon or standing to “deliver a message from the LORD” would be frowned upon at many churches.
Even pentecostal/charismatic churches that encourage exuberant worship are often very specific about what sort of participation is allowed outside of worship time. Most of them take a “sit down and shut up” approach, except for the occasional word of prophecy or something.
I have been to only a handful of places that attempt to encourage more participation from the “audience”, placing the congregation in a position of “valued member of the body of Christ” rather than “observer of clergy/church leadership over the body”.
the problem is people think they are the audience and not the Body of Christ. this leads to people just watching. great post. another blog mentioned this site and I’m hooked. thanks.
the problem is people think they are the audience and not the Body of Christ. this leads to people just watching. great post. another blog mentioned this site and I’m hooked. thanks.
Yeah, Luke is Da Bomb! 😉 (Did you get your name from the movie, or….)
Yeah, Luke is Da Bomb! 😉 (Did you get your name from the movie, or….)
do you know him?
yes, will smith’s character is phenomenal in that movie. not to mention i believe certain legends about a certain man named Jesus. only i don’t think its a legend.
i’m dum. sorry.
do you know him?
yes, will smith’s character is phenomenal in that movie. not to mention i believe certain legends about a certain man named Jesus. only i don’t think its a legend.
i’m dum. sorry.
I’d like to listen to him preach some time. If he’s as interesting on Sunday mornings as he is on his blog than I’d enjoy it!
I’d like to listen to him preach some time. If he’s as interesting on Sunday mornings as he is on his blog than I’d enjoy it!
Luke, what are your thoughts regarding the house church movement? From what I’ve read and heard they seem to maintain many of the same distinctives that you find. Do you have any thoughts you’d care to share?
Luke, what are your thoughts regarding the house church movement? From what I’ve read and heard they seem to maintain many of the same distinctives that you find. Do you have any thoughts you’d care to share?
Every church should have this as a set of guidelines! Tremendously helpful.
Every church should have this as a set of guidelines! Tremendously helpful.
This really is an excellent commentary helping along the dialog between the 1st Century church and the 21st Century participants.
As too #5, I couldn’t help but notice some of the comments about the restrictive numbers of people in congregations who are “doing the stuff” of orchestration and leading. I think that as long as there is opportunity for member participation in corporate worship as in everyone sing along, or in service such as altar work, prayer teams, ushers, the “all” clause is fulfilled. In order to participate in increasing ways of importance like bringing a prophetic word forward for consideration, there needs to be solid relational connections built with the leadership.
This really is an excellent commentary helping along the dialog between the 1st Century church and the 21st Century participants.
As too #5, I couldn’t help but notice some of the comments about the restrictive numbers of people in congregations who are “doing the stuff” of orchestration and leading. I think that as long as there is opportunity for member participation in corporate worship as in everyone sing along, or in service such as altar work, prayer teams, ushers, the “all” clause is fulfilled. In order to participate in increasing ways of importance like bringing a prophetic word forward for consideration, there needs to be solid relational connections built with the leadership.
revbolin, thanks for your comments. I completely agree about the need for “solid relational connections built with the leadership.” Very wise advice.
Over the years I’ve noticed that the more “solid” or “mature” prophetic people generally sought to develop relationships with church leaders, while the more “flaky” people who claimed to be “prophetic” generally wanted to be on their own, with no accountability.
But there’s a lot of wisdom in relational connections! It makes receiving the word easier and judging the word, lovingly, easier as well.
Dr. Glazer, I never responded to your question about house churches. I apologize. I may write a blog post in the near future on the subject. For now, I’ll simply say that I love house churches that are biblical and I am annoyed by some of the more extreme people in this movement too. There’s some good and some bad. Thankfully, there’s been a lot more stability in the past ten years, as I’m sure you well know! I love the work of The Crowded House. I can’t recommend it enough! And everyone should be required to read Total Church, which summarizes their theological and missional convictions!
Look forward to reading more…
revbolin, thanks for your comments. I completely agree about the need for “solid relational connections built with the leadership.” Very wise advice.
Over the years I’ve noticed that the more “solid” or “mature” prophetic people generally sought to develop relationships with church leaders, while the more “flaky” people who claimed to be “prophetic” generally wanted to be on their own, with no accountability.
But there’s a lot of wisdom in relational connections! It makes receiving the word easier and judging the word, lovingly, easier as well.
Dr. Glazer, I never responded to your question about house churches. I apologize. I may write a blog post in the near future on the subject. For now, I’ll simply say that I love house churches that are biblical and I am annoyed by some of the more extreme people in this movement too. There’s some good and some bad. Thankfully, there’s been a lot more stability in the past ten years, as I’m sure you well know! I love the work of The Crowded House. I can’t recommend it enough! And everyone should be required to read Total Church, which summarizes their theological and missional convictions!
Look forward to reading more…
Having re-read this today, my attention was caught by #3, the need for balance. Also, I was thinking about the fact that we oftentimes define “participate” as either “stand/sit/sing” or “walk up to the microphone and say something”. However, I think there is a deeper sense of participation that may be lacking in many congregations. That is the participation you find when the service isn’t actually “going” at the moment. If there is a time to gather with the believers before the service or after the service (or even during the hand-shaking time in the midst of the service), a lot of ministry can be happening then between the members of the congregation. A hug, smile, “how are you” and wait for the answer, maybe offering to pray for someone who has a headache or a cold or is having a bad day, etc…all these can be “participation” because they are accomplishing God’s purposes.
I would love to encourage ALL believers everywhere to go to their congregational gathering with the desire to worship God by encouraging their fellow believers and other church attenders. God may not call each of us to participate in the service by standing at the microphone to deliver a word of prophecy or lay hands on someone to perform miraculous healings or deliver a sermon or lead the music ministry, but God can and does call each of us to participate in the worship service by encouraging each other to love Him, believe Him, follow Him. (And an even more radical thought…that doesn’t have to stop when you walk out the door of the church, either! How about calling someone who missed that service to say you noticed they were gone, or get together for coffee with that busy mom, or drop by someone’s house when you’re walking by, just to say hi.)
Having re-read this today, my attention was caught by #3, the need for balance. Also, I was thinking about the fact that we oftentimes define “participate” as either “stand/sit/sing” or “walk up to the microphone and say something”. However, I think there is a deeper sense of participation that may be lacking in many congregations. That is the participation you find when the service isn’t actually “going” at the moment. If there is a time to gather with the believers before the service or after the service (or even during the hand-shaking time in the midst of the service), a lot of ministry can be happening then between the members of the congregation. A hug, smile, “how are you” and wait for the answer, maybe offering to pray for someone who has a headache or a cold or is having a bad day, etc…all these can be “participation” because they are accomplishing God’s purposes.
I would love to encourage ALL believers everywhere to go to their congregational gathering with the desire to worship God by encouraging their fellow believers and other church attenders. God may not call each of us to participate in the service by standing at the microphone to deliver a word of prophecy or lay hands on someone to perform miraculous healings or deliver a sermon or lead the music ministry, but God can and does call each of us to participate in the worship service by encouraging each other to love Him, believe Him, follow Him. (And an even more radical thought…that doesn’t have to stop when you walk out the door of the church, either! How about calling someone who missed that service to say you noticed they were gone, or get together for coffee with that busy mom, or drop by someone’s house when you’re walking by, just to say hi.)