Dying For One Hour
I’m not a big fan of “doing church”…at least not the way we’ve done it for the past 30+ years. I’ve been in the Church of Christ my whole life. Although frustrated with my fellowship/denomination (as reflected in many of my posts) over the years, I love the church and will continue to teach what I believe to be God’s truth concerning the church. That being said, I think we’ve missed so much regarding the assembly.
We seem to have the impression that God has sanctioned what we do on Sunday mornings as sacred and the scriptural way of “doing church.” Who are we kidding? Does anyone really believe that the way we conduct our assemblies is anything remotely like the way the 1st century church did it? Does anyone really believe that God expects us to pattern our assemblies exactly like those in the 1st century? Can anyone even find a church assembly in the New Testament that looks anything like what we do on Sunday mornings?
In our noble quest to be accurate with the Bible and in our attempts to get our doctrine correct, we have missed the boat on the nature of the church assembly. Many today expect the Sunday assembly to look like it did in the 1st century. What they actually mean, however, is that it look like it did 40-50 years ago. Those same people don’t realize that the assemblies of 40-50 years ago don’t look like the assemblies from 40-50 years prior to that! What many want today is for the assembly to look like it did when they were growing up. It boils down to what they’re comfortable with. It’s not a matter of scripture at all! There is no scripture authorizing what a Sunday assembly of Christians should look like!!
As to doctrine, I’m proud of our attempts to “get it right.” But how much do we have to get right? What if we get it all right except one little doctrinal matter? Will God say, “Oh, sorry! You almost made it?” We CAN’T do it all right! Isn’t that why grace abounds in Christ? So why do we think we have to have it all right regarding the assembly? Do we really think that Christ died for our one hour on Sunday mornings? The way we fuss, fight, and divide over that one hour–one would think so. Most of the issues my fellowship has divided over revolve around what goes on in the Sunday morning assembly.
It’s sad, frustrating, and discouraging. We must teach our young differently than we have in the past, or we’ll continue to divide and splinter until we’ve fragmented ourselves out of existence! Jesus didn’t go to the cross for our one hour on Sunday mornings! He went to the cross to redeem us from all our screw-ups–Sunday through Saturday.
I agree Mark. We act like there are no aesthetic decisions to be made concerning the assembly, only the right or wrong way. But what if the assembly were about more than “getting it right.” Doesn’t that assume that we can even do an assembly right. I’m not for copping out on doing our best, but isn’t church about more than our performance?
Indeed. With little description of a 1st century assembly, it makes sense to assume that HOW we assemble is not a matter of fellowship with God or man. God just wants his people to be in communion with him and with one another. The church has made WAY too much out of the assembly and what goes on during our “sacred one hour.”
Good points, my question is a simple one. Where do we get the picture of God as a mean, ugly god waiting to let us have it at the first appearance of a srew up. If that was really God then why did he send Jesus?
Let me start with the premise that I COMPLETELY agree with you, and will take it one step further that we are called to live out every breath in worship to God!
However, my major concern is that our corporate worship is intended to be a joining of hearts and minds in praise to God. However, there are those who want to turn it into a feel-good hour of entertainment and self gratification. I am not against any form of corporate worship so long as it is not designed to call attention to ourselves. I have “worshiped” in several different and very distinct countries and cultures, and only the “worship services” back home felt anything like what I envision my grandparents having participated in. But I firmly believe that each and every one of them was acceptable to God. There are so many cultural influences today that were not in existence in the 1st century, but that does not in and of itself make them wrong.
But I agree with Martin Luther and other religious leaders along that way that cautioned against change simply for the sake of change. Specifically, Martin Luther warned against the introduction of the instrument, which, for many, has not become the focus of worship as opposed to an instrument of worship.
In all honesty, though, I believe that there is such a division in the churches because Satan wants it that way! Anything that Satan can use to divide us, he wills. He knows the scriptures better than we ever could, and he understands what the teacher said in Ecc 4:12 “Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” And he knows that the more we divide over petty things like this, the more easily we can be overtaken in the things are mean something.
Just my opinion, I could be wrong!