Church Life – My Mouth Is For …

Just reflecting on some church meeting experiences I’ve had and it’s interesting to see what the purpose of people’s mouths are during the meeting.

Typically the mouth is used for singing, benediction and the occasional ‘amen’ sprinkled here and there. In some more exciteable types, the mouth can be used to ‘praise the Lord’ from time to time, which can resemble a busy market scene of salespeople doing the equivalent of sales lingo including ‘hallelujah’ and the ever original ‘praise the Lord’. Then there are the charismaniacs who give license in some cases for hyping ‘tongues’ which may sound even worse than the cattle market for all the incoherent babbling that causes emotional fervour but little else especially as gauged by actual transformed life before, during and after.

I am not mocking traditional, pentecostal and charismatic traditions. They have much to offer and are a vital part of who I am and who I know God to be by His Son, through His Holy Spirit. I am grateful for the time I spend with brothers and sisters in these places in the wondrous and beautiful Christian spectrum.

What amuses, bemuses and saddens me is the type of congregational input and use of the mouth as recommended on places like 1 Corinthians 14, where everyone is expected to come with something to share with everyone so all are built up in knowing and living for Jesus. It is sad to think of the riches of Christ present in His body that lies dormant as the chosen few in the structured spots ‘do their thing’ as the service goes through in its usual routine. It is sad to think of the sister with the incredible testimony of God’s provision that week who will never be given the opportunity to share it because of the important ongoing sermon series on some crucial contemporary issue. It is sad to think of the brother who has seen God work miraculously in a workplace scenario overlooked because he is not the chosen speaker of the day. It is sad and it appears to be the norm that’s accepted in so many gatherings of God’s people, so that the brother and sister and brothers and sisters like them with similar stories, insights, songs and contributions from scripture and life in the spirit that takes us into a richer, deepr and even more grace-filled apprciation of Jesus Christ.

For His Name’s Sake

Shalom

dmcd