When you gather for worship

So here's what I want you to do. When you gather for worship, each one of you be prepared with something that will be useful for all: Sing a hymn, teach a lesson, tell a story, lead a prayer, provide an insight. If prayers are offered in tongues, two or three's the limit, and then only if someone is present who can interpret what you're saying.
1 Corinthians 14:26-7

Participative church, not a one or two person show. I know that this passage is descriptive as are passages that show the Apostles preaching or teaching. But, because of the Corinthian letters, we have a glimpse of what early church life could be like, perhaps should be like, and shouldn't be like in their naughtiness.

Also the early church was in a cultural context, perhaps much more community oriented than ours. The question is, does communal church facilitate growth in Christ or is the Greek/Western classroom, lecture style church more facilitative? I think that there's no question that communal style is better for the whole. Classrooms serve a purpose for classes, for the part that needs educating. But I also think that the classroom by itself is a very poor way to learn. I think that classroom teaching needs to be combined with coaching, mentoring, tutoring, and/or discipling.

Perhaps the Corinthians didn't have order or direction in their gatherings and Paul gave them some direction. What was good for them is probably good for us, don't you think? Did you know that the sermon is pretty much a tradition that was brought into the church around the second century by the Greek orators & thinkers who were getting saved?

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