I'm assuming that you gather with your church family tomorrow - which happens to be Sunday. Even if you don't, this post still applies. Below are some questions you may want to ask yourself as you think about your gatherings. I've been asking myself these same questions:Why do we gather together? What is the purpose?
What am I doing to live out the purpose of our gatherings?
What am I doing to prepare for our gatherings?
If I am generally passive during our gatherings, why is this the case? What can I do to change it? Should I change it?
As we gather, am I using my spiritual gifts to build up the body?
Am I encouraged by others to use my spiritual gifts as we gather?
What are the primary things that happen as we gather? Why do we do these things?
What attitude should I have toward others as we gather?
Are many people encouraged to speak as we gather or is it only a few?
If it is many, what does this look like? Does it need to change to be more biblical? If so, how?
If only a few are encouraged or allowed to speak, why is this the case? Who gets to speak? Why?
What would happen if I tried to speak during our gatherings? Would this edify the body? Would I face resistance?
What does the structure and architecture of our gathering place say about what is important to us?
If we sit as we gather, what does the arrangement look like? Why?
What is expected of children as we gather? Do they remain with us, or do we place them somewhere else?
What am I expected to wear to our gatherings? What would happen if I deviated from this?
Do we partake of the Lord's Supper as we gather? Why or why not?
Do we celebrate the Lord's Supper as a full meal? Why or why not?
What songs do we sing and why?
Do we read scripture? Who selects what we read? Why do we read those particular passages?
Do we pray together? Who prays aloud and why?
Is there room for spontaneity in our gatherings? If so, how can this be orderly and edifying? If not, what is the reason given?
Are our gatherings actually ceremonies? If so, why?
Is there preaching/teaching? If so, who does this? Is it one person or many?
What do the pastors do during our gatherings? Do they do different things from what the rest of the church family does? Why?
Do we collect a weekly offering? If so, why? If we tithe, can we support this biblically?
How do our gatherings follow the biblical model?
How do our gatherings differ from the biblical model?
Should our gatherings follow the biblical model? If yes, why? If no, why?
How can we be more biblical in our gatherings?
2 comments:
Eric,
Good questions. I have followed a bit your thoughts here on your blog about texts in the Bible being either prescriptive or descriptive, and how you divide that out. Personally, I don't think everything is prescriptive. A lot of what we see is colored by culture and context. There are some (perhaps many) aspects about church life in which I believe the Lord leaves it up to us as His followers to use our sanctified intelligence and common sense to "connect the dots" and apply biblical principles to our particular context.
I believe the study of group dynamics has a lot to contribute toward the search for the best answer to a lot of the questions you ask.
I hate to keep posting links to my own posts here, but I believe what I wrote here speaks more relevantly to the questions you pose here than what I could write within the limits of a shorter comment:
http://www.sbcimpact.net/2008/09/05/group-dynamics-and-church/
I'd be interested in any response you might have.
David,
Thank you for your input. I appreciate your thoughts.
As for the prescriptive/descriptive issue, I don't think everything is prescriptive either, although I admit that my posts of late have certainly leaned in that direction. I suppose what has happened is that I am starting to ask questions that lead to the conclusion that much more in the NT is prescriptive than I ever thought before.
Thank you for the link. I'll read your post within the next few days.
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