Today was much of the best that gatherings modeled on New Testament gatherings, which disdain evangelico-Christendom traditions, have to offer.
We avoid worship wars by expecting that everyone will have a hymn for the body and that the gathering will join enthusiastically in singing it. Yesterday we sang music from the 1700s, 1800s, 1900s and 2000s. No one begrudged a brother or sister their musical passion.
Everyone led to pray aloud prayed aloud. I didn't have us on a stopwatch but the last time I noted, prayer time had extended more than twenty inspiring minutes.
Keeping with the New Testament model, there was no sermon in which everyone else passively consumes the spiritual wisdom of one person. On this occasion, we noted the surface contradiction between Matthew 5:16 and 6:1. The wisdom and spiritual struggles that torment many of us contributed to a blending of the wisdom of the group.
As we explored the truth together, I realized that no single "preacher" could have edified us all as effectively as we all edified each other. (1 Cor. 14:26)
It saddens me that so few have the sort of experience we now take for granted.
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