Two Recent Conversations (and a Lot of Thought)
I’ve had a couple of conversations fairly recently that, in some ways, seem to be totally unrelated. The more that I’ve thought about them, though, I’m thinking that there might be more of a connection than is readily apparent.
On a recent Sunday morning, Donna was doing what she normally does before our period of worship begins. She was “making the rounds” to try to greet those who were visiting, having short conversations with some of our members, etc.
I had finished “my rounds” (or at least had stopped when I realized that it was about time for the announcements before our worship to be made). As I was waiting for her to join me on our “normal pew,” I joked to some of the people around me that I was waiting for her to talk to all of her fan club before she took her seat. One of the ladies who heard me say that told me that – and these are her words – “fellowship is the sixth item of worship.”
As I thought about what she said, my mind almost immediately went back to a conversation that took place before that Sunday morning. On the preceding evening, Donna and I, along with some others, had returned from Central’s congregational/family retreat. The retreat actually went through Sunday morning, but we came home on Saturday afternoon/evening in order for me to teach a class on Sunday morning. (Age may have had something to do with that, too!)
Some of our college students had come back to western Kentucky to be with us at the retreat and had brought some friends with them. They and some of our members stayed long enough to worship on Sunday morning at the retreat before returning back to college or back home.
One of those friends who came to the retreat with our college students was our grandson’s roommate. He and I had (and took advantage of) the opportunity to spend some time together. Somewhere in the conversation we had he started talking about how his family dealt with all of the restrictions caused by Covid in 2020. I may not remember some of the details of what he told me exactly correctly, but I think I remember the gist of what happened.
Apparently, his family grew tired of the increasing isolation they felt as they were the only ones who worshiped together. Their solution was to start inviting a few of their spiritual brothers and sisters (and maybe some others) to their yard for worship. As I remember the conversation, our grandson’s roommate said that they did all that they would have done if they had been in the church building where they normally worshiped. In some ways, the “venue” was the only thing that changed. In at least one other way, something else changed. In my opinion, that one thing was interesting and significant.
According to my young brother, something took place in that yard that may not typically take place in far too many church buildings. What took place sounds to me a lot like that “sixth item of worship” that the sister at Central mentioned. The way I remember how this young man expressed what happened in that yard is that “we did life together.”
As he continued to talk, he mentioned serious conversations, sharing of burdens, discussing sometimes fairly (or very) personal issues, struggles, and basically getting to know one another on a deeper level than had previously been the case. He then added words which I may not quote exactly, but I think I’m fairly close:
“To me, that sounds a lot like first century Christianity.”
I think that this young man made a fair and very important point. As I read the New Testament and learn about worship in the first century, I do not get the idea it consisted of a group of relative strangers meeting together for a set amount of time for the sole purpose of meeting “membership requirements/expectations.”
I’m quite certain that they did much more than “check boxes” to make sure that every item of worship was completed. I’m pretty sure that they would also not have “checked the clock” if one even existed. Instead of something that might appear to be “institutionalized,” I think that a more accurate picture would be one of a regular assembly of members of a family which loved “doing life together.”
Please allow me to try to prayerfully and carefully explain what I mean. I am, in no way, among those who want to change or ignore what God has authorized what is to be done by His people as they (we) seek to worship Him. We might quibble over whether to call what we are authorized and expected to do as “items” of worship, “avenues” of worship, or maybe some other term, but each thing we do is important to God and should be important to us.
Maybe I can try to explain what I am thinking by starting with an analogy. Almost every family of which I am aware of has certain “requirements” for a holiday meal. Changes in the menu are not allowed. Any changes would be rejected immediately. I think that you understand what I mean by that. It could be said, I suppose, that Thanksgiving wouldn’t be Thanksgiving if a certain entree, dessert, or whatever was not served. In fact, Thanksgiving might not be Thanksgiving if certain things were not done in a particular way.
For many, if not most, families, a big part of what makes Thanksgiving (or any other holiday) special has to do with recipes and rituals. As important as those things may be, those special days are not made special only because of them.
It would not be even close to the same experience if we ate the same things and did the same things with strangers or people we barely know. What enhances those special days is another “r word” – relationships.
It seems to me that this should also be true as a “church family” assembles to worship. As important as it is to follow God’s instructions concerning our worship, we should also never lose sight of the importance of “…the tie that binds our hearts in Christian love…”
I am thankful for those two conversations and for the thinking that they have caused me to do. Maybe you will want to ask yourself something I’ve been asking myself:
As I wake up on the Lord’s day and prepare to worship with His people, am I preparing for a cold, formal event with people I barely know (if I know them at all) or am I looking forward to getting together with people with whom I have a real family relationship in order to express my/our love and devotion to the One who allows us to have that relationship?
To me, that second option makes me think that, while there is really not a verse in the New Testament that specifically mentions a sixth item of worship, fellowship is, indeed, a vital component of first century Christianity.
AUTHOR: Jim Faughn
