Comments on: ASSEMBLY

By: Testing Religion « Whitticisms

Testing Religion « Whitticisms — Sat, 05 Jan 2008 16:00:37 +0000

[...] a group seeking to be just Christians only and gather with them for encouragement and Bible study (see my article on Assembly). They won’t be perfect, but neither am I or you. Are they seeking to apply these four tests? [...]

By: Warren

Warren — Sat, 29 Dec 2007 02:01:26 +0000

Our use of the term “worship service” has contributed to the problem. Many translations contribute to the problem by using headings that include “worship” when the text only refers to assemblies. Not only is this unbiblical usage, but it places the emphasis on the vertical (praise of God) over the horizontal (encouraging one another) when the New Testament emphasis is clearly the other way around. But we find it easier to “worship” God for one hour per week than to offer sacrificial, holy and pleasing lives to God 24/7 which the New Testament defines as “your spiritual act of worship” (Romans 12:1). So rather than promote transformed living as the way to worship “in spirit and truth” (John 4:23-24) we fuss about the “true” way to conduct our assemblies and how we might make them a more “spiritual” experience by improving the performance.

By: Brandon

Brandon — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 07:48:30 +0000

All I can say is, Amen!

By: Tucker

Tucker — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 05:27:53 +0000

You hit on a point that is very dear to my heart. Too many times I walk away from the assembly feeling like I fulfilled my ritualistic duties to God. I don’t feel encouraged or loved. Mike Root is his book Spilt Grape Juice expounded upon your points. I am starting to see that the church is beginning to grasp these concepts and yet not finding a way to do them. I predict that the church in the future is going to look different and act different. I must admit, I feel more encouraged and more loved during our small classroom discussions and bible study than I do in the actual assembly time. I think it is because I spend too much time prejudging why people are there in the first place. It is like they are there to get their ticket punched to earn Gods approval. Maybe it is time to take a deeper look at the real reasons why we come together. Evangelism is to take place everywhere and that means mainly outside the building.

By: Zack Blaisdell

Zack Blaisdell — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 19:50:05 +0000

Dwight,
Well said! I completely agree with you here. When Christians assemble on Sundays and Wednesdays it should be to encourage each other to persevere and “keep on keeping on”. You are right in saying that it is not for the purpose of evangelism. It is to be like a good speach by a coach before a big game and/or half time talk. It’s to rally the everyone together and say say, “alright! now go get em!”.
I’m about to read a book called A Gathered People. It sounds like it will talk about this very thing. Have you read it? Also there is a trilogy of books by Mike Root about the worship of the church (in no certain order: Spilt Grape Juice, Broken Bread, and another one I can’t recall).
Thank you for this thought provoking and well written article! Be blessed!