“Order in the court”

By Rev. Michael Stonhouse

Meditation – Tuesday, April 5, 2022

1 Corinthians 14:20-33a, 39-40 (Forward, p. 66) CEV p. 1201

It is a staple, an expectation, of a court of law, though not in the House of Commons and many other elected assemblies, that there should be order in the court. The same expectation, the apostle Paul says, should also reign within a service of worship. And yet within the Pentecostal type worship style of much of what went on in the Corinthian church this did not always seem to be the case. Accordingly, Paul feels that he needs to lay down some guidelines, some principles to follow:

a) Firstly, prophecy vs. speaking in tongues. Here I found vs. 22 and 23-25 to be seemingly contradictory, at least at first. Verse 22, in the

Contemporary English Version (CEV), says that tongues are for unbelievers but not for believers, while prophesy is for the believers and not for unbelievers. But then verses 23-25 seem to say the opposite, namely that prophesy will serve to convict the unbeliever and lead to he or she coming to faith.

However, some other translations appeared to shed a different light on this. The Authorized Version (KJV) says that tongues would be a ‘sign’ to the unbeliever, as indeed it would. Someone speaking in a language that the unbeliever did not understand would certainly pique his or her attention. And if it ‘happened’ to be one of those unusual and truly remarkable occasions when the ‘tongue’ was that newcomer’s native language, it would have been even more riveting.

Indeed, as the Good News Bible says, it would serve as ‘proof’ that God was present and at work here.

b) Secondly, orderly speech in general. Here Paul offers some suggestions. When it comes to public worship, many varying people can take part, with each of them contributing something, a hymn, a teaching, a revelation from God, a message in tongues and an interpretation of that message. Indeed, he says that if there is a public utterance in tongues, it should be kept to a minimum—two or three at most—with an interpretation in each case. No interpretation, no tongue.

And, in the case of prophesy, the utterance should be completely under the speaker’s control—no crazy sounding, ecstatic or out of control business here--and others in the assembly should monitor or pass judgment on it, probably for orthodoxy or adherence to the faith as revealed in Christ and in the Scriptures.

Furthermore, prophets should share the podium with others should other people also have a message from God. All in all, the purpose of these proceedings is that everyone there might learn, be encouraged and be built up in their faith.

The overlying principle is all this is that public worship should be something of harmony and peace, rather than confusion and disorder.

So, how is this principle to be applied in public worship today? I’m afraid that the answer must needs be flexible enough to be applied differently in various situations. I would guess that it needs to be tailor-made to each group and culture. With a High Church Anglican congregation, it would be most certainly applied differently than to a Southern Baptist or Pentecostal one. And varied greatly from the staid stiff-upper-lip British to the seemingly or exuberant Caribbean or African style of worship. And, of course, it might not ‘just’ have to do with culture, but also with the ‘form’ or shape of Christianity that was introduced or took root there, for instance the very strict and unemotional shape of Congregational worship that was first introduced to the Hawaiian Islands vs. what they might have spontaneously chosen for themselves.

My guess is that this is something that needs to be decided congregation by congregation—and not, I must say—just for themselves and their own heritage and inclination, but also for those that they intend to reach. It is, I fear, a rather moving target. And yet, there are some principles, as Thomas G. Long, in Beyond the Worship Wars, suggests:

-a sense of awe and wonder and mystery’

-a genuine sense of welcome & inclusion;

-a sense of drama within the worship;

-music that is both excellent and varied (eclectic);

-a space that creates and encourages an atmosphere of worship;

-a real sense of community involvement & mission;

-a certain predictability and familiarity in the order of worship;

-worship that is joyous and uplifting;

-worship that has worship leadership;

-preaching that is clear, understandable, stirring and connected to everyday life;

As can be seen by these factors, they are highly adaptable to each particular situation, to each community and culture and time and group of people. It only takes an ability to listen, be open to God and each other, and be willing to ‘roll with the punches’, to adapt and change as you go along. Thankfully, that is something that we all can do. Amen.

Forward notes: “What should be done then, my friends? When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up” (verse 26).

“The image of worship that Paul describes has not been my experience in most Episcopal churches. On Sunday morning, I enter a sanctuary that is mostly silent. A grand organ prelude opens worship, and the clergy and acolytes process with precise liturgical movements. I hear from one person a sermon that invites self-reflection.

“Before I became a part of the Episcopal tradition, I attended churches where people spoke in tongues alongside the lessons from the lectern and the choir’s hymns. There were prophets in the pews—and revelations by regular folks.

“Sometimes I miss the days when I did not know what to expect. Some Sundays, I wonder what God and the Holy Spirit might be stirring up. What revelations and prophecies lie in wait in the people sitting next to me? What could they offer that would further the building up of the kingdom of God?”

MOVING FORWARD: “What is the Holy Spirit stirring in you?”