When we come together, what do we do? Sing, pray, preach, offering, notices, communion and coffee. That’s church, surely? Actually, the Scriptures suggest otherwise.

The Apostle Paul has a very different picture in mind. When you come together, he writes in 1 Corinthians 14:26, Everyone has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue of an interpretation. Everyone? John, that would be chaos.

What about this then: And if a revelation comes to someone who is sitting down, the first speaker should stop (1 Corinthians 14:30). Have you ever seen it?

If that describes church, what we mostly do is celebration. That’s fine but allows little scope for the body of Christ to function in the gifts of the Spirit, for the common good.

Come with, not for

Jesus said he came to serve, not to be served. We call our meetings services. If so, we should bring something to serve others. In our entertainment age, have we forgotten? The Lord says, No one is to appear before me empty-handed (Exodus 34:20). Instead of coming for, we should come with.

It requires training, participation and faith. It’s also hard in large meetings. Perhaps we should redefine “church” to be a body of participating members.

Three levels

“Celebrations” could be less frequent gatherings of these churches, enjoying the buzz and encouragement of the larger group. This way several churches could even share the same facilities, structures, or staff.

“Churches” would be the regular mid-sized group where participation was both possible, taught and expected. Finally, members could still “do life together” in our homes – sharing meals, stories, prayer and support.

That would challenge our sense of unity! Which was precisely the problem in Corinth. For more, see my new book: