[countmeworthy]

Originally Posted by OBW

Little bells being rung? I never heard of that. Does anyone know if this is a regular practice or just a peculiarity of a locality or two?

But I sort of like bells ringing. It means an angel is getting his/her wings.

Well then. I suppose Francis Ball got his wings ! I watched the memorial service of Francis Ball live on stream. And as people lined up... and YES they formed a line to go up to the podium to speak, the piano would begin to play one chord or note as a warning time was up and if they kept on, the piano person rang a little bell.

One comment on the "presence of God." It is likely that CMW is speaking of a real sense of the presence of God. But sometimes I think that we still fall back into needing some sensation like we used to get in the LRC to mean "presence of God." Since they don't do things the same way, the old sensation is gone.

Let me clarify on the 'Presence of God' comment. The Presence of God is not a feeling. Sometimes we do sense an overwhelming power of Peace. But the Presence of God is always in us.

What I noticed was their emphasis on the HWMR and the importance of the footnotes of RcV. Since that was more important to them than God's Word and their personal revelation or experience of what God was showing them either in the Scriptures or in their lives, for a lack of a better phrase, I used the phrase 'no presence of God' there.

But there is "presence of God" in the most quiet and pious worship you can find. The style may not be your cup of tea (or mine). But God is there in their midst. Everything from the almost off-the-wall old-school Pentecostals (not meaning that in a derogatory way) to the most liturgical (and much to the chagrin of some here — and I understand it — including the Catholics), God is there when believers meet.

A resounding yes OBW.

His presence is not based on the antics of our worship or the number of missionaries we send out to convert the earth. Or the perfection of our doctrine and practice. It is based on the heart of the believer.

Again. Right you are !

But I have heard about the deterioration of that favorite LRC practice for many of us in recent years. It is the death of spontaneity in the testimonies. Not that spontaneity is magical. But there was something real in the participants even if the practice was not all that we were told it was.

That was really a unique experience that taught many of us to fellowship and even share the gospel.

As for the piano and little bell ringing, the first time I experienced that paractice was here in SA when I went to the Sunday, ah-hum, 'Lord's day' meetings a few times. The people did not go up to the podium though, they stood up where they sat just like in the old days to give a 'prophesy'. But if they got a tad long winded, there went the piano and the bell.

Pretty soon, they're going to use a cane to yank the person out !

Good thing, I do not participate there anymore, they'd be using bullhorns on me to shut me up!