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Originally Posted by Evangelical
Don't confuse what I'm saying to mean there should be a total lack of order. We do things in an orderly way. But I don't think anyone in their right mind would try to equate our type of meeting with a Catholic or Orthodox or Lutheran liturgy.
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No, they would not confuse the two. But only because the outward form is so different. But a closer look would reveal that you have a modern liturgy that you stick to is a serious way.
Please understand that I am not saying that you are brought down by it. But neither are you lifted up because you think your liturgy is better than theirs. Your liturgy doesn't eat Ken-L-Ration and is therefor better. It is just different.
To borrow from the words of God himself . . .
You search the scripture to find ways to separate yourself from my servants but you do not truly come to me, the only source of unity and oneness — oneness in which you do not seek to find separation.
This is the quest in which you are so seriously engaged as you seek to define a "unique move or God" that excludes others and leaves only yourselves within that move.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Evangelical
A lot of what you say is untrue. Typically the choice of song is decided on the spur of the moment by anyone in the meeting. Most things are not prepared beforehand, except what morning revival we are doing that week.
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Actually, I have it on pretty good authority that outside of the Lord's table, the number of meetings that are not taken over as "ministry station meetings" has been decimated. And in those meetings they specify the song — generally only one — and the content of the meeting.
Yes, in the Table meeting you are free to call a song. But it is generally enforced as being according to a pattern of progress. I can no longer quote the whole of it, but it is fairly-well established. Deviate very far and it will be corrected. Deviate just a little and they might let it pass, but expect a lecture afterward on the "official" (even though the term will not be used) flow of the Table meeting. I spent many years there and have seen it all first hand. And I have a pretty close relationship with some who are still there and occasionally comment on things like this.
But having admitted that your "morning revival" is prepared beforehand, would you scoff at those who read each day's passages from a lectionary that is in a 2 or 3 year cycle? Would you declare that using suggested readings by the pastor from the Sunday sermon is something sub-par. That would seem to fit well with the notion of learning in the temple then fellowshipping through the week.
But the expectation that you would find reason to demean either as deficient and evidence that they are not participating in the body of Christ (your group, it would seem from your rhetoric) is pretty consistent with your MO.