Order up
by Emma Strelan
Click here to download your printable verse to carry with you today.
Everything must be done so that the church may be built up … For God is not a God of disorder but of peace (1 Corinthians 14:26b,33a).
Paul seems to be giving some very specific advice in this part of 1 Corinthians. He details exactly how many people should prophesy, precisely who should be allowed to speak in church and when, and how and when people should speak in tongues.
We Lutherans have an established system for how the Sunday service goes, how the church should be run, and who is to run the church. And any decisions or action is made under the orderly guidance of a committee (and, of course, the roughly three to five sub-committees). We’ve really got this instruction from Paul to be orderly down-pat, haven’t we? So good, in fact, that it’s prone to putting one to sleep from time to time (not speaking from experience or anything).
But I want to pause and reflect on the overarching message behind this part of 1 Corinthians. Based on the rest of the letter and Paul’s writings, he clearly wants us to remember that the God we worship is a God of order and peace, not chaos. But more than that, the Jesus we worship always gave space for the quiet, the humble, the people who weren’t always the loudest in public. And you have to think that this is somewhat of what Paul is trying to do here – make sure that certain rowdy Corinthians weren’t just using worship as a time to show off their own talents and skills. As a corporate body, the church should be a space where all feel heard. Where all get to be part of the worship. Not just the loudest or the most charismatic or the ones who have always done the speaking, and that’s just how it is. And that’s what orderly worship should be for – not for keeping the same people in control year after year but for allowing everyone to participate at the right and fitting time.
Some of the most seemingly chaotic/disorganised church services I’ve been to have been where children are involved, or we’ve tried to include multiple languages and people of differing backgrounds. But although these services seemed chaotic, everything still happened at the right time. And most importantly, the joy felt by the people in God’s house was like no other (and there was certainly no one asleep)!
God’s sense of order tends to be a little different to ours: I wonder what embracing that means for your own worship time – both in and outside the church building?
God, you call us to seriously consider the ways in which we worship. We thank you that, throughout the Bible, you demonstrate many ways to worship. Please help us to worship you in a way that is orderly and peaceful but also full of life and inclusive of all your people. Amen.
Emma lives in Adelaide and is studying a Master of Divinity at Tabor College. She also works as a freelance videographer, filming weddings, events and factual videos. She’s currently trying to work out how these two passions can fit together. Emma has a heart for youth camping ministry and for effectively communicating Christian concepts to the younger generations. Despite being in her early 20s, she’s a self-confessed grandma who loves reading, gardening, embroidery, cardigans and drinking tea.
- Click here to read previous devotions.
- We are also posting them on LCA Facebook, making it easy for you to share them with family and friends.
- Sign up to receive Daily Devotion in your inbox every morning. If you’re already doing that, please encourage others to sign up. Click here for the link.
