All the meetings Christ appointed
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- All the meetings Christ appointed
And attended here on earth
Were apart from all religion,
All its rituals, forms, and dearth.
Resurrection, not religion,
Must be our reality;
Let us meet in resurrection,
From all dead religion free. - When the Lord was resurrected,
All religious things were through;
Christ is now our living temple,
Christ is all our offerings too.
With our Lord in resurrection,
Hallelujah, we're released!
Pity all the old religion—
All our meetings are a feast! - Yet religion—oh, how subtle—
In our blood is hiding out;
God must give us revelation,
All that unseen monster rout.
Lord, we still are too religious—
Down with our religious soul!
We would all release our spirit,
Let each meeting reach the goal. - In the meetings, in the meetings,
On the mountain, at the shore,
Jesus, Jesus, living Jesus,
He is here—what want we more?
Bury all the old religion,
Even Christianity—
Jesus, Jesus, we have Jesus,
He is our reality!
Mar. 24, 2008Hymnal.NetIn this chapter, we want to see something particular concerning the nature of our meetings. In our meetings we should break all formalities and avoid any kind of program. First Corinthians 14:26 and Hebrews 10:25 are "show windows" to show us what the meetings were like in the ancient times when the apostles were still on this earth. Through these show windows, we can see what was happening at that time. Meetings were going on, yet without formalities or programs.
First Corinthians 14:26 says, "What is it then, brothers? Whenever you come together, each one has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up." According to this verse, formalities are not needed in the Christian meetings. In Paul's time there were no formalities and no programs in the meetings. When the church comes together, "each one has." Until each one in the meeting presents what he has, no one knows what subject or subjects the meeting will cover or the order in which things will be presented. Surely in such a meeting there can be no regulation, program, or formality. We have to break all the formalities today and avoid any kind of program.
Hebrews 10:25 says, "Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the custom with some is, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the day drawing near." This verse indicates that programs are not necessary for the Christian meetings. In the Christian meeting, we all have to exhort one another. Surely this kind of meeting is without formality or any kind of program. Our meetings today should be like those in the ancient times.
In the four Gospels, the Lord Jesus had many meetings in His ministry, yet with no formality and no program. Verse four of hymn #1281 in Hymns says, "In the meetings, in the meetings, On the mountain, at the shore." This is a description of the way the Lord Jesus held His meetings. Sometimes He held His meetings on the mountain top, and quite often He held meetings on the seashore, mostly around the Sea of Galilee. We have published a book entitled How to Meet from messages given in the spring of 1969 and 1970. The light concerning many principles of meeting came to us from 1966 to 1972. Hymn #1281 was written according to that light, but in our practice after 1972, it seems that much of this light disappeared from among us. However, in our practice of the church life at this time, the light is returning.
Source: Speaking Christ for the Building Up of the Body of Christ, chapter 5. (LSM)
