Read and pray: “In the same way He also took the cup after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in My blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.’” (1 Corinthians 11:25)
For this reason, those who administrate the church cannot be simplistic. We must devote our whole being to what we do. This can be compared to an experienced engineer who continually considers the design of a building. Even while sleeping, he thinks about the project. So, developing a project is not a simple matter. Yet it seems we treat our service as something simple.
For example, the responsible brothers generally arrive at the Lord’s Table meeting right at the starting time. They do not consider ahead of time how the meeting should be led. At that moment, they begin thinking about which hymn to choose, and one of them flips through the hymnal page by page to find one. After singing the hymn, a prayer follows, and then another hymn is sung. This gives the saints the sense that the leaders are just passing time. After the bread and the cup are distributed, a brother may then stand up and say he has something to share, but since he didn’t take time to prepare, no one understands what he says.
The ones responsible for the meetings should not feel at peace if the saints are not supplied in the Lord’s Table meeting. They should not even be able to eat or sleep. They must always consider how to improve the meeting. They should not sleep soundly. This is the proper attitude for those responsible for the meeting.
Some complain that there’s not enough material to compose a message. When I began serving the Lord, there was no material at all, nor anyone to help me. In our first Lord’s Table meeting, we simply broke the bread. But as I considered this matter, I felt we should abandon denominational routines.
After much consideration, I received insight and found a way to go on. I spent a long time researching because I had no peace. For instance, I wondered, “Should the prayer meeting be conducted this way? When Christians gather to pray, is this how they should do it?” If we think this way, I believe the Lord will show us what to do.
The brothers need to know the meaning of prayer, what to pray for, and how to pray in a meeting. This must be according to the Bible. Then we must find something to minister to them. If we do this, the prayer meetings will change, and the number of attendees will increase. The saints will be delighted to come to the prayer meeting because they are being supplied. This matter requires deep thought. The more we labor, the more living the prayer meetings will become.
Those who serve in the ministry of the word must study how to minister the word in the Lord’s Table meeting and in the prayer meeting. We must minister in the prayer meeting without being lengthy or quenching the spirit of prayer, nor interrupting the atmosphere for prayer. On the contrary, our word should strengthen and open the spirit of prayer and even encourage others to pray. It is a good sign if those who usually don’t pray feel like praying after we speak.
When I first went to Manila, the brothers feared the prayer meeting and the Lord’s Table meeting, although these are the most important meetings in the Christian life. For this reason, I asked the responsible brothers to hold a Lord’s Table meeting in the evening. They thought no one would come if it were held at night.
I labored to correct them, and in the end, the evening Lord’s Table meeting had the best attendance yet. Today, the number of saints attending the Lord’s Table in Manila is higher than those who attend Sunday morning. The saints say it’s because they are supplied in the Lord’s Table meeting.
Unfortunately, I was not able to labor there for a long period. Therefore, the result of my work did not compare to what we did in northern China. We succeeded in northern China because we labored for many years and focused on one church. In Manila, however, there were many matters to attend to, and it wouldn’t have been proper for me to take over a church and do the work myself. I could only work as an advisor. Despite these factors, there was still some improvement.
We all must practice the matters already shared. Let’s not give attention only to the word spoken on Sunday morning. We must strive to raise the level of the Lord’s Table meeting and improve the prayer meeting. The word must supply these meetings. We need to study how to provide a specific word. We must dig out the gold and find the treasures.
LEARNING TO MAKE ADJUSTMENTS IN THE MEETING
Furthermore, we must lead the saints to participate in the meeting activities. This requires some consideration. For example, when should a hymn be selected? When and how should announcements be given? When should everyone stand to sing, and when should they kneel to sing? These matters require careful consideration. Sometimes kneeling to sing may uplift the meeting, or standing to sing may enliven the spirit. This is a mysterious matter.
We should not be legalistic about standing or sitting. Sometimes the way someone stands up in the meeting is dull. But if we criticize her, she may not want to stand again for six months. We should not be rigid. Sometimes our body needs to sit, stand, walk, or lie down.
Therefore, there must be someone who properly leads the meetings and makes adjustments. However, those who make adjustments do not replace the brothers; they help them. The Holy Spirit always moves through people. If there is no one to make these adjustments, it may be difficult to uplift the brothers’ spirit. If the spirit is adjusted, it can be revived. That’s why we must learn to follow the spirit.
We need to learn how to adjust and uplift the prayer meeting and the Lord’s Table meeting. This also applies to the fellowship meeting and the others. We are responsible to supply the brothers with the word. In other words, there must always be someone following the Holy Spirit to adjust the meetings. There must also be a short ministry of the word to help the saints. After attending such a meeting, the saints will want to come back. As long as they desire to draw near to the Lord and are able to receive spiritual supply in the meetings, they will want to attend. I hope the brothers will give this matter proper attention.
Enjoy more: Hymn 384
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