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THE NORTHERN KENTUCKY SEARCHER
VOLUME 6, NUMBER 20, MAY 21, 2006 AND THE LORD SAID, “UNORGANIZE!” The following article was written by my son, Adam, for the Evendale Enlightener. I appreciated it very much, as did the elders, and it was suggested that I include in the Searcher. The fad that is “unorganized” worship has reared its head and is “in” once again. I would imagine that it began the way that it always seems to begin: Someone “awakened” to the need for something “more spiritual” in worship than the traditional three songs and a prayer. Spurred on by their “awakening” they set out to unorganize the organized worship service at the congregation they attend. Those who enter wholesale into this unorganized idea may even go so far as to claim that true, genuine worship can never be of the organized variety but must spring spontaneously from each individual’s heart – so if any “has a song,” “has a lesson,” let him go ahead and speak out. If this is what the Holy Spirit working through Paul had in mind than He certainly missed a golden opportunity to say it for in the very same chapter the Holy Spirit speaks of an individual having a song, lesson, revelation, tongue, etc., He actually demands organization and order. “But all things should be done decently and in order” (1 Cor. 14:40). Thus the necessity for decency and order was even laid upon those who actually had miraculous spiritual gifts. Quite often we talk and write about public worship and the error that can come of it when we allow it to become ritualistic and sacramental. It is unquestionably wrong for us to turn our worship service to the Lord into nothing more than a liturgical service which we may unwittingly approach by vehemently clinging to the rigid traditional pattern of our prayers, songs, sermons, etc. Changing the order of the service may, in fact, help with some of this. After all, it is not a sin to have the Lord’s Supper before the sermon or after it if that is a change. A congregation is not committing a grievous error against the Lord by having fewer or more songs than they do now before or after the sermon. They are not breaking faith with the Lord if they change the time of the contribution. They are not even committing an abomination when they change the emphasis of a service. What do I mean? When was the last time you attended a genuine prayer service? Having said all of that: why change for the sake of change? In fact, change for change’s sake come from the exact same concept that makes ritual an error. Let’s just be honest here: no amount of changing the order of the worship is going to “produce” more spirituality in a person who is not spiritual, nor make the gathering more “worshipful” for someone who is really not that interested in worshipping in the first place. I have attended worship services where changes were made without the awareness and preparation of most of the members. They do not know why the change had been made and what you get is generally not a more “spiritual and worshipful” atmosphere. More often than not you get some confusion, a touch of disorientation, and a fairly destroyed worship when all is said and done. The one who felt the change was needed may feel better about himself; yet very little thought is usually given to the other members. Brethren, how presumptuous and arrogant are they who claim that Christians do not sincerely worship in their familiar three songs and a prayer? Just because I find it difficult to keep my mind on spiritual things, where it’s supposed to be, without mixing things up a bit, in no way gives me the right to claim that others cannot be sincerely worshipping because I’m not! And further, it is absolute foolishness to think that jolting the heart not prepared to worship with a switch from three songs and a prayer to a prayer and three songs is going to cause them to prostrate themselves before God. You know, a “reformer” may have decent enough knowledge of God’s word but woeful ignorance of human nature, and the patience and instruction it takes to lead people to new and better ways. There may be new and better ways of implementing public worship and work-ways and expedients wholly within scriptural authority. We do tend to follow the traditional patterns which, when one puts serious thought into it, may actually be the best ways after all because they are time tested. But if changes are going to be made it must be done with the knowledge of all the worshippers and must be understood so all can follow without confusion. And it must be done “decently and in order.” All of the attempts to unorganize an organized worship become mere mechanical devices, good for manipulating the people on the outside, but doing no good for the heart where it really counts. Be very aware, brethren; a cry for a break for “church of Christ tradition” is many times, after careful study of the Scriptures, found to be no more than a cry for a break with doing things God’s way. A person’s inability to worship “in spirit and in truth” is never a call for a more “spiritual worship service.” It is a call for a change of heart and a cry for help; help that the faithful Christian must always be prepared to give. Think about these things. Adam Litmer
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