Tom writes:

What are church gatherings all about? Different churches have different flavours and that is part of the rich casserole of the Kingdom… to some extent. What Paul makes clear in these chapters is that not all ingredients in the caserole are equally tasty. The “flavour test” is whether a particular habit creates a culture that honours the magnificent character of the Trinity. Does what we do when we gather show others what God is like and train them to live more like him? Each of us plays a part in this. Just as one small piece of machinery in an aeroplane engine can have huge consequences for the whole flight, Paul asserts that each individual church member’s small choices can end up having major impacts on whether or not a community ends up conforming to the Christ. In Paul’s day how you dressed was one of those small things. Dress codes said a lot about what you lived as your Way of Life. Pharisees kept their phylacteries broad and their fringes long as physical signs of their 24-7 devotion to Yahweh’s word. Worshippers of Dionysus shaved their heads as signs of their ecstatic freedom to do as they like whenever they liked. Temple prostitutes of the Roman gods unveiled their hair as a sign that they would… well, you know. Paul wants attendees at his churches to see themselves not just as “coming as they are” to meet their God but also as small parts in an engine that God is building for his glory.

These days long hair and tattoos don’t really show much about our Way of Life or which god we worship but the idea that the way we act and speak and even dress at our gatherings affects the whole church is definitely worth considering. If we arrive early or late it communicates something to others that affects the whole body. If we raise our hands in worship or check out to see what our phone notification was then we are either pouring oil or water onto the fire that the Spirit is igniting in the church. If we push others out the way at the Lord’s Supper (or coffee queue) or if we use it as a time of reaffirming love for Jesus and his church then that genuinely affects the health of the whole body. And on and on. “Everyone gets to play” is a massive slogan in Vineyard churches. It is one of the smartest summaries of Paul’s understanding of the normal church life. So remember, next time you gather with church you are like a footballer stepping onto a pitch, or like an engine part revving up to help the flight. God looks at every small choice you make and uses it to determine the destiny of your church community.

Question for reflection

What small choices could you make to play your part in building up your church?

1 Corinthians 11 - Thursday 30th May