An Old Paradigm

My husband and I are, for the first time in nearly fifteen years, looking for a church home. I have told him and others that I am looking for a new worship paradigm, but, on closer reflection, what I am looking for is a very OLD paradigm—about 2000 years old.

Here it is in a nutshell:
I Corinthians 14: 29-33
What then shall we say, brothers and sisters? When you come together Each one (male or female) has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. Everything must be done so that the church may be built up. If anyone (male or female) speaks in a tongue, two--or at the most three--should speak, one at a time, and someone (male or female) must interpret. If there is no interpreter, the speaker (male or female) should keep quiet in the church and speak to himself (or herself) and to God. Two or three prophets should speak (male or female) and the others should weigh carefully what is said. And if a revelation comes to someone (male or female) who is sitting down, the first speaker should stop. For you can all (male and female) prophesy in turn so that everyone (male or female) may be instructed and encouraged. The spirits of prophets (male and female) are subject to the control of prophets. For God is not a God of disorder but of peace—as in all the congregations of the Lord’s people.

What I do not want:
● The same person delivering a sermon every week.
● A sermon every week.
● Worship services and facilities that require you to look at the back of other members’ heads.
● Church projects and programs that allow you to ignore the world outside of church.
● Music and song leaders who are louder than the entire congregation.
● Only male Christians officiating at the Lord’s table, praying, reading scripture, leading singing, or serving as ministers and deacons.
● A bunch of people “speaking in tongues” without interpretation.
● A one-person-led congregation—be that person a pastor, elder, minister or priest.

I have passed these requests on to God. I hope He answers with an old paradigm.

Of Goblins and Spirits

In George MacDonald’s children’s story, “The Princess and the Goblin,” eight-year-old Princess Irene does her best to give Curdie, a young miner, knowledge of her “great, great, great, great, grandmother," who leads her through life with a “golden thread.” In the sequel, “The Princess and Curdie," a motley assemblage of misshapen animals, each with his or her particular ability, helps Curdie save the kingdom.

Each story allegorically portrays MacDonald’s belief that, “Every one of us is something that the other is not, and therefore knows something—it may be without knowing that he knows it—which no one else knows: and . . . it is everyone’s business, as one of the kingdom of light and inheritor in it all, to give his portion to the rest.”

Paul the Apostle put it this way:
I Corinthians 12: 8-11
Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.
I Corinthians 14: 26
What then shall we say, brothers and sisters? When you come together, each of you has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. Everything must be done so that the church may be built up.