How is it then, brethren? Whenever you come together, each of you has a psalm, has a teaching, has a tongue, has a revelation, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification. – 1Corinthians 14:26

As I was prayerfully preparing to lead one of our Wednesday night Power Prayer meetings I was led to 1Corinthians 14:26 for inspiration.

In this scripture, Paul seems to be asking the brethren in Corinth, “How does this work? You gather together to worship God and then each of you has some spiritual element to offer?”

1. a psalm/song
2. a teaching
3. a tongue
4. a revelation
5. an interpretation

God is saying, You show up to gather in my name wondering what meeting together may be about and then the Holy Spirit shows up to lead the meeting – guiding and directing.

As I was preparing, I went through the list of spiritual contributions. What would show up at our meeting?

Let’s Check The Boxes

1. A psalm/song? Certainly, our worship leaders will provide the worship songs and no doubt someone will be led to quote scripture from the Book of Psalms. But, would someone really just break out into a new song? No. Never seen that before.
2. A teaching? I plan to provide brief guidance on prayer and have the group engage in a “spiritual stretching” exercise. Check.
3. A tongue? Whoa! Let’s skip that one. For the sake of unity, our church does not encourage the practice of speaking publicly in a foreign tongue. Nope.
4. A revelation? God is generous to often give us words and images of things in our meetings that provide revelation to who He is and how He wants to work in our lives. Check.
5. An interpretation? Often, as God gives us revelation another will provide further insight and clarification as to the meaning of what is being shared. Check.

I went into the meeting with a notion of how God would work.

The Meeting

Once at the meeting, we entered into God’s presence with worship (Song). Check

People quoted scripture (Psalm). Check.

I encouraged people to be bold as we sat for a period of quiet/listening to then share what was coming into their mind. It was an exercise in trusting that our God is big enough to communicate and that the place we were in was a safe place to risk stepping out and be bold (Teaching). Check.

A number of people shared some really good stuff that God dropped into their mind/spirit (revelation). Check.

Others entered in to share related thoughts and scriptures to give deeper meaning and understanding to the revelations shared (Interpretation). Check.

I have to say that as a spiritual stretching exercise (Prayer Hot Potato) it was expectedly a bit forced and uncomfortable. But, people listened, God spoke, and many were bold to share whatever they heard.

I really do hate to put people on the spot and to impose on others; making people feel awkward or pressured. However, we checked off the boxes I expected to check regarding how God would move. In my judgement, the meeting went pretty well but not great – a little too awkward.

As I began to wrap up the meeting, I asked if there was anything anyone else would like to share.

A quiet Chinese woman named Powan, who is a relatively new Christian, boldly raised her hand. She shared how blessed she was in the previous Sunday’s church service to be asked to read the teaching scripture. What was the blessing? That she was asked to read it in her own language (Mandarin?). She went on to share how that had encouraged her, feeling included and realizing how universal her faith in Christ truly is.

I was pleasantly convicted. Was that a Tongue we are talking about? Check?

No one spoke out in a foreign tongue in the meeting but the irony of her testimony did not escape me. God was stepping in to say, Don’t be so quick to think that something in My Holy, written word is not possible for today. I was blessed.

Then, just in closing, a man named Peder who is fairly new to our church jumped in to ask if he could play a song he had just written. We all looked at each other. Hmm, Okay. He grabbed the worship leader’s guitar and started worshipping with a new song. Wow.

The realization hit me that, once again, God was breaking in at the last minute to check another box I had left unchecked. A new song. Check.

I could only shake my head and worship God for the things I kept off the list. God wanted to remind me of the purpose of Him inspiring Paul to ask, “How is it then?”

How is it then? It is by His people gathering, fully expecting God to show up and use each one to bless and edify all in any number of ways. God shows up because it is all about what HE does through us to build up the Body of Christ.

So. when we do gather together to seek God’s face let’s all be prepared to be used in a unique way for His glory, for our mutual joy and for the building up of the Body of Christ.

From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work. Ephesians 4:16