In Acts 2, Luke records the nature of Christian worship: “
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And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts.”
The earliest Christians not only spoke the Apostles’ teachings; they lived out those teachings. They not only had harmonious gatherings for worship; they lived in harmony with one another. They not only observed the Lord’s Supper; they shared in Agape (Love) feasts where they practiced coming together and having all things in common. They not only shared in “the prayers;” they followed the advice of James who urged them to “pray continually.” Their weekly gatherings were a collective reminder of their identity and a way of reinforcing how to live those principles out every single day.
Worship is more than just a tradition or ritual – worship communicates something about Christ’s church. Worship is the voice of a congregation. For the early church, these elements mirrored their desires as a community. When we gather every Sunday, we are “showing” who we are through participation in corporate worship. Have you thought about why worship at Tabernacle is the way it is? The order of worship, the style of music, the decoration of the space, and many other details reflect something unique about our fellowship.
We are going to talk about all of these things as we gather this Sunday morning to sing, pray, listen, as well as partake in the Lord’s Supper. As we seek to envision transformation together, we need to be increasingly intentional in understanding why we do what we do. I look forward to worshipping with you!
Expecting His Best,
Stephen V. Allen
