It is hardly a surprise that this church which has political divides over leadership, taking people to court, sexuality and food sacrificed to idols are also divided when it comes to corporate worship.
Over the years I have witnessed people storm out of services, dogs escaping from the pew and running amok and I’ve seen people stand up to object about someone’s sermon. Recently on social media videos there are examples of Pastors shouting at members to ‘get out’ and members challenging pastors equally to get out. At first glance the response can be quite funny and then you realise this is God’s church.
So here we are at the communion service…..(oh and think far less of the use of those plastic communion cups with a wafer but that of a shared meal as a church where prayers and worship also took place).
“In the following directives I have no praise for you, for your meetings do more harm than good. In the first place, I hear that when you come together as a church, there are divisions among you, and to some extent I believe it. No doubt there have to be differences among you to show which of you have God’s approval. So then, when you come together, it is not the Lord’s Supper you eat, for when you are eating, some of you go ahead with your own private suppers. As a result, one person remains hungry and another gets drunk. Don’t you have homes to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God by humiliating those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you? Certainly not in this matter!” 1 Corinthians 11:17-22
So what was happening?
Why was Paul (I think) being sarcastic when in v19 he says, “No doubt there have to be differences among you to show which of you have God’s approval”?
The centre of Christianity is the cross of Christ and there is no greater way of commemorating this than with the Communion service. It is what unites us. We are united around the broken body and the shed blood, the sacrifice of Christ, the total surrender of His life that we might be forgiven.
If in this moment we are behaving the opposite of what He did in that we are self-serving and focused solely on our pleasure or rights then it is not only that we are making a mockery but we ‘do more harm than good.’
Whatever was actually taking place it involved those who had were having more and those with less were not even being fed. There was excess in one section and hunger in another. This was not the church that was representing Christ on the cross.
Paul told them it was far better to stay at home.
It is still the message today. We should remind Christians that if they cannot approach worship with hearts that are united and in recognising what Christ has done, they too lay their lives down for others, which includes not arguing over everything that divides, then, stay home.
Missions Paul 