How to contribute to a meeting

How to Contribute to Meetings – the physical aspects.

S. SEKOU ABODUNRIN

17Now in this that I declare unto you I praise you not, that ye come together not for the better, but for the worse.
18For first of all, when ye come together in the church, I hear that there be divisions among you; and I partly believe it.
33Wherefore, my brethren, when ye come together to eat, tarry one for another.
34And if any man hunger, let him eat at home; that ye come not together unto condemnation. And the rest will I set in order when I come.
1 cor 14:17,18, 33, 34

The bible instructs us not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together. You realise that as with everything in God’s system, he does not leave us in the dark. He has provided us with instructions in his word. There is protocol in the word of God that governs the principles of fellowship.

Key thought: when we come together it should be for the better. There are things we can do to make this “better” manifest. Failing to do this our experience falls short of the full provisions of God for our meetings – what is called “worse” in the verses above.


Physical preparation for a meeting – verse 34

A thing to keep in mind is “it is about us” and not “me only”

For example we are told to ensure that prior to coming for meetings we have eaten. In order words you should have taken care of the needs of your body before coming for a meeting so that you will not constitute a hindrance to others and to yourself thereby stopping the assembly from receiving the full benefits of a meeting.

The problems manifesting in the Corinthian church when they met together in fellowship then were not always due to spiritual reasons. There is a physical preparation for a meeting. This means different things to different people, but it is key to a meeting’s success.

Things like feeding your children at home before coming for service, getting yourself properly groomed and discussing family-related issues ould go a long way in freing you to receive the best from the manifest presence in our meetings. The idea is that you are actually contributing to the meeting well before you get to meet other brethren.

Concept: the meeting starts at home in your mind and in the preparations you are making in order to reduce to bare minimum the effects of poor preparation in physical matters.

If your body is weak or tired it is harder to remain sensitive to the Spirit of God and to the need of other brethren. This implies that we need to rest our bodies in preparing for meetings.

We are also told that maintaining an attitude of deference to other brethren is important. This is exemplified in the fact that we should wait for one another and not go about our own thing in a fellowship meeting. The fellowship is not about you only, but us all together as a body of believers. Its not so much about what you can do, but what we can accomplish together.

When you are in a meeting submit to other brethren by being conscious of the fact that you are not to position yourself such that in obtaining a blessing you put others in a position where they are worse off. In the Corinthian church some were drunken, while others were hungry. Yet the meeting was to minister to all.

Attitudes to be dealt with – verse 22

One concept to understand is that we shouldn’t do in the church that which we should have done at home. There are things that houses are meant for. We might as well say do not keep chairs for others who are not around when there are people present who want to sit in them. You control seats in your houses, not in church. insisting on keeping the chair could lead to arguments. You will rather forgo the chair than hurt another brother. In the same vein you wouldnt decide to powder your face while the minister if giving instructions.

The root of the divisions is shown to be an attitude problem. When you do in church that which you could have done at home, you actually exhibit disregard or contempt for the brethren. The bible says that’s the same thing as despising the church of God.


Giving clear instructions

9So likewise ye, except ye utter by the tongue words easy to be understood, how shall it be known what is spoken? for ye shall speak into the air. [1 cor 14 :9 – 11]

The clarity of your instruction does not depend on what you feel about it, but what the intended recipient is able to gather from it. Given that you have something to say that might benefit another, you should give it in a manner that blesses and instructs the other party.

When talking about understanding in the verse above the focus is not undersanding that which you are saying but on the one you are ministering to grasping it. This means you need to be considerate in conveying things to the other party.

You wouldnt say to yourself "I have said that which they were meant to hear" instead you'd go a step further thinking more about their understanding that which you have said. You'd learn to think this way ahead of meetings.

When preparing for a meeting then it is smart to ponder on and improve on how we convey even spiritual things. Sometimes you know these things by meditating on previous meetings and trusting the Spirit of God to bring things to your recall.

The aim of giving instructions is not just to say them. You can give an instruction and the effect will be as though you spoke into the air. You should speak and address the brethren in a honourable way and in a manner that conveys your message adequately. The onus is on you to speak having the audience in mind.

What do I do when I have something to say?

28But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church; and let him speak to himself, and to God.

So you have a message to give? You have some points to convey? God has given instructions in his word about how to give it. Though you have the message, he involves another person that is called “interpreter”. The idea is that God will also bear witness with others about the things you will say. You will have to learn how to get along with others.

If the interpreter is not present, you are required according to scripture to keep silent in the church. That qualifies as a time to be silent. You are to recognise the place of the interpreter. It is always more effective when you yield to the things of the Spirit and submit to the brethren.

The interpreter gives direction in a meeting. This means that if you want to give an utterance you should understand the procedures in place, and then operate within the context of the procedures. Abiding by the processes in place is actually submitting to other brethren in practical terms. For example you can get the attention of the leader of the meeting by raising your hands. If acknowledged you walk up to the leader and convey the sense of the message. If given the podium you deliver that which you are released to minister in agreement with the leadership. If you convey things contrary to what you said to the interpreter you would have acted unwisely.

I am burning up! I must say it now!

30If any thing be revealed to another that sitteth by, let the first hold his peace.
33For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.
[1 cor 14:30,33]

If you feel like you’d be struck dead if you do not speak immediately. Think on that verse above. There is still scriptural protocol to be followed. You see, God is a God of order. He doesn’t contradict himself and there is no rush or confusion in him. You can hold your peace and rest in the word. Learn to speak to yourself. Sometimes you'll need to tell yourself “relax and enjoy the meeting”

These instructions are valid for us even as they were in the days of Paul. You can have something beneficial to say but you can go about it in a way that contradicts that which is in the word. This will rob the meeting of much needed effectiveness. If that which you want to do proceeds from confusion, hold your peace, get still and get blessed by the ministry of others in the meting. When you get "calm" again follow the protocol of peace as outlined in God’s word.

The Apostle Paul said it so well - Let all things be done decently and in order.