A comment on an interview with Tom Wadsworth.
The church can, I think, flex with society as it grows. so, learning from Tom, I'd like this for a Sunday gathering:
1. 40m to 1 hour teaching. Real teaching, not a sermon, but Bible/theological study with pre-reading, a short talk and then discussion and working together to learn. People giving short 'papers' on their own study during the week.
2. Morning break for coffee and a snack, maybe 20 minutes.
3. Join prayer groups for the next 20 minutes
4. Large gathering for a short edifying talk, and responses, some singing, and Lord's supper that might be part of lunch that follows.
5. After lunch, informal discussion groups (optional), or skills training (speaking, evangelism, teaching, kid's ministry, conducting small groups, etc.) People could join and leave for any segment.
HYMNALS. They were great; most of my favourite hymns/songs are the deeply theological 'horizontal'. and praising/teaching hymns of my youth. They still stir my soul. Unlike most modern puerility. And thanks for the song clip, Tom...the way it should be, ordinary Christians singing to edify each other.
BUILDINGS Interesting to note that Coverdale, in his 16th century English translation of the Bible, used the word 'congregation' and not 'church' for the Greek of 'gathering'. He was concerned for the local meeting of saints being recognized, rather than what 'church' had come to connote: the formal hierarchical imperialistic structure.
LITURGY A liturgical church brought me to renewed faith in my young adult-hood. With it I had the experience of all together being at one with each other in the presence of our Lord. It is not for me (and those I know) a mere rote practice that is just form and not content; I tell you it makes my week. Is encouraging, and brings us all into the one place of Christians enjoying our faith together. Much better than modern evangelicalism which turns the gathering into a spectator sport.
Moreover, even the simple rural church can share the liturgy with the words composed by some great saints (Cranmer, for instance), no matter the skill, talent or training of any of the participants.
