Recently, via e-mail, someone moving to this area for employment sent eight questions to ask what we believe with respect to them. Frequently, people call and ask if we use musical instruments, and when I assure them that we do not, they usually breathe a sigh of relief. Occasionally, some will call and ask if we support orphans’ homes or have a kitchen in our building. But frankly, these are the most unusual questions ever to come our way. That does not mean they are unimportant—just different. The answers follow below and on page two. To maintain the person’s anonymity, the name Phyllis (not the real name) has been selected.
1. Do you wait for one another when you partake of the Lord’s Supper as it states in 1 Corinthians 11:33? An indicator of this to me would be one service or a willingness to change the time, if necessary, so that all could partake at the same time.
The brethren in Corinth were indeed told to wait for one another, but they were all coming together at the same approximate time—say, 7:00 or 8:00 in the evening. Society and culture were far different in the first century than to-day. In many instances, people now have jobs in which the employer is in operation 24/7. Sometimes nurses work all night long. Policemen and firemen are frequently on duty some part of the Lord’s day. Restaurants and factories can also operate around the clock. Therefore, if someone finishes work barely in time to attend Sunday evening at 6:00, should everyone else stay home and refrain from meeting until then? Then what about brethren who cannot drive at night due to their eyesight? Or what about those who must report in to work on Sunday at 4:00 P.M?
Trying to find a time that all can meet together proves impractical in today’s society. Most congregations have two opportunities on the Lord’s day for brethren to partake of the Lord’s Supper—one in the morning and one in the evening. In this particular congregation, there are only a handful of Sundays in a year’s time where no one needs the Lord’s Supper on Sunday evening. Phyllis may also find that the job she is seeking in this area may require her to work Sundays and holidays. God has given us flexibility as to the time of day that we meet, but in metropolitan areas it is unrealistic to expect to find a time where we can all partake of the Lord’s Supper at the same moment. We do the next best thing we can. Those on Sunday evening are served as part of the worship assembly while the rest of us wait on them.