Twin City church of Christ Blog
“Apr 30, 2024 - When Worship Does Damage”
Categories: 2024 Reading DevotionalsWhen Worship Does Damage
Reading: 1 Corinthians 11:17-26
Paul has some strong words for the Corinthians: “But in the following instructions I do not commend you, because when you come together it is not for the better but for the worse”(1 Cor 11:17). They are gathering for worship and leaving worse than when they came. “For, in the first place, when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you”(1 Cor 11:18). The fractures within the group that we have already noticed (see 1:10-13 and 3:1-4) also show up in their observance of the Lord’s Supper. Each group eats the Supper with its own little clique (1 Cor 11:21). This practice excludes those who are not in the “in group,” shames the poor, and reinforces divisions and resentments. “What! Do you not have houses to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God and humiliate those who have nothing?”(1 Cor 11:22). If all we are doing is enjoying a meal with friends, we can do that anywhere. The Lord’s Supper is about something different.
Paul asserts that the Lord’s Supper is communal (eaten by the entire group together) and commemorative (bringing to mind the body and blood offered for us). He recounts the story of Jesus giving thanks for the Passover emblems and relabeling them as his own body and blood. “Do this in remembrance of me”(1 Cor 11:24, 25). The connection to Jesus’ death makes this meal holy and unique—not goofing around with our friends. “For as often as you eat this bead and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes”(1 Cor 11:26). Together, with one voice, we remind each other and the watching world that we still believe in Jesus and await his return.
Worship has both vertical and horizontal dimensions. When we forget or neglect God’s will for worship—when we fail to esteem his will properly—it makes us worse. Meanwhile, when we overlook or directly harm our brother—reinforcing division and exclusion—it makes us (and them) worse. But when we honor God together, we build one another up and glorify him.
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One Thing to Think About: Has worship ever made me worse? Have I ever made others worse?
One Thing to Pray For: Awareness of how I contribute to unity or division
