Let us suppose now that we are having a meeting. We have learned already that we need not wait for the stated hour to begin—as soon as some brothers and sisters are together we may start to praise. In fact, we may even begin the meeting on the street while we are coming in. It may be started at any time and by any way—it must be something of the Spirit without forms and regulations. We may begin with a hymn, with a testimony, by calling on the Lord, or by praising the Lord. No one is designated to lead; we are all participants. We all must get into the flow, open our mouths, and go right ahead. Do not try to analyze or consider; do not exercise the mind, but turn to the spirit and say something. Try not to use old terms in the old way. Forget about old words, old phraseology, old utterances. Simply open yourself to the Lord and utter something from deeply within your spirit—short, quick, real, and fresh. Eventually you will be led to some line, some verse, or some portion. Then just go on in that flow. Once a certain point has been begun, all should simply follow just as do the members of a basketball team. Once a certain play is initiated, the rest need only follow through. Of course, this requires much practice. Even if the meeting has been started in a poor way, you still must go along and seek to uplift and enrich it. This is not a game for everyone to play his own ball. We are all the heavenly team, coordinating together to score for the Lord. There is just one ball for the whole team; so we must play in a coordinated way. I may pass the ball to you; then you will pass it to another; then he to yet another. We do need practice. We all need to follow one another in a good continuation and coordination. Of course, this requires considerable sensitivity and life in the spirit, but by continual practice we will all improve.
Let me mention now several important points to remember in order to achieve and preserve a good coordination in praising.
Firstly, we should never behave in the meetings in an independent and individualistic way. Seek to be sensitive in your spirit and sense the flow of the meeting. Once anything is begun in the meeting, simply follow and coordinate with others. Sometimes you may come to a meeting and begin to speak; but after just two sentences you will sense that you are out of the flow. You must stop immediately and seek to bring yourself into the flow. Forget about all your thoughts and intentions. The meetings of the church are not a place for an exhibition of your knowledge, but where we all may exhibit Christ in the flow of the life-giving Spirit.
Please note that in order to care properly for the flow of the meeting it is not good to speak much in detail or to occupy too much time. It is better to shorten everything. There is no need when sharing to give the details of days, places and names—the attendants have neither the mind nor the spirit for so much superfluous information. Just give the main point. Tell the people in concise and living sentences how you have enjoyed the Lord. By so doing, the flow of the meeting will be uplifted; otherwise, it will be choked and the spirits of the saints cooled. Sometimes to sense the flow we need to be balanced: we should not care for our own subjective feeling so much as for the flow in the whole meeting.
Suppose now that there is a break in the flow—the subject is suddenly changed by one who is not so well experienced in the spirit. Then you must recover the flow; you must bring it back to its course. Of course, when it has been brought back, everyone must realize that now we are back. We should not go on without coming back; otherwise, we will lose the good continuation. It is sometimes good and right for the flow to take a turn, but we need a proper progression; we cannot jump from this to that without knowing where we are going.
Secondly, for a good coordination we must care well for others, using not only our mouth but also our ears. If you begin to speak and you hear others speaking, immediately stop your voice and let the others finish their praise. This is quite important. After they have finished, you need then to continue in a suitable way. Perhaps what you had begun to say would not be fitting now. You need to be sensitive to the feeling both of the church and of the Spirit. This is not a small matter. Another is this: we must not only listen for others’ voices, but also care for others’ ears. We are not speaking to ourselves, but to the Lord before others; so we all must learn to speak in such a way that others may hear. We should not just love our throats; we should also love others’ ears. Some brothers and sisters are bold in speaking and skillful with the materials, but their voice is not adequate. As a consequence the coordination is damaged, for others cannot properly hear and follow up.