Concerning the activities in the meeting, there is also speaking in addition to selecting hymns and praying. Speaking includes testifying, exhorting, and releasing the light we have received from the Bible. In principle, the points that apply to selecting hymns and praying also apply to speaking.
When we speak in a meeting, we should follow the nature of the meeting; otherwise, our speaking can interrupt the atmosphere and even kill the spirit of the meeting.
Our speaking in a meeting must match the progression. In our speaking we must take care of this point.
Although our speaking must also follow the nature and take care of the progression of a meeting, we must speak according to the sense in our spirit, not merely according to dead knowledge.
If there is a need to read a portion from the Bible, only the verses that are appropriate should be read. Reading an entire chapter or a few chapters can be as unbearable as long prayers. By reading only succinct portions, we can save time and not consume people’s energy. Our Bible reading needs to be brief.
When speaking in a meeting, we need to be brief, succinct, and focused. When some brothers stand up to speak, they speak about everything from atomic bombs to missiles, changing subjects without any inward restraint. Speaking in an unfocused way disturbs the meeting and must be avoided.
We should not be too bold and arrogant, nor should we be afraid when we speak. We need to be calm, not nervous, anxious, timid, or frightened. Being frightened and nervous can weaken the spirit.
We should also pay attention to our voice when we speak. Our voice must be clear and audible so that it can easily be heard and understood by everyone. A soft and muffled voice is not only difficult to understand, but it can also cause the atmosphere of the meeting to sink.
The most important point related to speaking is to exercise our spirit so that it can be released. We should not be like a robot, speaking only from our throat and mind but not from our spirit. Our spirit is released when our whole being is exercised. Once the spirit comes out, we will have a feeling when we open our mouth to speak, and when people hear us, they will be moved. This requires much practice.
We must also consider the feeling and response of others when we speak. If we continue speaking, even though some saints have fallen asleep during our speaking, we disregard the response of the saints. If the saints fall asleep when we are speaking, we can either stop speaking and immediately sit down, or we can change our manner of speaking. This requires our attention and practice.
We must also take care of the time when we speak in a meeting. We should not speak for half an hour or an hour as it pleases us. We must take care of the time.
There should not be pretense in the activities in a meeting. For example, it is pretentious to cry when we have no feeling to cry. To pretend in a meeting is very ugly. All the activities in a meeting must be genuine.
We should not imitate the behavior of other people in a meeting. More than a decade ago, a group of young sisters in Tsingtao tried to imitate an elderly sister who often coughed when speaking the truth. These young sisters imitated her coughing. This imitation made people very uncomfortable. Imitation, however, may not be intentional. It is unavoidable to be influenced by other people after being with them for a long period of time. For example, the brothers and sisters who meet with us pray in a tone that is completely different from believers in the denominations. This is an understandable influence, not an imitation. We need to be careful not to imitate others intentionally. All our activity in a meeting must be genuine.