When functioning in a meeting, we also need to learn the lesson of submission.
In a meeting the responsible brothers may give advice in any of three points.
The responsible brothers bear the responsibility to remind the brothers and sisters to raise their voice when they speak too softly.
The responsible brothers should tell the saints who speak too long to be brief or to finish their speaking soon.
The responsible brothers should also remind the saints to adjust their speaking when their speaking is not appropriate or is cumbersome and repetitive.
We should submit ourselves to the advice of the responsible brothers in all the activities in a meeting, especially when we speak. Their feeling often represents the feeling of the brothers and sisters.
According to 1 Corinthians 14:30, if something is revealed to another sitting by, the first should be silent. This is being submissive to the spiritual inspiration of others. In this way, the order in a meeting is maintained without confusion.
In order to function properly in the meeting, we must also know the hymns. If we do not know the hymns, we will be unable to select them in a meeting. In order to know the hymns and to select appropriate hymns in a meeting, we must pay attention to five points.
We need to know the categories of the hymns. For example, some hymns are for the gospel, some are for edification, and others are for worship.
Although there are many hymns in the same category, they may not all have the same subject. For example, the subject of some gospel hymns is vanity, and the subject of other gospel hymns is the cross of the Lord Jesus. Some of the hymns on remembering the Lord have the Lord’s glory as their subject, and others in the same category focus on the Lord’s suffering. For this reason we need to know the subject of the hymns as well as their categories.
Some hymns may be in the same category and of the same subject but have a different feeling. Every hymn has its feeling. For example, “It passeth knowledge, that dear love of Thine” (Hymns, #154) is a hymn for remembering the Lord and has the Lord’s love as its subject. The feeling of this hymn is fine, sweet, and tender. The feeling of other hymns may not be as fine as this one, even though their subject is the Lord’s love. Some hymns have a fine feeling and are also poetic. Other hymns, however, may not be poetic. In learning the hymns, we need to know their categories and subject so that we can further distinguish them according to their feeling.
To know the hymns by their nature, subject, and feeling is one thing, but to select hymns in the meeting is another. When we select hymns in a meeting, we must match the progression of the meeting. For example, because it is not easy to have an uplifted spirit at the beginning of a meeting, we should not begin the meeting with “Hark! ten thousand voices crying.” Hence, our selecting of hymns must match the progression of a meeting.
Memorizing the number and the first line of the hymns enables us to select hymns in a meeting according to spiritual inspiration. We may have spiritual inspiration and know which hymn to select but forget the hymn number. As a result, the atmosphere of the meeting may change by the time we find the hymn, or someone may grasp the opportunity and call another hymn. This is often a loss to the meeting. For this reason, we need to be familiar with and memorize the number and the first line of the hymns so that we can select the proper hymns when there is a need.
We need to spend time to practice these points. Otherwise, our meetings will not be strong. Let me repeat: our meetings are not a Sunday service. In Christianity and in the Catholic Church, the Sunday service is altogether for the pastors and the priests, who undertake all the activities. Our meetings, on the contrary, are for the brothers and sisters to coordinate with one another and to function together. This applies to prayer meetings, bread-breaking meetings, Bible-study meetings, and fellowship meetings in which we exercise our gifts. The meeting for the ministry of the word is the only exception. Hence, we all need to practice the skills for meeting. If we are not strong in these skills, the meetings will be poor, weak, dead, and depressed. In order to have meetings that are lively and rich, every brother and sister must know how to meet and must possess the skills for meeting. May the Lord bless us in this matter.