Do you ever get the hear-another-sermon-blues?  Well, don’t fret.  I can’t find the word “sermon” in the Bible.  Can you?

When you regularly share with others about what God is saying to you and about what He is doing in your life, you will grow spiritually strong.  However, most churches don’t allow regular people to speak and share in the worship service. Perhaps this is causing us ordinary people to miss out on many opportunities to grow strong in God.

Few, if any, family gatherings today are programmed and controlled by one person in the front of the room (like most church services). Instead family get-togethers involve spontaneous sharing and participation as people encourage one another and enjoy being together.

Hey, perhaps that would be powerful and effective if we tried it in Sunday morning church meetings!

“The early church, it seems, had an open system of communication, but we, in contrast, have preferred a closed one. Our ‘sermon’ tradition simply leaves no room for listener participation in the communication process. Thus, with nothing to say, ask, or contribute, the saints are rendered passive.” –Darryl M. Erke

“The exercise of the spiritual gifts was the characteristic element in primitive worship. Those gifts might vary in their nature and degree according to the capacity of each individual, but they were bestowed on all and room was allowed in the service for the participation of all who were present. ‘When you meet together,’ says Paul, ‘each of you hath a psalm, a teaching, a tongue, an interpretation.’ Every member was expected to contribute something of his own to the common worship.” –Ernest F. Scott

Experience participatory church for yourself.  Come and visit The Salvation Army Berry Street, 225 Berry St., Nashville, TN 37207 on Sunday mornings at 10:45.