Many of Jesus’ teachings, healings, and miracles were in response to interruptions. Perhaps by shutting down interruptions churches shut down Jesus.

Roof altering (miracle manifesting) interruptions? (See Luke 5:17-26.) History shows that an eruption of revival and spiritual awakening will always interrupt and disrupt church programs. Interruptions disrupt two things that churches depend on: scheduling and control.

Jesus allowed and even welcomed interruptions when He was speaking. Paul told the body of Christ in Corinth to allow interruptions. “If a revelation comes to someone who is sitting down, the first speaker should stop for you can all prophesy in turn so that everyone may be instructed and encouraged.” Even the formalized religious Pharisees would interrupt Jesus with questions and challenges.

It seems to me that somehow, over the centuries, churches shut down the freedom to interrupt that Jesus so freely embraced. Without the freedom to interrupt, the Holy Spirit is confined to a program. His leading and serendipity are quenched. The roof always stays nicely fit together and paralyzed men and women stay stationary in their seats. Even when it is obvious that people are falling asleep during a sermon, no one dares to interrupt.

I woke up this morning with this thought on my mind: “The body of Christ should be a fountain of many wide-open faucets all freely flowing in God’s Spirit together.” Perhaps it’s time that we begin to follow Jesus’ model and to welcome interruptions by seeing them with the eyes of faith. Christians allow their phone to continually interrupt their life. O that we would let God do the same!

The body of Christ is built through loving relationships, not by hierarchical authority. It is built on heart-to-heart community, not compulsory unity. Church is a fountain of many faucets all shut down but one. The Spirit’s rivers of living water should be freely flowing from you, not just trickling from a preacher. A well-ordered church service can easily disrupt what Jesus wants to do in and through His gathered body.

If we don’t let the risen Jesus frequently interrupt us, it’s easy for His followers to fall into a powerless religious lifestyle. Though out my Christian life, I’ve often discovered that a church service interrupts what Jesus is saying and doing in my heart.

Don’t interrupt God when He is interrupting a sermon. When I was a nominal Christian God interrupted a sermon and spoke words in my heart suddenly showing me that I was only playing church and eventually leading me to a powerful life-long relationship with the risen Jesus. Church doesn’t become what God wants it to be until He is allowed to interrupt.

Heigh ho! Heigh ho!
It’s in the Spirit I go
Letting Jesus freely flow
And interrupt my day!