In the previous issue we considered God’s attribute of righteousness. The attribute of goodness is often considered to be synonymous with righteousness. However, we shall see that one can be righteous in all his ways_doing all things according to God’s law and the civil law, upright, honest, fair, not playing favorites, having no respect of persons_and yet not be characterized as being "good." Goodness goes beyond carrying out the letter of the law; it includes the qualities of kindness, benevolence, good will, compassion. Mercy and grace can probably be considered as special aspects of goodness; we will consider these attributes of God in a later issue, Lord willing.

To exemplify the distinction between righteousness and goodness, suppose a landlord charges fair rental rates, carries out his responsibilities in maintaining the property, and only evicts the tenant who does not keep his part of the contract. Such a landlord would be considered righteous. However, if a tenant cannot pay the rent because he has lost his job, the landlord has the privilege_if he is a good man_of not evicting the tenant and of helping him to find a job.

If I slip on my neighbor’s icy sidewalk and break a leg, I have a legal right to sue him for damages. However, I have the privilege of being an example to him of Christ in doing good to him by not suing him, and further, by helping him in the future to keep his sidewalks shoveled.

The distinction between righteousness and goodness is made in Rom. 5:7,8; "For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." The apostle is saying here that it is very rare for a man to lay down his life to rescue one who is an upright man. Somewhat more frequently, but still rarely, a man may die for one who is a "good" person_one who has shown kindness and benevolence as well as honesty, fairness, and uprightness in the past. In stark contrast, Christ died for us who were neither good nor righteous, but sinners.

God is not only perfectly holy and righteous, He is also good. His goodness is frequently attested to by the Scriptures; let us look at some samples:

God revealed Himself in His varied attributes to Moses:"The Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth" (Exod. 34:6).

The goodness of God was a comfort to David in the presence of his enemies:"Why boastest thou thyself in mischief, O mighty man? the goodness of God endureth continually" (Psa. 52:1).

God in His goodness provides us with temporal blessings:"Thou makest the outgoings of the morning and evening to rejoice. Thou visitest the earth, and waterest it; Thou greatly enrichest it with the river of God, which is full of water; Thou preparest them corn, when Thou hast so provided for it. Thou waterest the ridges thereof abundantly; Thou settlest the furrows thereof; Thou makest it soft with showers; Thou blessest the springing thereof. Thou crownest the year with Thy goodness; and Thy paths drop fatness. They drop upon the pastures of the wilderness; and the little hills rejoice on every side. The pastures are clothed with flocks; the valleys also are covered over with corn; they shout for joy, they also sing" (Psa. 65:8-13).

God’s goodness is mentioned repeatedly in Psa. 107, beginning with the opening verse:"O give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good; for His mercy endureth for ever." We read in this psalm of different ways the Lord has delivered His people:He has redeemed them from the hand of the enemy (1-9); delivered them from bondage and prison brought about by their own rebellion (10-16); delivered from sickness and death, again brought about by their own foolishness and transgressions (17-22); and delivered from storms of judgment and persecution (23-32). Each type of deliverance called forth the exclamation, "Oh that men would praise the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men!" (verses 8,15,21,31).

It is not God’s righteousness so much but His "goodness" that "leadeth thee to repentance" (Rom. 2:4). But those who reject Him will some day have to face the "righteous judgment of God, who will render to every man according to his deeds" (verses 5,6).

We do not always appreciate the goodness of God, especially when it is manifested toward those who may be our enemies or toward whom we may have some bad feelings. Jonah was like this. After preaching the destruction of Nineveh, the capital of the kingdom of Assyria, one of Israel’s enemies, Jonah was chagrined to find that the Lord, in His goodness, withdrew His judgment when the people of Nineveh repented of their wickedness.

God the Son, like God the Father, was characterized by goodness:

"God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power; who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil" (Acts 10:38).

"And a certain ruler asked Him, saying, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" (Luke 18:18).

"I am the good shepherd:the good shepherd giveth His life for the sheep" (John 10:11,14).

"Jesus answered them, Many good works have I showed you from My Father; for which of those works do ye stone Me?" (John 10:32).

The believer in Christ is called upon to imitate God (Eph. 5:1) with regard to manifesting goodness to others. In fact, if the Holy Spirit, who indwells each believer, is allowed to have control of us, then we will manifest the fruit of the Spirit which includes "goodness" among other qualities (Gal. 5:22).

Along with the exhortation to "offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually," we are called upon not to forget to "do good and to communicate" (Heb. 13:15,16), that is, to share our time, energy, talents, material goods, etc. with others who are in need.

To be effective ministers of God_shepherding, counseling, and seeking to help those who have fallen into sin, are having emotional problems, and the like_we need to be "full of goodness" as well as "filled with all knowledge" (Rom. 15:14). In other words, I may know that my brother has fallen into some sin, and may go and admonish him concerning that sin; but unless I am filled with goodness_an attitude of wanting to help the other person rather than showing off my knowledge and self-righteousness_I may end up repelling rather than helping my brother. (See also Gal. 6:1 in this regard.)

Our display of goodness is not to be limited to those who are good to us:"Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven; for He maketh His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust" (Matt. 5:43-45). A historical event recorded in the Old Testament beautifully illustrates the display of goodness to one’s enemies. In 2 Kings 6:8-23 we read how the Lord miraculously smote the Syrian army with blindness and delivered the army into the hand of Elisha, prophet of Israel. But when the King of Israel asked Elisha if he should kill them, Elisha responded that the enemies should rather be given food and drink and sent back home. Perhaps the apostle Paul had this episode in mind when he wrote:"If thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink; for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head [that is, cause him to blush with shame or remorse at such unexpected kindness]. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good" (Rom. 12:20,21).

May we be encouraged and motivated by Christ’s supreme example_His unequalled goodness in laying down His life for us, His enemies_to manifest goodness to those with whom we come in contact each day.

The Lord has given specific instruction in His precious Word as to how we can be saved and know we are headed for heaven. Also He has given instruction as to the gatherings of His people here on earth. We find in the Word that there are special meetings that we will call "assembly meetings" where He promises His presence, when gathered as a local church or assembly. We find also that there are different types of assembly meetings specially called for in the Word.

It is important to distinguish between "assembly meetings" and all other gatherings of God’s people. Some meetings of God’s people are organized and led by one or a few members of the local assembly. Usually these meetings are characterized by the exercise of the gift of a particular brother or brothers. For example, when the gospel is presented, the evangelist exercises his gift in individual dependence on God. In the Bible study, the teacher’s gift is helpful and refreshing. Or one gifted as a teacher or a pastor may hold a series of lectures in which he is responsible, as before the Lord, to bring forth suited ministry to the Lord’s people. The assembly may decide to have outreaches using gifts as the Spirit leads. Sunday school work may be the exercise of individuals as led of the Lord as well, and may or may not necessarily be sponsored by the assembly.

Assembly meetings, on the other hand, are gatherings that satisfy the following two criteria. First, the believers must be gathered unto the name of the Lord Jesus as members of the "one body." This we see from Matt. 18:20:"For where two or three are gathered together unto My name, there am I in the midst of them" (JND). The object of each one at such a gathering is "unto" His name. His "name" represents all He stands for as revealed in His Word. It is not merely "in" His name (as in the King James Version), but "unto" or in honor of Him. Also, it is with a real sense in our souls that He is in the midst of His people and we are gathering "unto" or around Himself. "Are gathered" is important too. The power for gathering is doubtless the Holy Spirit who gathers by the Word, and the Word owns no body of believers but the "one body" of which all believers are a part. This expression "are gathered" is also found in other passages of Scripture, especially in the epistles of Paul; such passages give us further direction as to assembly meetings, as we soon shall see. So this verse in Matthew 18 assures us of the presence of the Head of the Church when we are thus gathered.

The second criterion for an assembly meeting is that those gathered together must own that the Spirit, who has baptized us into one body (1 Cor. 12:13), must be free to lead whomsoever He will to take part publicly. "I will pray with the spirit and I will pray with the understanding also; I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also" (1 Cor. 14:15).

Let us consider some verses now that give directions for assembly meetings. In conjunction with Matt. 18:20 quoted above, we have verses 17 and 18:"If he [that is, the brother who has sinned] shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church; but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as a heathen man and a publican. Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." These verses give direction for an assembly meeting for discipline. In the following verse (19) we read:"If two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of My Father which is in heaven." This verse seems to give direction primarily for an assembly meeting for prayer, for it links directly with verse 20, "For where two or three are gathered together unto My name, there am I in the midst of them."

We find the expressions "gathered together" or "come together" in connection with the assembly and they seem to define the assembly meeting in Scripture. "When ye come together . . . into one place" is direction regarding the meeting for the Lord’s supper (1 Cor. 11:20). In 1 Cor. 14:23-32 the same expression is found twice regarding a meeting for the ministry of the Word through "prophets" who, in dependence upon the Spirit, give a word from the Lord suited to the needs of the assembly for the present time. In 1 Cor. 5:4 we read of the assembly "gathered together" to administer discipline to a "wicked person." And in Acts 4:31 we find the saints "assembled together" for a prayer meeting. Thus, we find four kinds of Christian gatherings in the New Testament that seem to fall under the heading of "assembly meetings":the remembrance meeting, 1 Cor. 11; open meeting for ministry of the Word, 1 Cor. 14; prayer meeting, Matt. 18 and Acts 4; and meeting for discipline, Matt. 18 and 1 Cor. 5.

As mentioned earlier, spiritual gifts of individual members of the assembly are prominent in the first category of meetings considered (that is, evangelistic and teaching meetings, Bible studies, Sunday schools, and the like). In fact, all believers have different gifts through the Spirit who divides "to every man severally as He will" (1 Cor. 12:11). The gifts are for the "perfecting [or equipping] of the saints" in view of the work of the ministry, which "the whole body" is doing as directed by the Head (Eph. 4:12-16). However, in the meetings specifically designated "when ye are gathered together" (or similar terms), we do not find spiritual gifts emphasized.

The remembrance meeting is designed for the worship of Christ, and there is no gift for worship. All the redeemed can do this. Similarly, there is no gift for prayer, for it is the very breath of every believer. While the Lord may be pleased to use different gifts in the ministry meeting, this is not necessarily the case. All brothers* in the assembly are free to prophesy if the Spirit gives them a word:"Ye may all prophesy one by one" (1 Cor. 14:31). The guiding principle is, "If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth" (1 Pet. 4:11). Often it is the "five words" (1 Cor. 14:19) of exhortation or encouragement given by a brother with little evident public gift that has the greatest, most lasting impact on the listeners. And with regard to a meeting for discipline, although we value any gifts of government and efforts of oversight and care of older brethren at such a meeting, the final action is by all in the assembly "when . . . gathered together" (1 Cor. 5:4,5).

In review, an assembly meeting is one where we are gathered unto Christ’s name alone by His Word and dependent upon the Spirit alone to lead whomever He will to pray, announce a hymn, minister the Word, and so forth, whatever may be appropriate for the particular meeting. Each assembly meeting has a specific purpose:remembrance meeting_worship; discipline meeting_order; ministry meeting_edification; prayer meeting_dependence. Also, there can rightly be other gatherings besides so-called assembly meetings. But the conduct of these is more the responsibility of pre-designated individuals, generally those with appropriate spiritual gifts.

It should be evident by now why we, along with others, have applied the term "assembly meetings"

*It should be noticed that the women are to "keep silence" in the assembly meetings (1 Cor. 14:34). The word for "keep silence" means "not to address publicly." The women are, however, privileged to audibly sing with the rest and say amen.

only to the one class of gatherings. It is these meetings that particularly exemplify the truth of the assembly or church, which is the body of Christ, with all of the believers in the local assembly unitedly waiting upon the Holy Spirit to lead in the order and conduct of the meeting. The other types of gatherings, such as Bible studies and gospel meetings, are very proper and helpful and needful as well. But since the order of these meetings, the Scripture portion to be studied, etc., are decided in advance by those responsible for the gatherings, they do not so much exemplify the truth of the assembly, the one body of Christ.

Finally, it seems in keeping with the ministry of the Spirit of God on this subject to close with the plea that is linked with our privilege "to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus":"Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another:and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching" (Heb. 10:19,25). The greatness of the privilege we have of gathering in His very presence is, at best, little realized by us, I believe. But it is so special to God and His Son and the Holy Spirit. The veil at the entrance of the holiest of all has been rent at Calvary, and those whose sins are remembered no more are graciously invited to "draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith" (Heb. 10:22). There is responsibility linked with this privilege to "hold fast the profession of our faith" and "consider one another." Such responsibility we may well count a great privilege too, in view of His soon return and our presence there in the glory with Him eternally. "He is faithful," and so can we be through His strength and a sense of His grace. Assembly meetings are indeed special. They are special to Christ as He is there, and we should not "forsake" them, but be there with adoring hearts, filled with gratefulness to Him "who loves us, and has washed us from our sins in His blood" (Rev. 1:5 JND).

Introduction

The definition and description of so-called assembly meetings has been presented very clearly by Bro. David Johnson in his article, "Assembly Meetings," appearing elsewhere in this issue. These are very special meetings in that there is to be total dependence upon the leading of the Holy Spirit as to the order and conduct of the meetings. In the present article I wish to address a number of aspects of the conduct of such meetings, including the following questions:(1) Who is permitted to participate in such a meeting? (2) How can each brother and sister prepare for such a meeting? (3) Is there to be a specific theme for the meeting? (4) Is a particular order to be followed? (5) What can be done about long periods of silence that may occur during such a meeting? (6) What if a particular brother does not edify the assembly by his ministry? (7) How long should a message be? (8) How is such a meeting to be concluded? Reference will be made in this article to three types of assembly meetings_the remembrance meeting (or Lord’s supper), prayer meeting, and meeting for ministry of the Word of God.

Who Is Permitted to Participate?

It is clear from 1 Cor. 14:34,35 that the sisters are not permitted to participate verbally in such meetings:"Let your women keep silence in the churches:for it is not permitted unto them to speak; … it is a shame for women to speak in the church." 1 Tim. 2:11,12 goes along with this:"Let the women learn in silence with all subjection. But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence." The reason for this prohibition seems to have to do with the God-ordained headship of the man over the woman, and is not intended to imply that women are less spiritual, less gifted, or less able to participate.

It also seems clear from 1 Cor. 14 that neither are men to participate verbally, unless they are led by the Holy Spirit to do so, and unless they have something to give that will edify the assembly (verses 12,15,26). The assembly meeting is not a place for man to show off his intellect, skills in oratory, spiritual gift, knowledge of the Word of God, or himself in any way. The Holy Spirit is to be in charge; the brothers are to be instruments through whom the Spirit either ministers the Word to the assembly or expresses the assembly’s prayers and praises to the Lord. For this reason, a brother who has a so-called "public" gift, such as teacher or evangelist, needs to be especially careful that it is the Holy Spirit Himself and not his spiritual gift per se that motivates him to participate in the assembly meeting.

How Can We Prepare?

It may be thought that since only the brothers are permitted to speak, only they have to be concerned about preparing for an assembly meeting. This is not at all the case. The "success" of an assembly meeting depends as much on the sisters coming properly prepared as the brothers. One aspect of this preparation is prayer and communion with the Father. We must pray that we will all_brothers and sisters alike_be in a proper spirit to receive what the Lord has to give us (if it is a ministry meeting) or to give what is worthy of the Lord (if it is a prayer or worship meeting). We must pray also that the Spirit will have liberty to use whomever He wants to minister the Word, pray, give out a hymn, or worship. This means that those who are naturally timid and reluctant will be encouraged to speak if the Holy Spirit leads, and that those who are naturally bold and forward and gifted will be restrained from speaking unless the Spirit moves them.

Another way we can prepare is to be often engaged in individual meetings_just ourselves and the Lord_of the same character. What do I mean by this? We best prepare for the assembly prayer meeting by being often alone with the Lord in prayer (Matt. 6:6); for the remembrance meeting by thinking of the Lord and His death often during the week; and for the ministry meeting by regular personal reading, studying, and meditating on God’s Word. (The Spirit is not likely to lead a brother to expound the 24th chapter of Jeremiah if he has never read and meditated on it before.)

In my judgment, it is not amiss for the brothers to ask the Lord in advance of the meeting to give them specific Scripture portions or topics to meditate on and organize in their mind. However, one should never go into a meeting with the thought that "I am going to give out hymn such and such or read chapter such and such from the Bible." We must seek to be totally yielded to the guidance of the Spirit that He might use the brothers of His choice to give the hymns, prayers, readings, meditations, and/or teachings of His choice.

We should arrive at the meeting in harmony and peace with one another if we expect to receive a blessing from the Lord. "If thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee, leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way:first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift" (Matt. 5:23,24).

And finally, we should make every attempt to arrive at the meeting early so we can get settled in our seats and have a few minutes of silent prayer before the meeting begins. In these meetings we are acting upon the truth of Matt. 18:20:"Where two or three are gathered together in [unto] My name, there am I in the midst of them." Just think of it- we are gathering together to meet with the Lord, with Himself in our midst! Should this not lead us to gather in a spirit of eager, but sober anticipation? All too often, especially at Bible conferences, people come into the building talking and laughing with one another and this continues right up to the appointed hour for beginning the assembly meeting. These things ought not to be, dear brothers and sisters!!

Is There to Be a Specific Theme?

In 1 Cor. 14:23,26,29 we read:"If therefore the whole church be come together into one place . . . every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying. . . . Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the others judge." The assembly meeting described here seems to have been of a rather general character, including both worship and ministry. In addition to this, there seems to be scriptural warrant for more specialized assembly meetings, particularly those for prayer (Matt. 18:19,20; Acts 4:31) and for remembering the Lord in His death (1 Cor. 11:17-29). I have heard of assembly meetings being held in times past for the purpose of public confession concerning the low spiritual state of the local assembly and the Church in general. No doubt as the last times come more and more upon us we will see less and less of this type of meeting because of our increasing pride, self-sufficiency, and self-righteousness.

In the assembly meeting described in 1 Cor. 14 prophesying plays an important role. Prophesying does not primarily refer to prediction of future events but means literally "speaking on behalf of another"_in this case on behalf of God, or "as the oracles of God" (1 Pet. 4:11). The one who prophesies gives a message from God based on the Holy Scriptures. This may be a development of a scriptural doctrine or teaching (1 Cor. 14:26), or a word of comfort, encouragement, or exhortation (verses 3,31). It may even, on occasion, be a gospel message suited to an unsaved person present (verses 24,25)_a message used by the Holy Spirit to convict him and manifest to himself the "secrets of his heart," leading him to fall "down on his face" and "worship God."

Is a Particular Order to Be Followed?

An observer who regularly attends the remembrance meeting at a particular assembly may get the impression that there are certain rules to be followed as to the order of the service. For example, the meeting may always open with a hymn and close with a prayer, and the giving of thanks for the bread and the wine invariably takes place during the latter half of the meeting. The reading of scripture, if done at all, usually occurs just before or just after the passing of the bread and the wine. Such regularity of order may well indicate that the assembly has fallen into a rut of tradition rather than maintaining the freshness of waiting on the Holy Spirit to lead and direct. One has remarked to me, "I think it is so nice when the remembrance meeting closes with a prayer." And I have heard of assemblies where it was held that the remembrance meeting had to conclude with a prayer. May I appeal to all such that we try not to put God in a box. Let us not limit the Spirit’s control by imposing our own rules and order on such a meeting. If the Holy Spirit so leads, a remembrance meeting may open equally with a hymn, a prayer, a reading of scripture, or with the giving thanks for the loaf and the cup; and it might close in any of these ways. Similarly, let us guard against traditions such as always opening a prayer meeting with a hymn (or two hymns), and opening a ministry meeting with a hymn and a prayer.

What About Periods of Silence?

For some people, assembly meetings can be agonizing experiences. This is because they cannot tolerate the quiet periods that may occur between hymns, prayers, scripture readings, etc. If one has brought a neighbor to the meeting, it may be a particular embarrassment to have a long period of silence. Worse yet, the longer the period of silence becomes, the more likely it is that one of the brothers will act in the flesh_for example, giving out a hymn just to do something_ rather than continue waiting to be led by the Holy Spirit. What are the causes of long periods of silence and what can be done about them?

I would suggest four possible reasons for long periods of silence during an assembly meeting; no doubt there are others besides. First, the believers_brothers and sisters alike_may not have come prepared in spirit. One family may still be upset from an argument during the drive in; others may have difficulty getting their minds off the ball game they were listening to just before the meeting; and others may have been so occupied with their job or home responsibilities that they had not given a bit of thought to the meeting before sitting down.

Second, a brother may have been led by the Holy Spirit to speak on a certain topic, but needs time to locate the appropriate scriptures and organize his thoughts.

Third, the Holy Spirit may have given a word to a brother who is naturally timid and reserved and who may be waiting for more definite assurance that the Spirit really wants him to get up and speak.

Fourth, if the period of silence follows a scripture reading or meditation already given, the Holy Spirit may want to give the entire assembly an extended period of quietness simply to meditate upon and assimilate the Word that has just been given to them.

How should we behave during such periods of silence? First, brothers, do not panic and go ahead of the Holy Spirit. Second, sisters, do not sigh, clear your throats, look disgusted, look at the clock, or in any other way try to convey to your brothers that things would be a lot better if you were in charge. Such behavior only deepens the sense of panic (see above) and further distracts the brothers from seeking the leading of the Holy Spirit. It will be far more profitable to continue the period of silence than to have it interrupted by one speaking from himself and not from the Holy Spirit.

Third, in accordance with Matt. 5:24 and 1 Cor. 11:28, all should take this time to examine themselves as to whether there is anything in their own behavior or relationships with others in the assembly that may be hindering the Holy Spirit in this meeting.

Fourth, put this quiet time to good use, just as you would a period of quiet at home. Use it to pray (first of all that the Holy Spirit will maintain control of the present meeting), read the Word, or meditate on a portion you have read recently. You might even (I speak now to the sisters) ask the Lord to impress a portion from His Word on your heart as if you were free to participate in the meeting. Who knows? Perhaps the Lord is at the same moment preparing a brother to expound on this very portion of Scripture. And if not, you will still be blessed with what the Lord has given you personally.

A brother once told me of a time when he was in an assembly with only one other brother besides himself, but still they had periodic assembly meetings for ministry of the Word and worship as described in 1 Cor. 14. On at least one occasion, he related, neither he nor the other brother spoke throughout the entire meeting (though perhaps there was a hymn or a prayer). "What a waste of time," some might exclaim if this were to happen in their assembly. However, others who come in the proper spirit might very well exclaim that it was one of the most precious hours they have ever spent.

Further questions concerning the conduct of assembly meetings will be taken up in the next issue, Lord willing.

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The question is sometimes asked, "When should we begin to take our children to the meetings?" Our answer to this is, "Begin at once." Children should be brought up to expect to go to the meetings; they should see their parents faithful in attendance. If the parents carelessly neglect "the assembling . . . together" (Heb. 10:25), then they may expect the children to consider that it is of little importance. In the days of King Jehoshaphat, we read, "And all Judah stood before the Lord, with their little ones, their wives, and their children" (2 Chron. 20:13).

It is indeed a beautiful sight when the father, mother, growing children, and even the babe in arms are found making their way together to the remembrance meeting, gospel meeting, and other meetings of the assembly. We recognize that there are certain limitations in the health and strength of the parents and the children at times, but we are speaking of a general principle and of what is desirable.

Some children learn very easily that they are to be quiet during the meetings, and others learn with great difficulty_ sometimes with considerable trouble to the parents. We have known of some parents who went together to their knees and sought the Lord’s special help each time before they left for the meeting. It takes wisdom and patience to persevere until the children learn how to behave at such times. It may also require patience and understanding on the part of others while the parents seek to train the children. Usually it is only for a short time for each child, so let the parents take courage and bring the children to the meetings, seeking the Lord’s help in dealing with the problem of keeping them quiet. If on occasion a child makes too much disturbance it should be taken out, but let not the parents give up.

Some mothers take time out each day to sing and read with then- children while the little ones have to sit still and be quiet. Others see to it that the children are trained in being quiet during the daily family reading.

As the small children grow up they should be taught to listen to what is said in the meetings, and not be encouraged to carelessness by having other things to occupy them. It is to be deplored when children old enough to understand what is said, or at least a part of it, are given drawing books and other such objects to distract them. Sometimes children who should be drinking in a solemn gospel message and taking it to heart are present in body only while their minds are on something else brought in with them.

After the children start going to school the temptation often arises to keep them home from the midweek prayer meeting and maybe even the Sunday evening gospel meeting on the grounds that they have lessons to prepare for school or they have to go to bed early to be fresh for school the next day. We suggest that with a bit of foresight by the parents, the children’s activities can generally be ordered so that the school lessons are completed prior to the time of the meeting and sometimes even a short nap worked in if lack of sleep is really a problem. Children are not likely to suffer a breakdown in health or get poor grades in school because their parents take them to meetings on or two evenings each week.

May the Lord, then, encourage parents to be faithful in taking their children to the meetings of the assembly. There will be much blessing, we believe, for both the parents and the children if this is done.

My dear brother:

Thank you for your recent letter. Once again this past Lord’s day, ____________ and I were the only men present for the remembrance meeting. I have given some thought this past week to the importance of the Lord’s Supper and the privilege that we have to be able to show forth our Lord’s death as He has asked us to do. How important it is, indeed, to be gathered together for the express purpose of remembering the Lord in His death. For it is in this manner that we collectively worship Him. "The cup of blessing which we bless" and "the bread which we break" (1 Cor. 10:16) speak of that collective worship. How blessed it is for the Lord to see His "body" respond to His request of remembrance.

When we consider the privilege of partaking of the emblems, I think we are drawn to consider the responsibility also. Our Lord requires and deserves our worship. He has requested that we remember His death_how small a request from One who has done so much for us_so we should, with grateful hearts, honor that request. When one is absent from the Lord’s supper, both that person and the rest of the assembly suffer. We lose out on that close communion and fellowship with our blessed Saviour that comes from worshiping Him. Also, our Saviour has been denied that which He has requested.

This is why I am somewhat discouraged. More so, I think, I am amazed. It would seem that those who have taken a stand for the correct principles of gathering would desire to enter into a closeness to their Saviour that many believers will never encounter while in this scene. Should not their hearts desire greatly to worship our precious Saviour?

J. N. Darby defines worship this way:"It is the honor and adoration which are rendered to God by reason of what He is in Himself, and what He is for those who render it" (Collected Writings, Vol. 7, p. 88). What, then, is He to those who can skip the remembrance meetings often and seem to have no regrets. It would seem natural (to the Christian) that after a week of studying the Word and serving the Lord our hearts would be filled with praise and adoration for Him who is our joy and strength.

I agree, dear brother, that at times our brethren fail us. But more importantly, when they repeatedly miss the meetings, they fail their blessed Lord and Saviour. Also, we must ask whether we ourselves are above such behavior? Certainly not! I think it is very important, even necessary, to keep before us the Person of the Christ, His glory, His love, so that we might not lose track of the fact that He deserves our simple praise and worship. Surely, we have often been discouraged. Let us be very careful that we are not a discouragement to others.

What to do then? I could not agree with you more. We must strive to maintain the ground of gathering that our blessed Lord has shown us through His Word. We must seek to encourage our dear brothers and sisters, even those who may be older than we, to "consider [their] ways" (Hag. 1:5). We must each seek to learn, and to grow, that we may be an asset to the assembly. We must seek to show forth the preciousness of Christ to our brethren (1 Peter 2:7). If we succeed in thus encouraging one another, our blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ will be glorified.

If it is true that "TO OBEY IS BETTER THAN SACRIFICE" (1 Sam. 15:22)_and indeed it is_let us then be obedient to the Lord. We are accountable to Him alone. I am encouraged to know that you share my concerns and problems and I thank you for your words of comfort, encouragement, and cheer. Believe me, dear brother, they have not fallen on deaf ears. May we be before the Lord about these things, casting our cares upon Him.

Love in Christ,__________