Decently and In Order

     I Corinthians 14 Paul admonished  the church at Corinth in the proper use of their spiritual gifts.  In chapters 1 and 3 he had pointed out the factions that were causing division in the church.  He admonished them to speak the same things and  be of the same mind and the same judgment.  Those factions were the root of the misuse of their spiritual gifts discussed in chapter 14.

After pointing out the fact that each of them had a gift to be used in the Lord’s work, and that none were of any more value than the others he  concluded  by saying “Let all things be done decently and in order.”          I Corinthians 14:40

That admonition needs to be applied to all we do in the church, especially in our worship to God and communion with Christ.  We all expect the worship service to be orderly.  While there is no set pattern for the order of our worship; that is how many songs or prayers we should have, where communion should be observed, how long the sermon should be, or when should the collection be taken, we do these things in a manner that is decently and in order.  All would agree that God would not be pleased with anything less.  In fact, Paul also wrote in I Corinthians 14:33 “For God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints.”

The admonition to “let all things be done decently and in order” must also apply to those who lead in our worship.  Those who lead prayer, serve communion, lead singing and preach should show respect to God and Christ in how they lead and what they are wearing when they lead.  Shorts and logo t-shirts are not appropriate attire when leading the congregation in worship.  While no rules are made regarding dress, each leader should have enough respect to dress in a manner that is not offensive to God or to others who are assembled in worship. 

Whether we are organizing, leading or participating in worship to God and Christ, “Let all things be done decently and in order.”