When you gather for worship, each one of you be prepared with something that will be useful for all: Sing a hymn, teach a lesson, tell a story, lead a prayer, provide an insight. If prayers are offered in tongues, two or three's the limit, and then only if someone is present who can interpret what you're saying. Otherwise, keep it between God and yourself. And no more than two or three speakers at a meeting, with the rest of you listening and taking it to heart. Take your turn, no one person taking over. Then each speaker gets a chance to say something special from God, and you all learn from each other. If you choose to speak, you're also responsible for how and when you speak. When we worship the right way, God doesn't stir us up into confusion; he brings us into harmony. This goes for all the churches—no exceptions.

The Message, 1 Corinthians 14:26-33.

Herein lies my quandry with the construct of 'Church' as it now stands. Why don't we do as the above verse states?

Why does Church require singing, then sermon, then ministry time, then finish?

Does our very tradition of 'Church' limit the way God can move and minister to those who follow Him (and want to follow Him)?

I don't know what's been going on lately, but I've been questioning the very essence of Church as I've known it for the 26 years I've attened (ie. my entire life). Sometimes I wonder if the way Church is 'done' actually allows God to move the way He wants to?

It's a struggle to go to Church somedays. I don't want it to be for MY blessing; but I do feel very stunted and restricted in the way Church is 'done' (and it's not just my Church - pretty much every Church I've ever gone to uses the same formula to create a Church service). My spirit soars when we look outside the traditional form of church (worship, sermon, ministry), and look into valuable dialogue as a group of peers, rather than a minister/ministry team/flock system.

I don't know if I make any sense with this. I don't even know really where I'm going with it. All I know is that there's a lot of questions in my head right now about what 'Church' really means, and if God gets limited by the way we 'make' Church.

Home Church appeals. I don't know how that fits in with my commitment to my home Church (one I've had to make as part of a missions team), but I'm enjoying studying the concept of Home/Organic Church, and how that links up with the Church of Acts.

I'll keep you posted as to how my thoughts and feelings evolve. I just feel very disatisfied right now.