We have found that once the meaning of worship is understood, it is possible, as a congregation, to praise God without comfortably padded pews or maroon carpets, without elegant chandeliers or vaulted ceilings.
Instead, a massive sign advertises “Teamsters’ Union Hall—Local No. 705” from the front wall. A hardwood dance floor amplifies the footsteps of latecomers. The elevated train often manages to rumble past during a scheduled time of silent meditation. And, we have constant competition from the police and ambulance sirens as they rush through the calamitous community. The lobby telephone can ring or the janitor’s bell sound at any unexpected moment. Yet, in the midst of this, Sunday by Sunday we are truly worshiping God together.
We have established that the local church speaks to God through worship and prayer. Although prayer is included in the morning services, it is emphasized in the services of prayer throughout the week. These are conducted once or twice a month per geographic area in small home groups.
We discovered that there were not enough church-wide prayer requests to merit our meeting each week as a total body. There are many personal requests, however, and these are shared in an intimate and trusting way because of the closeness which develops in small groups. In order to protect these cells from becoming inclusive, all-church prayer meetings are scheduled every so often on a Sunday night. Anyone is welcome to attend any of the prayer groups, or all of them, if they desire. And several do.
In previous church midweek prayer meetings, we had noticed that the lack of specific requests was usually overlooked because the time was filled by more sermonizing. It seemed foolish to us to for those gathered to spend a large block of the evening listening to another lecture in the service of prayer when there was such a need in our lives for an unhurried period to share personal requests with one an other. The requests that had come in traditional surroundings were boringly repetitious, centering mainly around beds of sickness, unsaved relatives, and missionaries serving around the world. If you have been to one such meeting, you’ve been to them all!
It was Circle Church’s philosophy to have one or two groups meeting during a midweek night. The congregation was encouraged to attend a specific one in their geographic area at least once each month. We are excited about the worship service and the discussion groups, but somehow the small prayer cells are the most rewarding of all. The intense personal honesty that was displayed in them was a new and refreshing experience to me.
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