Ridgell's Originals

I grew up where you didn't talk in church...unless you were preaching or making announcements. As you can imagine, I sometimes got in trouble for talking. I still have a hard time getting over that whole concept. Be quiet, be "decent and in order", don't be a distraction to others who are trying to worship, and so on. But two things Sunday made me think about how glad I am that things are different.

The first one is about how our elders are always praying when other things are going on in the assembly. It often happens during the Garden of Prayer. The singing finishes, we go on to the connecting thoughts or a blessing...and some of us are still praying with people. Right in the aisle or in front, and out loud. This past Sunday, in both services, some of the elders were praying over the cards of those we want to be touched by Jesus this year. And we prayed aloud over them right up there on our "front porch" while the rest of you were singing. I think that's pretty neat. I like that we are are praying church. I like it that it's OK for me to pray with you before church right in the aisle with people coming in all around us. I believe it honors God.

Then in second service, I was sitting around some of our international students. Two of them were talking during the sermon and even during communion. They were being pretty quiet so I had a hard time hearing them. Since they were speaking English, I wanted to know what was so important they had to discuss it during service. Boy am I glad nobody got onto them for talking. One of them was evidently a visitor and her friend was explaining how to find Scriptures, and what the Lord's Supper was about. She was even doing a pretty good job of explaining Phil's sermon. I thought it was decent of her and certainly in order. I bet they got a lot closer to God than a lot of those who were being quiet.

So do you ever talk in church? And what do you think about those of us who do?