THE PRACTICE HANDBOOK FOR THE DISTRICT SERVING ONES
SERIES THREE
PRACTICAL SERVICES
Message Six
Cleaning and Arrangements
John 6:12 And when they were filled, He said to His disciples, Gather the broken pieces left over that nothing may be lost. So they gathered them and filled twelve handbaskets with broken pieces from the five barley loaves which were left over among those who had eaten.
Col. 2:5 For even though I am absent in the flesh, yet in the spirit I am with you, rejoicing and seeing your order and the solid basis of your faith in Christ.
THE LEVITICAL SERVICE—
THE SERVICE OF PRACTICAL AFFAIRS
We do not need to say much concerning the service of the Levites, because it is a very simple matter. The Levitical work is different from the priestly work. The priests are for serving God and for attending to the things in the tabernacle. The Levites are for serving the priests, helping the priests. In other words, the priestly service represented in the Old Testament is a spiritual service. But the Levitical service refers to the service of practical affairs. The Levites washed the bullocks, poured out the blood, carried away the dung, helped in flaying the offerings, and also carried the things of the tabernacle. Whenever God’s pillar of cloud rose up, the tabernacle was taken down, and the Levites came to carry the things of the tabernacle. All these things are the Levitical service.
Although what the Levites do is not spiritual, what they do is related to God and to spirituality; it is of the world but not in the world. The things that they do are in the church. Therefore, in the Bible the service of the deacons is Levitical in nature.
There are deacons in the local churches. The work of the deacons in the local churches is Levitical in nature. They take care of the practical affairs, and these affairs are related to the church. (CWWN, vol. 51, “Church Affairs,” ch. 3)
CARING FOR THE BUSINESS AFFAIRS OF THE CHURCH
It is not right to think that since we are spiritual and are doing a spiritual work, we do not need business affairs in the church service. In order to have a proper coordination, we need a service office to conduct the business affairs of the church in a proper way. Since to care for the fruit and the lambs is a great endeavor, we must carry it out in the way of coordination and with the proper business affairs. (CWWL, 1967, vol. 2, “Bearing Fruit in a Living and Coordinated Way for the Building Up of the Body of Christ,” ch. 3)
We also need to participate in the practical service of the church, that is, to share responsibility for the church’s practical affairs. The practical affairs of the church may include chair arranging, photocopying materials, and cleaning the meeting hall. As the church grows, there will be more matters to take care of, and we should all help take care of these things so that the church can be built up. Each week we should spend some time to help in these matters. One brother who was the president of a banking company came to the meeting hall once a week to clean windows. Another sister came every week to clean and dust the piano. If you went to the meeting hall, you would see many saints working, caring for practical matters, and praying. During their service they prayed and fellowshipped together. This kind of service helped build up the churches in China.
The more we share in the responsibilities of the church, the more we will love the church and take an interest in it. Also, when everything in the meeting hall is in order and everything has been covered through prayer and fellowship, others will sense the Lord’s presence when they come to the meetings. If we are serious concerning the Lord and the church, we will not be loose in our service but be built in a solid way through our service. This can be done in a up practical way only by taking care of people and the practical affairs of the church. (CWWL, 1964, vol. 1, “Serving in the Body for the Carrying Out of the Lord’s Recovery,” ch. 6)
PRINCIPLE IN SERVICE—
ALL THE BROTHERS AND SISTERS HAVING PRACTICAL SERVICE
I have said enough concerning the practical affairs. You have to be clear before God about this principle that all the brothers and sisters must have spiritual service as well as practical service. It does not matter how much everyone can do. I expect that everyone will work and do his best. If this matter can be properly arranged, the church will be able to progress step by step. Brothers, I say again that you must realize that the responsibility upon you is very great and that the things in your hands will keep you very busy. You have to work to such an extent that you bring all the brothers to the same condition that you are in. When all the brothers come and serve together, the church in that locality will have a foundation. When others see this, they will know the church is in our midst. Everyone works, everyone shares in the practical affairs, and everyone participates in the spiritual things.
With regard to the practical affairs of the church, the brothers and sisters must be very concerned and very clear. Regardless of what kind of affair it is, all must put their hand to it. For example, the cleaning of the meeting place and the care and arrangement of the blankets and sheets that belong to the church are all in the nature of the service of the Levites. The care of those who are needy among us and the receiving and sending off of visiting brothers and sisters are also work in the nature of the Levitical service. There is a great amount of work in the nature of the Levitical service. There is much work in the church service office, which is also Levitical.
When a person serves God, there is the priestly work on the one hand, and there is the Levitical work on the other hand. Both should be accomplished. On the one hand, you participate in the spiritual service, and on the other hand, you should also take care of the practical affairs. Remember that Stephen and some others took care of serving food. That was the service of the deacons, the work of the Levites. When the disciples distributed the loaves and collected twelve baskets of fragments and on another occasion collected seven baskets of fragments, they were doing the work of the deacons. In particular, Judas’s responsibility for the purse was the business of the deacons. The Lord Jesus at the well at Sychar sent His disciples away to buy food. Their buying of food also was the work of the deacons. These things occupy a great part of Christian work. This category of things is what everyone in the church must properly learn before God. (CWWN, vol. 51, “Church Affairs,” ch. 3)
SEVERAL THINGS TO LEARN IN SERVICE
Giving Instructions and Making Arrangements
Elders should not only have Monday fellowship meetings but should also give instructions and make arrangements related to the various works and services. The best way is to take care of matters on the following days: Tuesday for matters related to the deacons’ office, Wednesday for matters related to visitation, Thursday for gospel- related matters, Friday for business related to the care of the meeting hall, and Saturday for accounting matters. Such arrangements are not organizational; they are like laying train tracks so that the church can be orderly in every aspect. Everything must be done becomingly and in order (1 Cor. 14:40) (CWWL, 1950-1951, vol. 1, “The Recovery of the Church According to the Pattern on the Mountain,” msg. 31)
Learning to Be Organic
According to this human view, the church is an organization. However, from God’s view the church is not an organization; it is the Body of Christ. The Head of this Body is Christ, not Peter. At the most, Peter is only a member of this Body. Some members of the Body may be fingers; these are small members. Other members may be arms; these are larger members. However, whether a believer is a finger or an arm, he is merely one of the members of the Body; he is not the head.
The church is not an organization but a Body, an organism. …We need to ask ourselves whether our service comes out of an organizational or organic understanding. If a sister serves only because she has been given an “assignment” by the elders, her service is organizational. If we are organizational, our activities will be organized, and we will be an organization, an organized entity. We must learn to be organic in our service. (CWWL, 1984, vol. 4, “Crucial Words of Leading in the Lord’s Recovery, Book 3: The Future of the Lord’s Recovery and the Building Up of the Organic Service,”ch. 17)
An Attitude of Being Willing to Labor
We need an attitude of being willing to labor. For example, if the brothers tell us to sweep the floor of the meeting hall, we should sweep it thoroughly so that it is very clean. When I was in the church in Chefoo, I took the lead to clean the hall. Even though it was an old house, it was kept spotless and attractive. Every guest room had a different color scheme. For example, for the white guest room, every item from the bedding to the decorations was white; for the yellow guest room, every item was yellow. At that time those who were responsible for taking care of the guest rooms were perfected by me. We should always seek to improve so that there is an atmosphere of freshness. In Chefoo I designed the church’s meeting hall, the sisters’ prayer room, and the brothers’ prayer room. However, I would often rearrange the furniture in the meeting hall, because I always sought to make improvements. In this way, when people came into the hall, they would have a sense of newness and realize that we had made improvements. This is the proper way to administrate the church. (CWWL, 1984, vol. 4, “Crucial Words of Leading in the Lord’s Recovery, Book 3: The Future of the Lord’s Recovery and the Building Up of the Organic Service,”ch. 6)
CLEANING SERVICE
Taking the Lead to Clean
We should never give the brothers and sisters an impression that the elders are a special class, because this annuls the saints’ function. People outside the church regard elders as leaders, and we do not blame them for having this thought, but we should not have this thought in the church. For example, the elders can clean, just as the young people can clean. When I was in Chefoo, I took the lead to clean the toilets. The elders do not necessarily have to clean the toilets, but this does not mean that the elders are exempt from cleaning. Sometimes the elders need to take the lead to clean the toilets in order to be patterns of the flock. In everything in the church life, elders should take the lead, even in cleaning. (CWWL, 1985, vol. 2, “The Propagation of the Gospel and the Administration of the Church,” ch. 10)
Therefore, the elders should not give orders to the deacons, and neither should the deacons consider themselves to be subordinates to the elders. We are in the Body of Christ. The saints who are responsible for a service do not need to report back to the elders. The elders should not give orders when they need help; rather, they should get help through fellowship. Forty years ago when I was in the church in Chefoo, every item in the service was put into good order. I even got involved in the cleaning and took the lead to clean. Before I got involved, none of the elders were involved, but after I took the lead, they all followed. (CWWL, 1985, vol. 1, “Crucial Words of Leading in the Lord’s Recovery, Book 5: Concerning Various Aspects of Church Service,” msg. 9)
Focusing on What We Do
We must learn to focus on what we do, and we should not analyze whether or not we are able to accomplish a job. … If our service is to clean the restrooms, we should clean the restrooms so that they are spotless. If we are on meal service, what we prepare should be delicious. When I was in Chefoo, I took the lead to clean the restrooms, and I cleaned them in such a way that everyone admired them and tried to keep them clean. (CWWL, 1984, vol. 4, “Crucial Words of Leading in the Lord’s Recovery, Book 3: The Future of the Lord’s Recovery and the Building Up of the Organic Service,” ch. 6)
Functioning as Priests while Cleaning the Meeting Hall
We can also function as priests while cleaning the meeting hall. No matter what we do, as long as we do it with God and in fellowship to bring people into God, we are functioning as priests. Hence, before we begin cleaning, we should first pray until our prayer is thorough and unhindered and until we are filled with the Spirit. It does not matter what we are cleaning, because cleaning is only a means. We need to serve together with the saints. While we are cleaning, we should flow out life, minister life, to bring the Spirit to others. This is what it means to serve as priests.
We all have had such experiences in our service in the church. While we are cleaning, a sister may speak a word that causes us to touch God and hence brings us into God. By speaking in such a way, this sister is serving as a priest. To minister God to others does not require the giving of a message. Whether we are cleaning the restrooms or the chairs and tables, we can supply others. Standing at the podium is not the measure of who a priest is; the measure of a priest is the ministering of God to people. If we contact God and are filled with Him, with the Spirit, and with the anointing oil, people will touch the anointing oil when they touch us, no matter how we serve. This is to serve as a priest. (CWWL, 1979, vol. 2, “Praying Unceasingly and Living in the Spirit,” ch. 6)
ARRANGEMENT OF BUSINESS AFFAIRS
Taking Care of the Proper Appearance of the Meeting Hall
In the past we thought that appearance was not important. We thought that this was a minor matter that could be handled by some hired workers. We thought that we should reserve the saints’ energy for spiritual work. But the more services there are in the church and the larger our meeting place is, the more pressing are these needs. Some people do not mind if our meeting hall is dirty or messy, but some people are naturally clean and tidy. They are used to cleanliness and feel uncomfortable when they come in. In large cities everyone pays much attention to modern amenities and hygiene. If a man comes into the meeting hall, and he finds the furnishings poor and dirty, it will be hard for him to be saved. Suppose there are specks and dirt on the chairs of the meeting hall. A person who comes to listen to the gospel must wipe it with a handkerchief before he can sit down. It would be hard for such a one to be saved. A messy hall can easily stumble others. A man once came to listen to the gospel in a white shirt. He was turned off from the gospel when the back of the chair soiled his shirt. The next day he came back to accuse the church and harass it. Although we do not want to be too fancy, modern, or extravagant, we should be proper, clean, and neat.
The Need for Spiritual Feelings in Our Arrangements
In decorating the meeting hall, we must have spiritual feelings. Our feelings should not be superficial. We should do things out of a genuine love for the Lord. In our services we need thorough prayer. We do not determine the worth of a work by the work itself but by the person who is doing the work. Mopping the floor is a small thing, but if the president of the United States, Mr. Truman, or the queen of England came to No. 7 Jordan Road to mop, this would be a very significant event. Suppose a brother comes with a rag in his hand to clean the meeting hall. If his heart is for the Lord, he will pray as he cleans the windows. He will ask that the Lord bestow grace to the church through his labor. In this way his window cleaning becomes something weighty. If enough of the brothers’ and sisters’ love, prayer, and service are lavished on the meeting hall in this way, will not the Lord bless us? We have to remember the words of Song of Songs 2. The Lord Jesus is standing behind the wall. He is looking through the windows and through the lattice (v. 9). If the windows of the meeting hall are not clean and if the walls are dirty and greasy, I am afraid that the Lord cannot bless us.
Many brothers and sisters were saved because they were impressed by the cleanliness of the meeting hall. One brother was somewhat messy before he was saved. When he came to the meeting hall, the very sight of cleanliness and orderliness turned him to salvation. Another person did not believe in any so-called sacred sites. But as soon as he saw our meeting hall, he was subdued and believed. Two brothers were saved because they saw the meeting hall in their dreams. In 1942 they returned home from Shanghai. In their dreams they saw themselves walking into the meeting hall. When they woke up, they went to the meeting hall and saw that it was just as neat and tidy as they had seen in their dreams, and they were saved.
In decorating the meeting hall we must not only do a good job, but also we must lavish the saints’ prayer, zealous spirits, and love on it. This is where we differ from the Gentiles.
Inciting a Love for Serving the Lord
A meeting hall that is properly decorated will incite the brothers and sisters to love the Lord and to serve Him. The job itself may be very insignificant, but if it is done by us personally, we will take personal interest in it. If we encourage the brothers and sisters to clean the meeting hall themselves, we will incite in the saints a heart to love the Lord and to serve Him.
Things to Note in Our Design
Purchasing: There is no need to keep a detailed account of consumable items. The tangible furniture and utensils, however, should be inventoried and registered in a book. Specific people should be assigned to manage and maintain these items. Every design and arrangement should be well rehearsed so that every brother and sister knows exactly what to do. The responsible ones have to take the lead and supervise the brothers and sisters to do the same. I like to see the brothers and sisters serving in the meeting hall.
Anything that has the shape of a dragon or is too cheap or frivolous should be discarded. Things that we have no use for should also be discarded. We should not only supervise the brothers and sisters but also should put our own hands to the work. In doing anything we have to be weighty; we should gain others’ respect. If the sofa is old, we should consider getting a new one. Every item and every corner of the meeting hall have to be thoroughly revamped. (CWWN, vol. 62, “Matured Leadings in the Lord’s Recovery (2),” msg. 38)
Making the Front of the Meeting Halls Neat
I would like to fellowship with the elders concerning some practical affairs. I hope that you would renovate the front of the meeting halls. You do not need to spend a large amount of money to make the meeting halls neat and presentable. The so-called front includes not only the appearance but also the decoration in the lounge by the entrance. The decoration should be presentable and make people feel comfortable. In some meeting halls there is a staircase by the entrance. This is not ideal. You should not be so spiritual that you neglect practical matters. The age is advancing, and the church must catch age and make the front of the meeting halls with the up presentable.
You should look at the meeting halls and consider this fellowship. You must renovate the meeting halls to make them presentable. You must have such an attitude. Those who bear the responsibility of administrating the church must have insight. and be able to handle practical affairs. Then there will be the possibility to spread. (CWWL, 1985, vol. 4, “Practicing the God-ordained Way with One Accord,” msg. 8)
Plans and Proposals for the Arrangements for Different Meetings
Do not think that arrangements for the care of the meeting hall are a small matter and that decisions can be made at the last minute. There should be plans and proposals for the arrangements for different meetings. A variety of banners should be prepared ahead of time so that there will not be any confusion at the last minute. For example, after the children’s meeting on the Lord’s Day, the hall will be messy. It will take some work to tidy and rearrange the rooms for other meetings. If we are prepared, everyone will know what to do, and it will be very easy. Some working brothers and sisters may not be able to come because the time is not convenient for them, and some may be able to come all the time. The responsible ones must prepare weekly forms and divide the saints into groups of those who are able to serve weekly and those who can only come occasionally. In this way the number of serving ones each week will be known in advance. (CWWL, 1950-1951, vol. 1, “The Recovery of the Church According to the Pattern on the Mountain,” msg. 31)
The decor of the meeting hall should fit various occasions. For example, weddings, love feasts, and gospel meetings should have different kinds of banners. We cannot take care of anything by chance. We should avoid last minute decisions. There must be careful planning and scheduling.
It is inevitable that we may need last-minute arrangements sometimes. The best way to do anything is to plan ahead. If any crisis happens, we can call the brothers and sisters involved and make arrangements on the spot. The big jobs are hard, and it is not easy to neglect them. The small jobs are easy, and it is easy to neglect them. But we must neglect neither the big nor the small jobs.
Any Bible or hymnal that has missing pages should be discarded. Any copy that is torn should be mended. We do not want anyone to come into the meeting hall and leave with a bad impression. When the saints walk into the meeting hall, we want their heart, their entire being, their prayer, and their love to pour out freely in it. (CWWN, vol. 62, “Matured Leadings in the Lord’s Recovery (2),” msg. 38)
MINISTER CHRIST TO OTHERS
IN All THE PRACTICAL THINGS IN THE CHURCH LIFE
The purpose of all that we do in the church service is to minister Christ to others. Everything we do should minister life to others. This is the fifth point in the church service.
Suppose you come to the meeting hall to take care of some practical matters, to arrange the chairs, to do some cleaning work, or to take care of the kitchen. Whatever you are doing, you should take that as an opportunity to minister Christ to others. If you are cleaning, your cleaning should minister life to others. You need to minister Christ by cleaning. If you are teaching, your teaching should minister life to others. Merely to minister some knowledge to others is not enough. You need to minister Christ by teaching. It is the same with cooking. Even by cooking, you should minister Christ.
To minister Christ as life to others should be the purpose of all the things that we do, whether we are cleaning, arranging, cooking, visiting, ministering the word, singing, or praying. All the practical things in the church life are nothing but the channels, the means through which, by which, and in which we would minister Christ to others.
If others cannot sense Christ in the kitchen while you are cooking, it is doubtful that they will sense Him in the meetings in a real way. To have Christ ministered in the meetings, we need to exercise ourselves in such a way in doing all the practical things so that Christ will be ministered in the practical things. Every part of the service of the church must minister Christ as life.
May we all learn to minister Christ as life to others whenever we come together to serve in the church life. May we all learn to serve in the spirit to minister Christ as life to others. (CWWL, 1963, vol. 3, “Basic Principles for the Service in the Church Life,” ch. 2)
Discussion:
1. How to arrange the cleaning service?
2. How to keep the meeting hall clean?
3. How to arrange the meeting place?
