Worship or Boxing Match?

I read the following verses this morning and thought is sounded like a descriptions of many churches today:

17  Your worship services do you more harm than good. I am certainly not going to praise you for this. 18 I am told that you can’t get along with each other when you worship, and I am sure that some of what I have heard is true. 19 You are bound to argue with each other, but it is easy to see which of you have God’s approval.  1 Corinthians 11:17-19

Your worship services do you more harm than good.  Ouch!  You can't get along with each other when you worship.  Apparently some of these church members could have used 2 years in Mrs. Tillet's pre-school to learn how to get along with others and play nicely.  You are bound to argue with each other.  Ever been around those people that argue everything?  I like to argue but often I just keep my mouth shut (not always successful at that either).

Since I'm a part of the SBC, what I know is SBC, I know that this description sadly fits a large portion of SBC churches.  Church split in SBC = Church plant.  This happens all too often and usually not because of doctrinal issues but because someone didn't like what the preacher said or the color of the new carpet isn't to their liking, etc.

Here's a novel idea!  Don't let the church choose the color of the carpet.  Just lay the carpet and say, "Look at our beautiful new carpet!"  Business meetings are nothing more than a set up for a church split.  At a business meeting, as a member,  you are forced to take sides.  Why do that in a church?  Why set up for division?  Makes no sense but somewhere along the way many churches and denominations have decided that they like the idea of "majority rules".  What if the majority hasn't spent a minute in God's word that week?  Month?  Year?  Years?  How can someone out of sync with the Father make a godly decision?

Makes no sense.

I'm glad has placed me at NHC.  I have four pastors who I trust.  God put them in leadership positions to lead.  At NHC we don't vote on much of anything.  We built an entire building without voting on the design, interior decor, color of the carpet.  We had to demolish the old building, didn't vote on that either.  We didn't lose any members in that process, but I know of churches who have lost members during a building program.  Plus process was faster because we didn't have to wait on a committee to bring it before the church, we trusted our building team and turned them loose to get the job done.

The only time I find a vote in the Bible is when Moses sent out the spies.  Ten (the majority) said "No way!".  Two (the minority) said, "Let's take the land!".  There were giants in the land!  What were they thinking?  They weren't thinking, they were trusting.  This is where the heart of most issues in churches today.  People don't trust.  They don't trust God.  They don't trust leadership (sometimes for a good reason).  They don't trust each other.

I pray it can never be said of our worship services, "they do more harm than good".