And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in full knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve by testing the things which differ and are more excellent, that you may be pure and without offense unto the day of Christ. Phil. 1:9-10
Dear saints, let us pray that the saints would learn to exercise their spirit to sense the atmosphere of the meeting, discern its focus, and apply the hymns at the proper time by following the sense in their spirit (S.S. 7:4 and note 41; Phil. 1:9-10; Hymns, #866, ss. 1-2, 9-10).
Hymns, #866, ss. 1-2:
Exercise the spirit!
Human thought reject;
Meet with one another,
Body life respect.Exercise the spirit!
All the forms forsake;
Share with one another,
Each of Christ partake.Every meeting has a particular atmosphere. For instance, a wedding meeting has a happy, joyful atmosphere. It would be inappropriate to cry and weep in such a meeting. In contrast, weeping in a funeral meeting would be proper, because there is an element of sadness in the atmosphere of a funeral meeting. At a Lord’s table meeting we may sense the Lord’s love toward us, but the next week the meeting may be filled with the glory of God. If we sense that the atmosphere is filled with glory, we should praise the Lord for His glory or choose a hymn concerning His glory. If on the next Lord’s Day the atmosphere is focused on the sufferings of Christ, we should pray or choose a hymn concerning Christ’s sufferings. Often, however, we do not sense the atmosphere of the meeting, and consequently, we do things that do not fit the atmosphere. Suppose the atmosphere of a meeting is filled with the glory of God, but a brother suddenly announces a hymn on the sufferings of Christ. This would not fit the atmosphere. Thus, before we offer a prayer or announce a hymn, we must exercise our spirit to sense the atmosphere of the meeting. (Collected Works of Witness Lee, 1964, vol. 3, “Basic Principles for the Church Meetings,” ch. 1)
More details via Beseeching.org, day 409.
