The Dynamic Power of a Solemn Assembly
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By Julia Thistle As prayer coordinator at Christ Community Church in Brazil, Indiana, I found myself disheartened at my personal level of commitment to Christ. As I examined myself in the light of the New Testament Christian in the book of Acts, I wondered: where was the love, joy, boldness, and power to lead others to Christ? Where was the manifest presence of God that flooded their prayer times, comforted them in jail and accompanied them on their journeys? I didn’t just want to come closer to God—I wanted God to come closer to me. I reached a point where nothing short of a deeper participation in the life of God would satisfy me.
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By Steve Loopstra As point person for prayer in your church, you may be asking yourself if a solemn assembly is the right thing to pursue. After reading testimonies from Christ Community Church you might want to organize this type of event for the “results” that it might achieve. But before you move forward, it’s important to understand the biblical basis and unique function of this type of gathering.
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Editor’s note: Christ Community Church held a solemn assembly for its people (see Drawing Close to God through Solemn Assmebly). Although its prayer coordinator, Julia Thistle, strongly cautions that a solemn assembly must be led by the Holy Spirit and that an agenda for your church should be individualized through much prayer, she offers the following observations in hopes that it will help others get a feel for what this type of event might look like. |
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During our Solemn Assembly at Christ Community, the church was open daily. To help people focus, we set up prayer stations to create an atmosphere for prayer. Since the motivation for Solemn Assembly was to honor the great I AM, each prayer station would celebrate a name of God. Eight stations were provided; four on each side of the sanctuary.
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By Sandra Higley
From the repentance-driven call by leadership to the repentant response of the corporate gathering, solemn (or sacred) assembly is all about turning back to God. But the process of grieving, mourning and wailing as we draw near to God is not a familiar one to many of us (Jas. 4:8-10). Here are some prayer points that may be helpful in moving that direction.
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By Bishop G. A. Thompson A sacred assembly is a united gathering of people for the purpose of: |
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By Sandra Higley Although there is not a lot of information in print on the topic of solemn assemblies, Richard Owen Roberts has a 16-page pamphlet, “The Solemn Assembly,” available for $1.00 at http://www.rorbooks.com/home/home003.htm. Roberts lays a biblical background of revival movements in the Old Testament that were precipitated by a call for repentance of the people through solemn assembly. Some of the passages he highlights include:
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July 2006
