Life with the Brethren (1)
So there we were, with our feet under the Brethren table. Playing cards were forbidden, as was dancing, drinking, smoking, going to the pictures (movies) or theatre, Sunday newspapers, Sunday shopping, and owning a television.
We were three-timers on Sundays. In the morning for the Breaking of Bread, in the afternoon for Sunday School, and in the evening for a “Gospel meeting” (preaching to the converted!), or a children’s meeting.
The Breaking of Bread was arranged “Quaker style”. We would sit in silence “waiting on the Holy Spirit”. Any male (in fellowship) could read scripture, announce a hymn, pray extemporaneously, or exhort.
Women and girls were allowed to sing the hymns.
The hymns were sung a cappella from a hymnal which was printed with words only. A brother with a decent voice would be the precentor who, when the hymn was announced would have to strike up a tune from memory.
There would be long silences in a meeting which lasted for about 90 minutes. By a miracle which I cannot explain, always about 20 minutes before the end, the Holy Spirit would inspire a brother to “give thanks for the bread” which would be passed person to person, row by row, each taking and eating a small piece from the common loaf. Then that same brother, or perhaps another, would “give thanks for the wine”, (always fermented - no grape juice for us!), which again would be passed person to person in a common chalice.
It was felt to be “only the proper thing” that a recognized Elder would do this “giving thanks”, but in principle any adult male could, and there were some bold non-Elders who would “feel the leading of the Holy Spirit” to do this. A cause for comment!
It was believed that no more than three brethren should exhort (“let the prophets speak, two or three“ 1 Cor 14:29).
I miss the a-cappella singing (we would create our own rich harmonies); and the silences, but not much else. But when I left the “Peebs” I knew that I must join a Church in which the Eucharist was central. I thank the Brethren for that gift.
The exhortations were not “that much”. Whatever the scripture which was being expounded, the exhorter would inevitably take us to the “substitutionary and atoning death of Jesus”, or to the “Second Coming” - any minute now ya’ know!
The Hebrew Scriptures had no value in and of themselves for they were but prophecies, or “types and shadows” of Christ. For example, a passage from Leviticus was read as if it were really a passage about Christ.
We never read from, or heard about the Beatitudes for in the Brethren scheme of dispensationalism they were written for “the Jews”, as was the Lord’s Prayer. So we never said the Lord’s Prayer. Never.
We would be exhorted by some genuinely pious and godly men. And also by some “crazies”.
One brother had what amounted to an unhealthy obsession with the blood of Christ, and if he took to his feet we knew that we were about to be bathed in gore. And these “spontaneous” exhortations gave opportunity for many axes to be ground.
As 10,11 and 12 year olds, as yet not baptized by immersion we sat “behind the boards”.
We were the bored behind the boards.
Of course we could get to be very silly.
We devised a myth that if any sister wore a red hat, that meant that she was not wearing “knickers” (panties).
We giggled ourselves daft about nothing in particular.
We made whispered and snide remarks about adults we believed to be peculiar (and there were many of them!).
As we boys entered into puberty we pondered with naughtiness the text which was painted on the wall “Behold I come quickly”.
And we were convulsed with laughter when one good brother, rightly discerning that the conjunction “but” made all the difference in the meaning of a New Testament, proclaimed. “And then we come to ‘but’. What a glorious but”.
There are other memories. By the time I was about 14 or 15, now in fellowship and horribly pious, a young woman named Greta was publicly excommunicated as she was pregnant and un-married. It was about that time that I began to wonder “what is this all about?”.
We were three-timers on Sundays. In the morning for the Breaking of Bread, in the afternoon for Sunday School, and in the evening for a “Gospel meeting” (preaching to the converted!), or a children’s meeting.
The Breaking of Bread was arranged “Quaker style”. We would sit in silence “waiting on the Holy Spirit”. Any male (in fellowship) could read scripture, announce a hymn, pray extemporaneously, or exhort.
Women and girls were allowed to sing the hymns.
The hymns were sung a cappella from a hymnal which was printed with words only. A brother with a decent voice would be the precentor who, when the hymn was announced would have to strike up a tune from memory.
There would be long silences in a meeting which lasted for about 90 minutes. By a miracle which I cannot explain, always about 20 minutes before the end, the Holy Spirit would inspire a brother to “give thanks for the bread” which would be passed person to person, row by row, each taking and eating a small piece from the common loaf. Then that same brother, or perhaps another, would “give thanks for the wine”, (always fermented - no grape juice for us!), which again would be passed person to person in a common chalice.
It was felt to be “only the proper thing” that a recognized Elder would do this “giving thanks”, but in principle any adult male could, and there were some bold non-Elders who would “feel the leading of the Holy Spirit” to do this. A cause for comment!
It was believed that no more than three brethren should exhort (“let the prophets speak, two or three“ 1 Cor 14:29).
I miss the a-cappella singing (we would create our own rich harmonies); and the silences, but not much else. But when I left the “Peebs” I knew that I must join a Church in which the Eucharist was central. I thank the Brethren for that gift.
The exhortations were not “that much”. Whatever the scripture which was being expounded, the exhorter would inevitably take us to the “substitutionary and atoning death of Jesus”, or to the “Second Coming” - any minute now ya’ know!
The Hebrew Scriptures had no value in and of themselves for they were but prophecies, or “types and shadows” of Christ. For example, a passage from Leviticus was read as if it were really a passage about Christ.
We never read from, or heard about the Beatitudes for in the Brethren scheme of dispensationalism they were written for “the Jews”, as was the Lord’s Prayer. So we never said the Lord’s Prayer. Never.
We would be exhorted by some genuinely pious and godly men. And also by some “crazies”.
One brother had what amounted to an unhealthy obsession with the blood of Christ, and if he took to his feet we knew that we were about to be bathed in gore. And these “spontaneous” exhortations gave opportunity for many axes to be ground.
As 10,11 and 12 year olds, as yet not baptized by immersion we sat “behind the boards”.
We were the bored behind the boards.
Of course we could get to be very silly.
We devised a myth that if any sister wore a red hat, that meant that she was not wearing “knickers” (panties).
We giggled ourselves daft about nothing in particular.
We made whispered and snide remarks about adults we believed to be peculiar (and there were many of them!).
As we boys entered into puberty we pondered with naughtiness the text which was painted on the wall “Behold I come quickly”.
And we were convulsed with laughter when one good brother, rightly discerning that the conjunction “but” made all the difference in the meaning of a New Testament, proclaimed. “And then we come to ‘but’. What a glorious but”.
There are other memories. By the time I was about 14 or 15, now in fellowship and horribly pious, a young woman named Greta was publicly excommunicated as she was pregnant and un-married. It was about that time that I began to wonder “what is this all about?”.
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