The Apostle Paul must have been thinking about a passage in Numbers when he wrote:

Again, if the trumpet does not sound a clear call, who will get ready for battle? (1 Corinthians 14.8, NIV)

Here’s the word from Numbers:

The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Make two silver trumpets. Of hammered work you shall make them, and you shall use them for summoning the congregation and for breaking camp. And when both are blown, all the congregation shall gather themselves to you at the entrance of the tent of meeting. But if they blow only one, then the chiefs, the heads of the tribes of Israel, shall gather themselves to you. When you blow an alarm, the camps that are on the east side shall set out. And when you blow an alarm the second time, the camps that are on the south side shall set out. An alarm is to be blown whenever they are to set out. But when the assembly is to be gathered together, you shall blow a long blast, but you shall not sound an alarm. (Numbers 10.1 – 7, ESV)

Trumpets…for summoning the congregation and for breaking camp.

• When both are blown, all the congregation gathers
• When only one is blown, then the chiefs only shall gather
• When an alarm is blown, the camps on the east side shall set out
• When the alarm is blown again, the camps on the south side shall set out.
• When a long blast is blown, the whole assembly gathers

Later it talks about using the trumpets to go to war and also for feast days. I’m confused already! No wonder Paul talks about the importance of a clear signal.

Are we sending clear signals in our churches? Or are we telling people it’s all about “out there” while acting like it’s really about “in here”? Do we run the worship service as a show and then criticize people when they treat it like a show? Often when June or I try to explain our work (“We walk with God, invest in people, and help them do the same.”), people are so locked into their image of church as a large gathering, that they have no idea what we’re talking about.

And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ… (Ephesians 4.11, 12, ESV)