Becoming a Community of Disciples

104

Becoming a Community of Disciples

Remaining Silent During Service (RBas §137) Q: Should anyone be speaking in the house during the hour of prayers or psalmody? 1 R: 1 Except for those who have the responsibility of service, or those whom the care of discipline or the arrangement of tasks permits, and they too ought to take great care 2 that they speak only as necessity requires and do so quietly and respectfully, refraining from making any disturbance or even a small annoyance for the others. It is fitting that all the rest maintain silence. 3 For if the Apostle says even to prophets who are teaching in the church: If there is a revelation to one seated, let the one who was speaking first fall silent (1 Cor 14:30), then how much more at the time of psalmody or prayers is it fitting that all refrain from speech and observe silence, 4 unless perhaps as we said above, because of the common supervision there is need of speech.

1 Psalmody – singing the Psalms.