A Case Of A Young Adult Dozing Off In Church

A miracle story in Acts provides some insights into early Christian worship practices. 

On the first day of the week we came together to break bread. Paul spoke to the people and, because he intended to leave the next day, kept on talking until midnight. There were many lamps in the upstairs room where we were meeting. Seated in a window was a young man named Eutychus, who was sinking into a deep sleep as Paul talked on and on. When he was sound asleep, he fell to the ground from the third story and was picked up dead. Paul went down, threw himself on the young man and put his arms around him. “Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “He’s alive!” Then he went upstairs again and broke bread and ate. After talking until daylight, he left. The people took the young man home alive and were greatly comforted.  (Luke, in Acts 20:7-11)

You don't often hear sermons that are based on this story about a young man who goes to sleep during a church service and is miraculously revived after falling out of a third story window.

But this is pretty much the only inside look we have of an actual first century church service. This should be of considerable interest, since we have no record of Jesus ever getting his disciples together to tell them how meetings of his followers should be conducted, other than his instructing them to remember him as they reenact regular Passover-like meals together.

Here are some  interesting details:

1. "On the first day of the week..." Especially for non-Jewish believers, the first day of the week appears to have been a chosen time to celebrate resurrection and the breaking of bread together. Due to neither Saturday nor Sunday being a part of a weekend people had off, most believers likely met in the evening after a regular day of work, as this church at Troas did. Missing: Any definitive word here or elsewhere as to the right day to meet. Jewish followers of Yeshua most likely met on the Sabbath.

2. "...we came together to break bread." Observing the Lord's Supper as a communal meal was an integral part of their weekly gatherings. Missing: Any definitive word on whether it was to be with leavened or unleavened bread, grape juice or fermented wine, or whether a mere wafer or a tiny cup of wine could substitute for an actual meal. Or exactly how often communion was to be observed.

3. "Paul spoke to the people..." Little is known about the elements of first century services, though in one of Paul's letters he urges each member to come prepared to share "a hymn, a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation... for the strengthening of the church." Here the believers at Troas were honored with a special guest to whom they gave special time and attention. Missing: Any clear word on whether a prepared weekly sermon by an ordained pastor was a key part of their services. While some translations say Paul "preached" to the members gathered, the Greek word used here is "dielegeto," from which we derive the word dialogue. It isn't likely that Paul stood behind a lectern and lectured to the group.

4. "...because he intended to leave the next day, (Paul) kept on talking until midnight." It doesn't sound like their gatherings started and ended at set times, or followed a well orchestrated "order of service." Missing: Any clear sense of a set structure for first century church meetings. No greeters, ushers or designated worship leaders are mentioned. Everyone greeted each other (a frequent New Testament command) and celebrated a Spirit-led time of sharing and table fellowship.  

5. "There were many lamps in the upstairs room where we were meeting." The congregation at Troas and other churches almost certainly met in the round in the homes of one of their members, not in a "sanctuary" with straight rows of chairs or pews all facing an elevated pulpit. Missing: Any clear instructions for what kind of sacred spaces were to be dedicated for weekly worship services, though over time some homes began to be renovated to provide space for larger gatherings, and special meeting places built primarily for use in worship became common well before Emperor Constantine officially adopted the Christian faith and began building elaborate cathedrals all over the empire. 

https://harvyoder.blogspot.com/2018/06/from-mere-meeting-places-to-holy-spaces.html

6. "Seated in a window was a young man named Eutychus, who was sinking into a deep sleep as Paul talked on and on. When he was sound asleep, he fell to the ground from the third story and was picked up dead." I won't make much of this detail, but at least this wasn't a church made up of mostly seniors, but included folks of all ages, likely with children who would have slept in their parents' arms or on the floor if the service was late. Who knows, the young man might have been working all day and was dead tired, but at least he chose to be present. Missing: What kinds of age-related "Sunday School-like" activities were a part of a group's time together.

7. "Paul went down, threw himself on the young man and put his arms around him. “Don’t be alarmed,” he said. 'He’s alive!'" Never a dull moment here. The miraculous was common place, an expected part of being a community of Jesus followers. Missing: Not much appears to be missing in this picture, except our needing to ask how we might recapture the spontaneity and joy of being together in ways that prepare us to infect everyone we meet with good news--all week long.

"Then he (Paul) went upstairs again and broke bread and ate. After talking until daylight, he left. The people took the young man home alive and were greatly comforted."