Solemn Assembly

If you mention the words Solemn Assembly or Sacred Assembly few church members have any inclination what you are talking about. In the Old Testament a Solemn Assembly was a corporate time of repentance and prayer; a sacred gathering of mourning and sorrow over sin that often turned into times of jubilant rejoicing as sins were forgiven and God’s people returned to the Lord. [Joel 2:15-17] states, “Blow a trumpet in Zion, consecrate a fast, proclaim a solemn assembly. Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children and nursing infants. Let the bridegroom come out of his room and the bride out of her bridal chamber. Let the priests, the Lord’s ministers weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, ‘Spare Your people O Lord, and do not make Your inheritance a reproach, a byword among the nations.’ Why should they among the peoples say, ‘Where is there God?’”
These services are not popular because the focus is on both private and corporate sin and prayer for repentance crying out for God’s forgiveness. Are they no less needed today? Sin is rampant in our congregations, communities, and our country. It is a fearful thing to think about the Lord’s anger being kindled against his wayward and rebellious people.
The aforementioned passage in Joel calls to light several things we might consider today as we look first inward at our own sin and the sin we have committed as God’s people. Joel calls for a trumpet to be blown in Zion. I equate that with a strong wake up call to the church today that we can no longer afford to fall asleep on the walls of our communities. The spiritual blood and well being of people in our communities is on our hands if we do not sound the warning and prepare them for the enemy’s advance. [Ez 33:6-7] We must wake up from our spiritual slumber and shake off the covers of complacency and indifference. That is what a Solemn Assembly does. It is a loud alarm going off to awake us to the dangers we face as we drift further and further from God and truth. The trumpet must be blown and we must be aroused from our spiritual slumber.
Another principle we need to address is that a Solemn Assembly should include people from each generation. In this age specific time of ministry, the generations are most often separated and isolated from one another. Shouldn’t our children grow up witnessing what it is like to see adults and teenagers weeping and repentant before a Holy God and crying out for mercy and forgiveness? Shouldn’t Senior Adults be moved by the moldable and impressionable hearts of children and teenagers? Sin is far too easily swept under the rug and often those who struggle drowning in the murky waters of their own sin do not know how to find help because there is very little opportunity for repentance and confession in our churches. These two things can get real messy. Senior Adults sin, medium adults sin, young adults sin, teenagers sin, children sin. A Solemn Assembly should be a time sacred to the Lord and set apart when all the generations come together for the common purpose of repentance and prayer for revival.
To be honest one of the reasons you so seldom hear about Solemn Assemblies is because preachers can be too cowardly to call themselves and churches to genuine repentance. Preachers can also grow calloused hearts as they learn to minister in a professional fashion but lose the sensitivity to the prompting of the Spirit of God. [Joel 2:17] exhorts that preachers should set the example in brokenness over their own sin and the sin of the people. Where are the tears over sin? We can sing songs like “Break My Heart O God” but know very little of the experience of true brokenness over sin. Our altars are far too often barren and without tear stains. It would do all churches good to periodically be called to the altar and weep over private and public sins. What sins you might ask? There are private sins of gossip, hypocrisy, liars, selfish ambition, power struggles, prayerlessness, sexual immorality, pornography, embezzlement, fraud, stirring up strife among the brethren, unforgiveness, and the list could go on and on. These are just some of the private sins that trip up God’s people. We are to put off these sins so we can run for God with endurance. [Heb 12:1]
There are also corporate sins committed by churches. Churches fuss and fight and split giving no testimony that we are God’s children because we love one another. [Jn 13:34-35] We judge people and condemn them for their sinful blunders. [Matt 7:1-5] We cast stones when we ourselves are not without sin. [Jn 8:7-11] We have left our first love. [Rev 2:2-5] We have become lukewarm in our spiritual fervor. [Rev 3: 15-16] Again the list could continue but we all get the point.
I urge pastors to lie on the altar before the Lord and allow Him to search and try your heart and reveal your own sin as well as the sin of the churches you shepherd. I plead with you to get real before the Lord and refuse to play the church game any longer. It is time for judgment to begin in the house of the Lord. God is looking for a pure bride for His Son and our communities need a church endued with Holy Spirit power to help them out of their prisons of darkness.
Please notice that the bride and bridegroom are called to attend this service. This speaks very strongly to me that this type of service is a high high priority. Nothing including weddings or honeymoons should take priority over this time of repentance. We make many lesser things than weddings and priorities over the Lord and days set aside for repentance. Ball games are more important. Dance and piano recitals are more important. Weekend get aways are more important. Entertainment, recreation, and family gatherings are more important. Sleep is more important even though most Sunday morning services start at between 10:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m.
The time for repentance and returning to the Lord is now, today! [Joel 2:12] We can ill afford to delay any longer. This is not a service we need to put off until we can find a more convenient time or a time when people will not be offended. Only God can heal this nation and He is more than able to do so when the church repents and cries out for rain drops of revival and refreshing. Start with your own heart and life and then I pray the Lord leads congregation after congregation to hold sacred and solemn gatherings to return to Him and see Him usher in days of spiritual awakening once again.