"Wednesday evening meetings are a good idea. They show that God's healing power is practical and useful. But people ought not to clutter them with so many inconsequential testimonies. It's embarrassing to bring a newcomer and have him listen to a string of tedious events. Sometimes people seem to be just filling in time with talk. I'd rather we'd sit quietly and wait in prayerful silence for one convincing proof that God really does solve important problems!"
A lot of church members have heard criticism like this. I suppose a lot of us have even felt this way from time to time. But when we stop to think about it, it does seem a little insensitive to somebody else's healing experience. It may also represent a certain indifference to Spirit. A simple statement of gratitude to God, no matter how modest the illustration, can be a far more important testimony than it might appear to be.
The need may not be only for what we call better testimonies. It may also be that we need to become better listeners. Not every speaker communicates exactly what he intends to while standing in front of an audience. I know I've felt more than once that I left out an important part of a testimony; others have felt the same way. Perhaps if we all listened more for the spirit of the message, we'd be repaid for our efforts. But regardless of this, anybody who thinks we need better testimonies in our churches is always welcome to contribute his own along with the others.
