Paul commands us to “be at peace among yourselves” (v. 13). In a sermon I gave a few weeks ago on 1 Thessalonians 5:12-28, I discussed how this command relates to avoiding unnecessary burdens on your leadership by not quarreling with each other. I'd like to offer further explanation to clarify what I mean.

We use our bodies to help us understand what is happening spiritually and to bring our hearts into it. Kneeling in prayer, specifically, became a formal part of confession during the Middle Ages—and it remained a feature of Reformation worship, even as the Reformers (rightly) discarded the sacraments of penance and confession.