This question has been floating around in my head for a few months, and I'm looking for feedback:
Should a church service be strictly regimented, timed out to the second, and certain to only last an hour/1.5 hours and no more...or should we be more relaxed in our approach, and 'let the spirit lead' - even if the service lasts several hours?
I've been at both - church services that are extremely planned out, and those that have lasted 3 hours because they 'go where God leads'. I'll admit that by the end of the three hours, I was antsy and a bit frustrated because it was late, I had a bunch of things to do that day, and I was hungry. But I wonder, was I wrong to be upset?
Look at prayer gatherings and church services in other parts of the world, especially where Christians are being persecuted strongly. Those Christians are singing, praying, and on their knees crying out to God for 4, 5, 6 hours at a time. So are we too regimented in North American churches, and not letting the spirit lead?
Can we blame it on our fast-paced society (if that's even a legitimate excuse)? "We're extremely busy and we've all got things to do!" is our favourite excuse. I wonder if we need to relax a little bit in our time standards for church.
A caller reminded me about the crowds that followed Jesus and listened to his teachings for hours and even days at a time. They didn't leave because they were too hungry - in fact, Jesus had to feed 5,000 men and their families because they wouldn't leave! But us? We're in church at 12:30pm thinking about Swiss Chalet and wondering when things are going to wrap up...
What does your church do? What do you personally think about this? Are we too regimented?
Should a church service be strictly regimented, timed out to the second, and certain to only last an hour/1.5 hours and no more...or should we be more relaxed in our approach, and 'let the spirit lead' - even if the service lasts several hours?
I've been at both - church services that are extremely planned out, and those that have lasted 3 hours because they 'go where God leads'. I'll admit that by the end of the three hours, I was antsy and a bit frustrated because it was late, I had a bunch of things to do that day, and I was hungry. But I wonder, was I wrong to be upset?
Look at prayer gatherings and church services in other parts of the world, especially where Christians are being persecuted strongly. Those Christians are singing, praying, and on their knees crying out to God for 4, 5, 6 hours at a time. So are we too regimented in North American churches, and not letting the spirit lead?
Can we blame it on our fast-paced society (if that's even a legitimate excuse)? "We're extremely busy and we've all got things to do!" is our favourite excuse. I wonder if we need to relax a little bit in our time standards for church.
A caller reminded me about the crowds that followed Jesus and listened to his teachings for hours and even days at a time. They didn't leave because they were too hungry - in fact, Jesus had to feed 5,000 men and their families because they wouldn't leave! But us? We're in church at 12:30pm thinking about Swiss Chalet and wondering when things are going to wrap up...
What does your church do? What do you personally think about this? Are we too regimented?
I prefer a "Spirit Lead" service. I came from a "religious" background, and love the church I now attend. I was taught to never quench the Spirit when I came to know Jesus as my Lord and Saviour. He is a jealous God and wants our complete attention, if you quench His Spirit are we not telling Him that He is not enough??
ReplyDeleteI like knowing how long the service is going to be. I think the church needs to respect people's time, especially those who might be investigating the faith and haven't made a commitment to Christ yet. I guess that makes me a shitty christian.
ReplyDeleteLOL...the second comment, thank you whoever that was, I got a good laugh out of that (in a good way). No, that does not make you a bad Christian at all. In fact, I agree with everything you said (except for that making you a bad Christian). It's important to note that it's been proven that the average person's attention span only lasts about 20-25 minutes. So you've got incredibly valid points!
ReplyDeleteTo the first comment, yes indeed, also a valid point! This is why I struggle with this issue, because both sides make a lot of sense...