Debate: Length of Church Services

 Christian/Revival Topics  Add comments
Jul 252010
 

My friend John Burton, Pastor of Revival Church in Detroit, MI, posted the other day on Facebook about how he doesn’t understand pastors who market that their church services are intentionally short. I commented on Twitter, agreeing, which started an interesting discussion.

So yes (in case you didn’t know) … there are churches that bill their services as “in and out in under an hour” … as if church were some sort of obligation one must fulfill.

There are other churches (like mine) where it’s not unusual for church to go on for hours – even a week-night service (we’ve left as late as 2, even 3 am). On Sundays it’s unusual for us to leave the building before 3pm (service + healing and prophetic ministry). We then usually spend the rest of the day in company of church family.  (sometime I’ll post an anatomy of a service at New Day… or just go to http://newdaychurchhp.org at 10:30ish on a Sunday morning and watch live. Pop some popcorn. Better yet, join in and worship with us. You can dance in your living room. Go ahead.)

There are those who say, “Well, church should go as long as the Spirit is moving.” This is quite true; if He’s done in half an hour, by all means leave. I’ve just never seen it…. unless He’s been deliberately quenched. When we tell Him, “Be quiet. We don’t have time for You”… He does tend to give us our way.

Consider – when was the last time you went to a church service abbreviated by a football game? Or God really started to do stuff, people were weeping, repenting, getting healed and touched, and the pastor “changed the order of service”… reined it in and brought it all under “control”… ?

One person who commented on John’s facebook said, “Well, we have jobs, families, lives… we have to carve out time for church, but it can’t be much.”

I think it’s a matter of priority… if the Kingdom is your ONLY priority, you never feel like family, work, or recreation take second place. They’re all filtered through the one priority.

As much as we love God’s presence… He loves our presence. He delights in us. He loves it when we gather together corporately and give Him freedom to do what He wants.

So… discuss, debate… what do you think? (I could say more but I’m off to church and won’t likely get home before midnight, and I love it!)

 Posted by at 8:01 am
  • scottae316

    I agree in principle and if the Spirit is really moving and flowing then it should go on until He has done what He wants. However, I have attended Churches where the service is suppose to be a set time and the pastor has rambled in the sermon to make sure it lasts that long (and sometimes longer.) So you and John are right, but again the Spirit must really be moving. You mentioned that Church services can be abbreviated because of a football game, and one person complained that they have lives and they have to "carve out time for church, but it can't be much." I wonder if they use the same standards for football games or does that get higher priortiy than Church or family?

    • http://intensedebate.com/people/KathiSharpe KathiSharpe

      Yeah, we've been in services like that too… where it drags, and drags… because Holy Spirit's not moving. One of the things I LOVE about our church is that if He's not.. we're not. Pastors have stopped the music, literally, to inquire of Him "What's up?"

      Football (and around these parts, the race) definitely get a higher priority in some folks' lives than church.

      I don't want to swing too far in this direction, though, and say that everyone has to be in church for hours and hours every time the doors open (even when the janitor comes… LOL)… I think that corporate gathering should be lifestyle, and that should even hold true, for example, while we're traveling or what-not (and if you're sick, go to church and get healed!)… BUT… don't be all religious about it. If it becomes a requirement, it's not good. Go hang out on the beach for a day.

  • http://intensedebate.com/people/catfantastic catfantastic

    This is something I faced with the union a few years ago. Priorities are swell, but long meetings systematically exclude people with childcare obligations, people with disabilities, people who rely on public transit, and people who need to work multiple jobs to survive. There was a time, early on, when I told myself, Well, you MAKE time. But I soon realized–smarter people than me compelled me to realize–even thinking like that is a luxury not everyone can afford, and it really skews who gets heard at these things.

  • geneandcynthia

    When my daughter was little, a toddler I remember her starting to cry because she was hungry. The praise and worship had gone on so long, so very long, they kept singing the same verse over and over and over and over and over, they had convinced themselves that was the only way to get God to show up. Anyway my daughter said, "I'm hungry and started to cry." I left the church service, drove through a McDonald's drive through, got her a hambuger, she ate it, we returned to church service, just to hear them still singing the same song, over and over and over and over and over. That is when I had a wake up call. The pastor then scolded us openly telling us, "If you can't praise God for one hour here on earth, how are you going to do it in heaven?!" I realised this woman pastor, was NOT married, had no children and could not possibly identiy with me in any way. It was very unrealistic. Quite frankly if you think the only way God is going to show up by constant repetitious chanting and singing, well then you don't know God at all.

    • http://intensedebate.com/people/KathiSharpe KathiSharpe

      Hi, and welcome!

      I don't think anyone thinks that "God shows up" this way… but what I've noticed is that when opportunity is given for people to truly press in, to not have to "pay attention and perform" in the music, people are able to have profound encounters with the Lord that they won't hold still long enough to have otherwise. Our pastors are married, raised several children, and now have young grandchildren who attend services there…

      By all means, if a child is hungry, feed the child! (our services go for about 4 hours, sometimes longer, and parents who don't send their kids to children's church (where they eat) will bring snacks and drinks for them…ditto for diabetics and people who must eat on a schedule… eating and drinking is allowed and even encouraged in our sanctuary.

      Just a counterpoint :)

    • http://intensedebate.com/people/KathiSharpe KathiSharpe

      Oh – should add – I can't speak for your pastor and what-all happened. Wasn't there. Based on your description of events, I wouldn't have called you on it (especially openly?)… but she may not have realized what was going on.

      But I will say this … There's an element of truth to what she said… if we can't still ourselves and be free in worship here how's that going to work out for us in heaven? But at the same time, hunger, thirst, and crying needy toddlers who need to eat won't be factor there :)

   

Kay Sharpe


I'm a laid-down lover of Jesus Christ. I write about my King and His Kingdom, the Bible, revival, healing, prophecy, faith, and more... plus I throw in recipes, tips, news and politics items, reviews, and all sorts of random things just for fun. Until recently, I was known as "Kathi"... but my name is now Kay. It's a good, God thing... :) The opinions expressed in this blog are mine and mine only - not necessarily shared by my husband, our church, my employers, or anyone else.

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