How long should church service be ? - Page 3

RandyWayne · #21 02-24-2012, 08:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nitehawk013

I always find it funny, if not annoying and sometimes offensivly disrespectful of others time, that most Pastors I know will say frequentlky that 30-40 minutes is plenty of time for a sermon/lesson. That "it is long enough for a good sermon, and too long for a bad one".

Yet they get the pulpit and decide to go on and on for an hour or more. I guess for them it is fine to just ignore what they have said to countless others about only needing to go for 30-40 minutes.

Oh I know...they are in the "anointing" so it's ok. I guess all the rest of us preachers and teachers were just fakin git so we have a time limit.

To me it is the preachers who, half way through, says "I know I'm going long tonight...." to which someone in the audience shouts "Preach it!" followed by someone else saying "Take your time!".

This situation always reminds me of being in school 10 minutes before a class was scheduled to end, some stupid girl shouting "Mrs Higgins! Mrs Higgins! Weren't you going to give us a quiz today?". I sent the same mental daggers to her as I did the person who shouted "Take your time!".

KeptByTheWord · #22 02-24-2012, 10:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RandyWayne

To me it is the preachers who, half way through, says "I know I'm going long tonight...." to which someone in the audience shouts "Preach it!" followed by someone else saying "Take your time!".

This situation always reminds me of being in school 10 minutes before a class was scheduled to end, some stupid girl shouting "Mrs Higgins! Mrs Higgins! Weren't you going to give us a quiz today?". I sent the same mental daggers to her as I did the person who shouted "Take your time!".

... Sometimes I wish there was a smilie that says "preach it" LOL!

RandyWayne · #23 02-24-2012, 10:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KeptByTheWord

... Sometimes I wish there was a smilie that says "preach it" LOL!

Jay · #24 02-24-2012, 06:51 PM

I am going to contribute. My rule for a message (this is just me) if I start repeating things I have already said one, it is time to stop.

I have seen times when there was no singing or preaching because of the spirit of prayer that manifest itself. I have seen the spirit of worship so strong that there could not be preaching. I have seen times when the Spirit moved quickly to the proclamation of the Word. I have seen the message come to a sudden end due to the conviction leading people to the altar.

Dordrecht · #25 02-24-2012, 09:07 PM

If it's a lousy message, I would say 5 minutes is enough for me.
Two hours for a good message!

RandyWayne · #26 02-24-2012, 09:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dordrecht

If it's a lousy message, I would say 5 minutes is enough for me.
Two hours for a good message!

I've listened to Hugh Ross speak about Creationism for several hours in a row, and HE sounds a lot like Ben Stine! "Bueller? Beuller? Beuller....?" But it was many orders of magnitude easier to listen to then a preacher who does nothing but repeats the title of the sermon and a dozen canned versus designed to get people shouting.

Dordrecht · #27 02-24-2012, 09:44 PM

And Hugh does not read from a piece of paper either!

RandyWayne · #28 02-24-2012, 11:49 PM

"Church. Church. Church.

I am going to church.

Church is looooonnnnngggggggggggg!

Do I wear a church on my head?

Do I?

Nooooooo!

"

Make EVERY moment a learning moment!

KeptByTheWord · #29 02-25-2012, 10:31 AM

I still say I get way more out of a bible study discussion group than a regular church service. Reason being is that it is interactve, and requires you to be a part of what is going on, and less time for you to "zone out" when you are actively looking up scriptures, reading, and discussing. It keeps you on your toes, and as "iron sharpenth iron" you need others to interact and discuss the word of God.

Just like here on AFF, you can open up a topic for discussion with a firmly held belief, and before the discussion is over, you see things in a differnt light, perhaps because of a scripture brought forth or a thought that puts a different perspective on the issue.

In church, you are listening to one man speak his thoughts only, and you can't interrupt, pause, or question any of what he is saying to clarify....

In Bible study, that is not the case, and that is truly where growth really happens, I believe.

I would encourage everyone to try to be part of a bible study group or fellowship, even if it is with one or two people in your church... It is amazing the growth that will take place in your life, when this happens... and again... it is what the early church did... they went from house to house.

jboling90 · #30 06-27-2012, 03:14 PM

Interesting question! Lol my home church seems to have long services to my ADD, but they actually aren't any longer than other churches in our movement. So though I am a part of a microwave generation (21 years old) I know that what we need is to go until the Spirit releases us. Paul preached for 9 hours until a miracle was done. Too often we are so quick to just 3 songs, no heart, no seeking after God. The Apostles were in the upper room for 7-10 days (jury's still not out) before God moved. I think we should judge by what God wants to do. Sometimes we just need teaching or preachign. I think that 30-40 minutes (sermon) is good unless God wants the altar call to be sooner or later. too many times us ministers can quench the Spirit because we want to finish what we are saying even though God is moving. A mentor told me the best thing you can do when preaching is make the altar call when God starts moving to make it. Obviously the Spirit is subject to the prophet, but let's take that in context please. Even Paul didn't want to grieve the Spirit or quench it.