American Church - Do We Limit Our Time With God???

Hello everyone… Floyd here:

Yesterday was quite a busy day. I know that Kim and Tamra have already blogged about it so I will not discuss what they already covered. But I did want to share something I experienced yesterday. The church service at Victory Living Word Church began with music, as most church services do. But when one compares the music at VLW with that of what we experienced the week before here at New Hope; it was night and day. The music yesterday was fast and furious with an exhausting tempo that could really make you pour yourself out in worship if you let yourself go and just experience God in the moment. You could really have a David like worship and “dance before the Lord”. It reminded me so much of the music I have experienced and loved so much at the church plants – I felt like I was home.

Now admittedly, this is the first time I have truly felt this since being here. I blogged several days ago about how peaceful New Hope was and how I could see myself in this environment from a living condition standpoint – and I can. But I really felt at home at VLW. It was my kind of music and my kind of worship. It was great to experience it again.

As Kim noted in her blog, the opening set was approximately 50 minutes long. I LOVED IT!!! It got me thinking again about our American services. Being the worship leader and planning the music at church at home does give me a unique perspective regarding this subject. So I am about to get on my soap box here. Read on if you dare…

Why do we as Americans (in general) put time limits on our worship time with God??? Is the football game coming on TV so darn important??? Is there a reason that little Johnny’s soccer game has to be on Sunday mornings or early Sunday afternoon???  When did our external activities become more important than time with God??? Why is it that we insist on the sermon not being too long and music not being too long??? I mean seriously…. I know it’s really tiring having to stand for a 5 song set. Those 16 minutes were soooo exhausting!!!! Seriously?!?! Most of the people barely move the entire time anyway.

Why is that that when I am planning a music set I have to be sure the service doesn't go over a certain amount of time? I understand the childcare issue. An hour and a half away from mom and dad can be overload for the kids and their teachers; but is that it??? After the kids it’s just because there are more important things to do??? More important that time with God???  I know that time with God is not relegated to the corporate worship service; but in truth, how many really spend time worshiping God outside of it? I would be willing to bet it isn't many.

How about this? Let’s plan a service with an opening set of an hour and scale back as the Spirit moves. Let’s plan for more time with God, and if He decides that we have done enough, He will instruct the Holy Spirit to tell us so. And if the kids get a little restless in childcare, why not try what the Ugandans do? Bring them into the worship center and lay down a blanket and let them go to sleep.  It seems like such a simple thing. I experienced 3 hours of worship and teaching yesterday and never once was it hindered or obstructed by the kids in the front or the back. Want to know why??? They know what to do in church. They know how to behave in church. They have been conditioned to sit and listen, sing and participate, and when they get tired they sleep. Simple as that. So the adults are free to experience God until He says they are done.  Yes they also take the young kids out and play with them and teach them, but then they come back. One of the most amazing things I witnessed was children dancing with the music during the opening worship set. It gave me such a great feeling to see them unencumbered; just dancing before the Lord. If only we were like children with our worship…

So am I saying that every service should be 3 hours long? No. Should the end of the service be open to allowing for that? Absolutely!!! And if you have to leave for some reason and church is not over yet, get up and leave. Let each person (along with the Holy Spirit) decide for themselves if the Spirit says they have worshiped enough. But do we really need to decide ahead of time that God is going to move for 75 minutes and 75 minutes only??? We might be depriving ourselves and God from a worship experience He had planned for us. But because we limit the time we give Him, we potentially miss out on the fullness He had to offer us and that we had to offer Him.

Please do not go away thinking that I am leaving myself out of the equation. I need to hear it as much as anyone else. But I get the most frustrated when I feel the Spirit moving me to plan a 6 or 7 song opening set and have to ignore the Spirit due to time constraints. It has always just seemed off to me. I’m not saying that Ugandan church is better than American church. I am saying that there are aspects of Ugandan church that could make American church better… and vise-versa. But that part is better saved for anther discussion.

Now, is it dangerous for me to be saying this? Perhaps. I am the worship leader and the church is set in a specific time template. Is that going to change? I would have to say that it most likely won’t.  My only point is to demonstrate a gigantic contrast between the worship of the traditional American service structure and that of the people here. We are too busy to leave a blank end time in our services (or at least devote a longer period of time to it) and the people here have nothing but time – and they devote more of it to God.

I feel convicted…..Do you?