Structuring our services: your thoughts

I’ve been thinking some about our assemblies. Specifically, I’ve been thinking about the structure of said assemblies. I’d like to hear some opinions about the structure of our worship.

How spontaneous do you think we should be? I know some of that has to do with the size of a congregation, but there’s more to it than that. I’ve heard people argue that we have to leave room for spontaneity to allow the Holy Spirit to work (a la 1 Corinthians 14). Others feel that we need structure and planning.

In the same way, to what degree do we try to address different worship views? I don’t mean extreme things, which in our fellowship would tend to refer to instruments and participation by women. I’m talking about things like spontaneous vs. structured, traditional vs. modern, formal vs. informal. One answer some congregations have tried is having multiple services, each with its own personality. Others try and keep things varied within one service.

The other question that I wrestle with is: have we given these sorts of issues too much importance? Do we spend too much time focused on our assemblies, to the neglect of other things?

Those are some thoughts for a Monday morning. I’d like to hear your views.

11 thoughts on “Structuring our services: your thoughts

  1. Paula Harrington

    I’ll jump right in on this. I don’t think it really matters. I think some view whether we have one song or three at certain places or do the announcements at the beginning or the end as issues worth splitting over. I think that’s ridiculous. As long as what we’re doing isn’t going against Scripture, then what does it really matter if we change things up a bit from time to time?

  2. K. Rex Butts

    I have served on a couple of worship committees (love those comittees…:-0) and we always had a theme (e.g., the cross of Jesus) for worship along with a plan or order. One thing those was learning to not be so rigid or unflexible that anything promtu becomes disturbing to the leader.

    I recently attended a smaller worship gathering (appx. 50 or so people) where the worship leader led a few hymns and a prayer then invited others who had a hymn, scripture to read, prayer to offer, or short story about God at work, to do so from where they are sitting. After about twenty-five to thrity minutes with a few more hymns, prayers, testimonies, etc…the worship leader then invited the speaker/preacher up to pray over him and then let him speak. I thought this was a great example of having worship plan that keeps the worship time moving with purpose but also allowing enough freedom for the Spirit to lead the worship rather than human engineering.

    Grace and peace,

    Rex

  3. Jeanne M.

    Knowing that some people are late, I would prefer the Lord’s Supper to be after several songs, prayers and scripture readings, but suppose no matter when it is done, someone will still come in too late and have to be accommodated in the back – which I rather believe takes away from the purpose of it.

    Rex, your ideas on what was done elsewhere sounds good, but since I am rather hard of hearing, if anyone speaks from the audience, I cannot take part, or say “Amen” to what they say. I am grateful that where I attend, we have assisted listening devices, but they only work when sound comes from the microphones. I suppose it would be too distracting to have people go to the microphone, and might inhibit someone who is shy, so guess there is no good solution. I do rather enjoy a spontaneous, rather than “ritual” service, and my son really dislikes not singing every verse of a song since the writer had meaning in each one. He would rather sing fewer songs, and complete the ones sung. He is a good song leader, but I sometimes call him a music snob because of his desire for perfection.

    We have announcements scrolled before services, again after the first song, have a bulletin with announcements, yet the one making announcements often repeats, making everything redundant. To me it is such a waste of time, and I would rather sing or hear scripture read than the reptition.

    But these are only my feelings on the matter, and I would never want to be dictatorial about any of it.

  4. Jeanne M.

    And, Timothy, yes, sometimes we do let the Sunday worship service be all that we do for the Lord, and leave Him at the door when we leave there. There is so much physical need in the world around us, and so many lost souls to help learn about Jesus’ sacrifice and desire for them to come to Him. We all have a big job to do, and I for one fall far short of it.

  5. laymond

    ” I’ve heard people argue that we have to leave room for spontaneity to allow the Holy Spirit to work”

    Why not just join the Holiness Church?

  6. K. Rex Butts

    Jeanie,

    Your comment about being hard of hearing is something that every good worship leader/committee needs to take into consideration. To my knowledge no one in the experience I described above was hearing impaired but had there been, I would hope that they were able to hear so that they could be full participants as well.

    Laymond,

    Your trying split hairs again except there’s no hair to split here.

  7. Barry Wiseman

    I think we’ve shied away from spontaneity for a variety of reasons. Some see that as a lack of order. Some feel uncomfortable in not knowing exactly what will happen. Others are afraid of using phrases like “allowing the Holy Spirit to work” because of reactionary teaching against false teaching rather than simply affirming the truth the Scriptures reveal. (Not trying to pick on Laymond, but we have eliminated some of the Scripture work of the Spirit in an attempt to “shut down” some of the charismatic teaching that seem to surround the subject of the Holy Spirit).

    Most congregations I know of and have worshiped/worked with are attempting to expand their worship “vocabulary” by learning new songs to express our adoration in newer ways, ways that the younger generations relate to more than the older ones. It requires a stretching and flexibility in our older members, much like we’re expecting a maturing of our younger ones. This is one way that the whole church can help one another to grow in the “grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” All the congregations I’ve worked with are far too small to consider multiple services so we have to address everyone’s needs and likes in one service.

    This is just one way that we can also fulfill the command to “bear with one another” (Romans 15:1 and Colossians 3:13) and to “speak [communicate] to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs” (Ephesians 5:19). Like it or not, some of the old songs don’t communicate the same things to our younger generation just like the older generation doesn’t “get” the newer songs all the time. But it’s in using both to communicate both ways that we all can be edified and built up.

    Better stop before I have to start my own blog back up! LOL :-)

  8. Tim Archer Post author

    Don’t worry about it Barry. Your comments are very welcome here, as are all of the others. Comments that relate to the topic under discussion are always welcome, no matter their length.

    Grace and peace,
    Tim Archer

  9. Susana

    I am fortunate to worship the Lord within a church who celebrates God’s greatness, grace and mercy. We do not pretend to be perfect humans; we admit to being sinners but emphasize how God has changed us since submitting to Jesus Christ. We are not restricted to a certain number of songs. We begin singing and praising our Creator allowing the Holy Spirit within His Church to “transport” us unto God’s throne. We join Heaven humbled before Him and celebrate what God is doing as His Kingdom on earth grows when we allow Him to use us for His Kingdom purpose. During the span of a couple of hours we have maintained order but our focus is on God, not on our own individual agenda. Every Sunday, 50+ people respond to the God’s message after scripture-based and life-giving sermons. That is what I call a God centered worship that fills us with His Spirit a new. We do not leave the assembly feeling criticized, condemned or empty. We leave spiritually filled but hungry and thirsty for more of Him.

  10. Susana

    It may sound radical to many of the churches of Christ, but we even dedicate a two hour service focused around the Lord’s Supper on a different day than when we gather to worship God on Sunday. Did I mention that on Sundays the worship and sermon last two hours? The Bible class is an extra hour before worship assembly. Even though I grew up in the church of Christ I was left empty since we were so restricted; I felt we quenched the Holy Spirit. However, ever since have communed with this congregation of believers, I have never been so filled by God’s Holy Spirit resulting in fullness of live, love and peace. I am so glad I found that there is so much more than “going through the motions” which left me feeling empty and depressed. I can now declare I have Life Abundantly!

  11. Tim Archer

    Susana,
    I have spoken with many who have had bad experiences in churches of Christ (or other groups) and suppose their experiences to be typical of everyone. Rest assured that is not the case.
    I’m glad you’ve found a place where you feel that you can worship as God has called you to worship.
    Grace and peace,
    Tim Archer

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