Is church a waste of time? Is it a waste of time for you to refuel your car? If you do not stop occasionally at the convenience store or fueling station, your car will just be a piece of metal beside the road. Your automobile requires gasoline or a charge to keep going.
Your automobile will not run efficiently if you do not occasionally have it serviced. Wheel balancing, alignments, brake pads and more are just part of routine maintenance.
Gathering in our faith groups is critical to refueling and recharging our spiritual engines and batteries. The scripture reminds us not to forsake the assembling of ourselves (Hebrews 10:25). Worship brings us together to hear encouragement, scriptural insights, teaching and fellowship with others who are on the same journey as us. An ember will soon lose its glow, but when stirred back into the fire, it burns brighter and hotter.
I have been in and around church worship my entire life. My life is better because of Christian people and worshipping with others.
However, I am not alone when I say I do not want to feel my time has been abused or even wasted. I do not mind a 90-minute worship service if the music is great and the message is well-prepared and worthwhile. But I do not want to sit through 90 minutes of bad music and a sermon that was preached off the cuff and unprepared. I do not want to hear the same announcements, appeals and promotions Sunday after Sunday. Put the announcements in a bulletin, on a screen or on a website. Use the worship time to present good songs, scripture, prayer and a good message.
My hometown pastor had this word of wisdom for all ministers to follow: “Preach about God and preach about 20 minutes.”
Most people can handle 25 minutes but after that, the minister starts losing people unless it is really an exceptional sermon. Many ministers think all their sermons are exceptional and love to keep hearing themselves for 40 to 50 minutes or more. Stop doing this to your people.
A good worship service can be easily carried out in an hour. Twenty minutes of good prepared music sets a good mood and tone. Ten minutes for prayer and scripture reading should be plenty. This allows the minister to have 25 to maybe even 30 minutes to present the message. I am not saying this is the golden rule, but I would say it is a good silver rule.
There is nothing spiritual or godly in keeping people inside the church building for 90 to 120 minutes. Chances are, if this is the practice of your church, you probably have a small congregation. I know someone will write me making an exception and there are always exceptions but there are not many on this one.
When you refuel or service your car you do not want it to take half of your day. When it happens, it is a tiring and aggravating experience. Church was never meant to be this way.
Dr. Glenn Mollette is the author of “Uncommon Sense” and 13 other books.