Church goers, why 30 minutes of singing before inspiring words?

[Mightyqueen801]

Originally Posted by Iam4USC

I'm Catholic so this doesn't really pertain to me. But I just thought I'd trown in some of my observances from the music in my Church.

1.) Opening Hymn is sung as the pastor, deacon and altar servers process in from the back of the Church. One verse isn't enough time. 2 verses is usually just right. But if the organist is "feeling it" she may go into a 3rd. This can really get to some people as they have usually already put the hymnal down and almost certainly don't know that 3rd verse by heart.

2.) Closing Hymn is the opposite of the opening hymn. Sung as the pastor, deacon and servers process out of the Church. Same as the first, 1 verse = not enough time. Usually 2 verses is just right. But a thrid verse will get some of the blue hairs upset. You see, we usually wrap up Mass around 11:45. A lot of these people have a weekly tradition to out for lunch after Mass. But most of the Protestants get out around 12. So we have a 15 minute head start on the available tables. If you add a 3rd verse, they think they are going to have to wait for a table.

Just a friendly Catholic observation.

That was amusing.

[ChicagoMeO]

Originally Posted by Iam4USC

I'm Catholic so this doesn't really pertain to me. But I just thought I'd trown in some of my observances from the music in my Church.

1.) Opening Hymn is sung as the pastor, deacon and altar servers process in from the back of the Church. One verse isn't enough time. 2 verses is usually just right. But if the organist is "feeling it" she may go into a 3rd. This can really get to some people as they have usually already put the hymnal down and almost certainly don't know that 3rd verse by heart.

2.) Closing Hymn is the opposite of the opening hymn. Sung as the pastor, deacon and servers process out of the Church. Same as the first, 1 verse = not enough time. Usually 2 verses is just right. But a thrid verse will get some of the blue hairs upset. You see, we usually wrap up Mass around 11:45. A lot of these people have a weekly tradition to out for lunch after Mass. But most of the Protestants get out around 12. So we have a 15 minute head start on the available tables. If you add a 3rd verse, they think they are going to have to wait for a table.

Just a friendly Catholic observation.

Looks like lunch is more important than church for those folks!

[ChicagoMeO]

Originally Posted by DennisW

Speaking of singing in church. I have been in hundreds of churches and have listened to hundreds of "special songs" being performed by a member of the congregation. On occasion the person could actually sing. However I find it appalling how many people will lie to someone in church and tell them the screeching utterances they just performed that peeled the paint from the wall was "wonderful". One would think that in church people could at least be honest and always tell the truth.

Because they are "doing it to the Lord".

I know exactly how you feel. I think this kind of thing can drive people away, it sure is not a part of the service that I await when its that bad - screechy violin off key music might be the worst. or maybe it was the off key screechy flute player. or maybe it was the off key choir .. its a mess when they need a music director and people need singing lessons. Yes i know this is church but there is no excuse.

[Taiko]

Originally Posted by Miss Hepburn

Any pastors that can explain why jumping and singing first before there
are inspiring words/sermon?

PS...If I start a church...I will inspire and pump people up first, then, say, "Let's get up
and sing to the Lord, yeah!!! Hallelujah!"

Thanks in advance

Because the sermon is not always meant to inspire but it is always to teach. At times the lesson taught will be hard and uncomfortable. Besides the psalmists who write the songs more so then the teaching elders who deliver the sermons are more concerned with inspiring. Sure the genre or the performance of the music may not do it for you, but hopefully it does inspire most in that local church body.

If a worship leader does not extort his congregation at the beginning of a set of songs and during transitions between songs it would be either because of lack of confidence and experience in doing it or he believes that song is so powerful that it doesn't need him distracting from the emotional impact of it.

[Choir Loft]

Originally Posted by Miss Hepburn

It seems to be a format.

But, I see people dragging their sleepy families in...the standing for even 40 minutes
baffles me...I swear some people are hungover.

Wouldn't encouraging, inspiring words be better to start with ...then...filled up...
it seems natural people would joyously sing?

I see (feel) people 'singing on empty'.

Saw a famous preacher you know from TV last night, possibly
8000 there, I figure...35 minutes standing, singing, another 30 minutes showing/telling
about all the worldwide help they do...then, finally, over an hour of advice, coaching and
inspiration with many Bible verses referenced, finally.

If I go back... I will slip in an hr late. Just sayin...

Any pastors that can explain why jumping and singing first before there
are inspiring words/sermon?

PS...If I start a church...I will inspire and pump people up first, then, say, "Let's get up
and sing to the Lord, yeah!!! Hallelujah!"

Thanks in advance

You are writing about LITURGY. The liturgy of ANY worship service reveals what is important to the group that participates in it. Examine the details of the liturgy, the ceremony, and you'll discover the heart of the matter.

Roman Catholicism focuses upon the mass, the Lord's supper, Holy Communion. In many Roman services, called the mass, there is no music at all. Prayers are recited from the prayer book, the missal. The priest performs the necessary acts of corporate confession, contrition, absolution and the presentation of the body and blood of Christ. Many times there is no offering taken or asked for, it being understood that there is a time and place for such activity - not in the worship service.

The focus of American protestantism is the sermon and the offering. The sermon is usually the longest segment of the service and is braced before and after by music. The offering, or the gimme gimme part, is prolonged. An effort to make the experience of spiritual extortion easier to swallow is to provide some sort of entertainment while the finances are extracted from the wallets of the congregation. In many Protestant services there are multiple offerings TAKEN. Music is mostly an afterthought. In poorer congregations, those with little or no talent, recorded music is provided.

In American protestantism, THE SHOW, is all important.

And the show, as has been pointed out, is all about music. The attitude is widely accepted that "they" will not come unless Vegas style extravaganzas are arranged for the studio audience (I mean that literally, for the largest are broadcast on TV).

In Judaism, the focus of the worship is the Talmud, the Holy Scrolls of the Word of God. A ceremonial procession is often performed wherein the scrolls are slowly walked into and through the body of those in attendance. Instead of a altar, there is a high table in front - upon which the scrolls are unrolled at the appropriate time and from which a brief interpretation is issued by the rabbi (or his designated hitter/speaker).

Buddhists are all about suffering and the chant (which is also insufferable if you've ever had to endure the sacred whining). There is no glorified spectacle as in America. The second most important thing in Buddhism, although they won't admit to it, is the offering, the donations and the constant petition of any and every breathing thing to cough up some green stuff/cold cash.

Muslims are all about devout prayer. 5 times a day we're told. In Arab countries the prayerful recitations (the word Qur'an means recitations) are delivered in musical tones. The language lends itself to that beautifully - unless you've lived in such places and have had to endure their droning. It gets on your nerves after a while, but that's my experience only I'm afraid.

There's also the demand for contributions - its one of the 5 pillars of Islam. The problem is that charitable contributions sometimes find their way into the hands of men who are definitely NOT charitable. Muslims are all about the ceremony and ritual of religion - while the Qur'an justifies lying, theft and murder in its pages. No problem with hypocrisy or a double standard in this group. They embrace it all.

And so on and so forth. Every religion on the planet has some sort of music, or spoken whining of some sort. Some are beautiful melodies and others are barbaric incantations. Take your pick, pilgrim. But know this, that if you expunge music from your own deliberations, you will denude your worship of one of the finer points of devotion.

and that's just me, hollering from the choir loft...

[DennisW]

Originally Posted by ChicagoMeO

Looks like lunch is more important than church for those folks!

I have always felt that lunch should be a part of the gathering.

[DewDropInn]

Originally Posted by DennisW

I have always felt that lunch should be a part of the gathering.

On at least one occasion.....so did Jesus.