Long long sermons...and being under the MICROSCOPE!

[coffeehubby]

I have a serious question, I go to a church that has very long drawn out sermons and I try to be patient but it's getting difficult. After the first ten minutes, hey, I understood your point Pastor! They draw it on for another 55 minutes or more.

Then they pray painfully long prayers. I refuse. I won't pray in public, especially not long prayers.

I see so much rebellion in their youth, but I'm starting to understand their frustration, as the sermons and the feeling of constantly being judged is difficult for me as well.

Example: I tell them I'm going to see a movie, they tell me to read 2nd Peter. :rolleyes . The movie honored the christian heritage btw. ( Masters and Commanders)

I'm probably going to drop this church soon, only I'll miss the children I've met through them. They seem to be the only ones with any sense of normalacy and compassion.

Anyone else encounter this?

[heavenlierealm]

Originally posted by coffeehubby
I have a serious question, I go to a church that has very long drawn out sermons and I try to be patient but it's getting difficult. After the first ten minutes, hey, I understood your point Pastor! They draw it on for another 55 minutes or more.

Then they pray painfully long prayers. I refuse. I won't pray in public, especially not long prayers.

I see so much rebellion in their youth, but I'm starting to understand their frustration, as the sermons and the feeling of constantly being judged is difficult for me as well.

Example: I tell them I'm going to see a movie, they tell me to read 2nd Peter. :rolleyes . The movie honored the christian heritage btw. ( Masters and Commanders)

I'm probably going to drop this church soon, only I'll miss the children I've met through them. They seem to be the only ones with any sense of normalacy and compassion.

Anyone else encounter this?
:nod
the churches are really messed up:cry
my church was sort of like that but the pastor was funny but i didnt feel that motivated:cry

[jenniofYahushua]

hi

well i myself love long sermons, my problem was always that they didnt preach long enough and stuck too much to some schedual to get everyone out the door at a certian time. i wonder if you just dont like this preacher so u dont wana listen for a long time or if u would want all preachers to only talk a couple mintues? the aposltes preached for a long time often, remember when paul preached into the night and a boy fell out the window!

as far as the movie thing i see nothing wrong with them suggesting a scripture for you to go read , of course i dont know them but that seems to be a situation where they are leading u in the word and then letting the Spirit convict you or not?

what other kinda judgement and being under a microscope do u mean ? can u give examples? i fully beleive that we should be under a microscope and we should be convicted to repent and live more and more set apart lives to the Lord, departing from the love of the world and of course we are all in differnt postions in that in our own walks but at the same time i believe while we are being under that mircoscope we should also be being lifted up, edified, etc... i beleive it should be equal if we are to be balanced, we should have songs and psalms and praising and edification in the Lord as well as we should be rebuked, reproved, corrected etc.... so can u give more examples of how the sermons and stuff are? May the Lord Yahushua bless and keep u and lead u in the ways he would have u go:thumb

[Ynott]

Yes, I have experienced the "praying" aspect. I couldn't get into the parking lot because the first service (which ended one hour before) was still filled. After several weeks of being unable to "attend" because I couldn't find parking and had to return home, I telephoned and asked how anyone got to the second service and why was the lot still full?

They were less than helpful about parking (my problem) and the first service was still praying and couldn't be asked to leave.

So, I asked could they then move the second service to a bit later in the day so folks could attend?

No, they could not.

So, I found another church. The first one had no desire to accomodate more people than they could accomodate with the first service, who apparantly prayed loudly and all day long and could only do it from that one church at that time. Sure.... whatever...

Now, I hear that that church has adopted the "Purpose Driven church" movement and are on a membership drive.....perhaps they have emptied their parking lot by now?

[JoyAtLast]

I don't really mind long sermons...but I do not enjoy "rabbit trails" that some pastors take that have nothing to do with the sermon. Our old pastor went off on these "trails" every Sunday and it quenched whatever message he was trying to give.

Our new pastor preaches long also, but he sticks to the point.

I usually listen better when I take notes...I marvel at how people can just sit and listen for a long time. Have you tried taking notes?

Our youth are doing better now that we have a new pastor...I see that they feel cared for. I doubt it's the long sermons that are causing the rebellion in your young people. It may be similar to what happened in our church...the Sunday School administrator insisted on high standards (nothing wrong with standards) but had no love for them. It was about adherence and nothing else.

Our new Sunday School administrator loves these kids and it reflects in the kids.

[glorymj]

I don't like listening to sermons. I would much rather attend a group where people could interact freely and not just sit there, listen, and agree or disagree. I always feel stifled in a regular church - I never feel fed - and I always leave feeling like it was a useless exercise in religion. But that's just me.

[glorymj]

Originally posted by coffeehubby
Example: I tell them I'm going to see a movie, they tell me to read 2nd Peter. :rolleyes . The movie honored the christian heritage btw. ( Masters and Commanders) Shoot back to him Colossians 2. :D:

[BlackMoon]

I love Sermons---even to the point that I do not mind missing the first quarter of the Rams game on any given Sunday

On the movie thing, I would be very careful about a preacher that behaves as you described. Someone said let to Holy Spirit convict you if you are doing wrong. I agree.

I will admit that the never ending prayer does bother me at times as well as those who always speak in tounges every service but does not show thier light through the rest of the week.

BlackMoon

[coffeehubby]

As a person I like the pastor, but as far as his sermons, I'm not wired to listen to long drawn out things...secular or christian. The longest sermon Jesus gave was roughly twenty minutes, assuming the Sermon on the Mount is complete..( I do assume that.) I think Iwould fall asleep if I were there, and Paul preached all night.
It seems to simply be the style of the church denomination, which will remain unnamed.

Example of the microscope mentality: The members will talk about a young man who seems rebellious lately. I asked them what they meant by this and they told me, " He has earings." I often hear about people's sins and shortcomings. I really don't want to hear it. I have some shortcomings that would curl their hair, or straighten it...whatever!

Mild examples: Sometimes I don't even want to pray, sometimes I don't really like God, but I pray anyhow.
Sometimes I question Him. But what I love about Him is He gets it, He understands my humanity and gives me grace then.
Sometimes I ask Him really hard questions, but He isn't threatened by that.
I do enjoy secular music, and I feel very ordinary. I'm never going to be a saint by their standards

[coffeehubby]

I have asked the youth at this church privately what their feeling is from the other members. In a word: CONDEMNDED.

Going to a movie, renting one, wearing something that isn't as conservative as they'd like...*GOOD GRIEF!*

One told me: "I feel like I'm not going to measure up, so why bother?"

[duckdogger]

Some pastors do not understand it is about quality and not quantity. It's about being fed and not about simply warming a pew.

The referenced church that had no organizational control over the service to the point those attending the second service couldn't access the facility is foolish.

Long rambling prayers as a sign of presumed piety could perhaps fall under the vain repetitions warning.

[LisaAnn]

I can relate to the long sermon's. I am a very 'get to the point' person and I find drawing a 15 minute sermon out to an hour very irritating. It has nothing to do with the pastor, it is me. I love him very much and he is as biblically sound as you can get.

[coffeehubby]

I went to that church last night. I'm popular with the kids there, so I'm not sure I want to leave...as I miss my own two. They sat on my lap and I got a bunch of hugs from them after the service. Those children amaze me.

As I was praying with one of my friends there, he asked me a question that completely BLEW me out of the water......."Do you ever wonder if God will EVER answer your prayers?" This, coming from a guy who I figured had his christian act together. He thinks I do. I told Him I think sometimes the good Lord wants us to just listen, and praise Him, love on Him...instead of just our requests. I said that God sometimes withdraws answers until we seek only Him.

I still don't like long sermons, but there is no way I can leave that church now. Between the youth, and the children, there are too many I care about. Josh who is 14, his sister, the girls, several of the boys..

[heavenlierealm]

Originally posted by coffeehubby
I went to that church last night. I'm popular with the kids there, so I'm not sure I want to leave...as I miss my own two. They sat on my lap and I got a bunch of hugs from them after the service. Those children amaze me.

As I was praying with one of my friends there, he asked me a question that completely BLEW me out of the water......."Do you ever wonder if God will EVER answer your prayers?" This, coming from a guy who I figured had his christian act together. He thinks I do. I told Him I think sometimes the good Lord wants us to just listen, and praise Him, love on Him...instead of just our requests. I said that God sometimes withdraws answers until we seek only Him.

I still don't like long sermons, but there is no way I can leave that church now. Between the youth, and the children, there are too many I care about. Josh who is 14, his sister, the girls, several of the boys..






awwwww
a true blessing from god:thumb

[chris_h]

I'm the same way with my youth group. I'm fine with 2 or 3 praise songs, but they seem to get into 5 or 6!