Maybe I am an old fuddy duddy:

[BobHunt]

There was a very interesting article in our local shopper today by a Dutch Reformed pastor in a nearby town. He was speaking about the decline in church attendance, and why this is happening. He seemed to draw the conclusion that it had to do a lot with worship. Some churches do not really and truely worship. He said it had some to do with the pastor, but we can not lay the blame entirely on the pastor.
He made a few statements that I have long agreed with, and that is the each one of us who desires to really worship on Sunday morning, must start to prepare ourselves not a few minutes before the service starts on Sunday, but the previous day. How late do we stay out? How late or early do we get to bed on Saturday night? Do we breathe a prayer for the services Sunday? Are we too busy all around service time to prepare our hearts to worship and to help the spirit of reverence to invade our being? We can not blame anyone else if we fail on these things.
I do not feel that the Lord is pleased if we stay up half the night watching a movie, eating popcorn and living it up, and then 9 am comes along on Sunday morning and we are ... well... almost hungover with tiredness and cant get up and attend the Lord's house.
OK, I am getting down off my soapbox. Well said, Bob! Ahhh, thanks buddy!

[Brad Mercer]

Well, purely aside from the merits of your expressed concerns, I'd have to say that anyone who uses the term "fuddy duddy" is one. ;-)

Brad

[Anne and Dwayne Hood]

Fully agree about your idea of preparing ourselves for worship. To me, it is wrong if I wear myself out so badly, that I am not in a "fit" condition to worship on Sunday. It may happen occassionally, but we need to try for it to be otherwise. Anyway, that is my feelings about it. Guess I may be an old fuddy duddy, too.

[Mike Schutz]

I first heard about preparing for worship on Sunday by what you do on Saturday night from Dr. James Cameron, when I was a student at ENC in the 1970s. He talked about preparing his Sunday school lesson, spending significant time praying for his pastor and for the service, and getting a good night's sleep.

He taught (and still teaches) history. Therefore, this must have been an aside in the middle of a lecture in "Western Heritage" or "American Political Institutions." Isn't it fascinating that some of the most important lessons we learn from wise people are not on the syllabus, or even in their lecture notes.

One of my favorites was from Dean Bertha Munro. By the time I met her, she was retired. She was kind to me, a young freshman and one of the few non-Nazarenes at ENC in those days. Once she told me that she had prayed every night for years that God would give her a spiritual song when she woke up the next morning. And God always did.

So every night I pray that God will give me a hymn or a spiritual song in the morning, and he always does. And every Saturday night I prepare my mind and heart for gathering in worship the next morning.

Thank you Dean Munro. Thank you Jim Cameron.

[Brian Bergstrom]

This is one of the reasons why my church only meets on Sunday Evenings. We believe that the day should be used for rest, spending time with family and friends. That way, we aren't so tired out after rushing ourselves to get ready and be on time. I grew up in a traditional church atmosphere and always felt rushed and hurried. I never feel that way now. It is a lot more leisurely and I really look forward to the time of getting together with my community. It is almost restful.

[David Cash]

I live about 21 miles from work and about 3 1/2 from church. Work starts at 8:00 a.m. Church starts at 9:45 a.m. So I can sleep late, have devotions, eat breakfast and still get to church on time. Not a bad combination.

I'm curious, Brian, about your church that meets evenings. What church are you involved with? Oh, and welcome to NazNet.

David Cash

[Marg Webb]

This is one of the reasons why my church only meets on Sunday Evenings. We believe that the day should be used for rest, spending time with family and friends. That way, we aren't so tired out after rushing ourselves to get ready and be on time. I grew up in a traditional church atmosphere and always felt rushed and hurried. I never feel that way now. It is a lot more leisurely and I really look forward to the time of getting together with my community. It is almost restful.


Welcome Brian. You have our curiosity up. Tell us about your church. Do you have S.S. and than church service and etc.?
Very interesting.

[Barbara Moulton]

This is one of the reasons why my church only meets on Sunday Evenings. We believe that the day should be used for rest, spending time with family and friends. That way, we aren't so tired out after rushing ourselves to get ready and be on time. I grew up in a traditional church atmosphere and always felt rushed and hurried. I never feel that way now. It is a lot more leisurely and I really look forward to the time of getting together with my community. It is almost restful.

I love having worship Sunday morning. I come home, my spirit rejuvenated, with the whole rest of the day to relax. (Although we do have prayer meeting once a month in the evening...but that's wonderful).

Doing it your way does sound interesting. I agree that I used to be very tired and frazzled, getting out the door to church early on Sunday morning. But now I don't need to be at the church until 9:30 so that's not so bad.

[Judy Engel]

Brian,
That is very similar to how the church is structured in most of Brazil. They will have church on Saturday or Sunday evenings and people sort of meander in a little bit before service and visit and chat and then begin the service (not always on time by American standards either). It is a wonderful way to worship....no big hurry, enjoying the fellowship of believers and free from time schedules.