How long is worship?

One of the most common concerns pastors hear from parishioners is that worship is too long. There could be many reasons for this concern, from restless children to Sunday schedules full of other commitments.

Much of it stems from a misunderstanding of what worship is. We forget that worship is not just some kind of show or lecture, but is, in fact, an encounter with the living God.

Here's another worthwhile post from Old Worship New, a blog I've referenced before, that elaborates beautifully. An excerpt:

We cannot expect worship to be a significant aspect of congregational life if we allow it to be approached as if it were as trivial in the grand scheme of things as many things are in our chaotic lives. It is not sitcom in which every problem is solved in 30 minutes, or a sporting event in which, on some occasions, we go into "overtime." It is not our play-date with Jesus....Worship is not like swimming lessons or soccer practice. It is not an activity to be planned or an event to be scheduled; it is not just one more thing that we pencil into our datebooks. Worship is a way of life.

The author quotes from Brian Wren's article, "Creative Liturgy," from The Episcopalian (1988), saying worship must be "long enough to bury Christ and me and resurrect us both again." It's right on.

There are some legitimate reasons to worry about worship being too long. There are many more reasons to worry about why we want worship to be shorter.