Time Limits?

15 minutes or 2 hours of worship? Should your corporate time of worship have a time limit?  That's still such a huge debate in the worship scene.  There are people who live on both sides of the pendulum of the issue and there are those in between.  So, what do you believe?  Let me give you my take...

One thing that we do at MPBC that I really appreciate is the fact that we make every week of worship a time to celebrate God and to remember what He's done for us.  When you talk about how great and awesome God is, it is never wrong.  Remember that.  Whether you're granted 20 minutes or an hour for worship, know that singing of His greatness will never go wrong.  Our goal is to connect with Jesus to connect with people.  We are looking for a fresh revealing of Jesus each week.  

Here at MPBC, we're structured.  We get 20 minutes for music and have 3 services. Musicians and singers have "X's" to stand on.  We have click tracks and even cues that keep us together. We have multiple camera platforms that operate on a tight ship. We have a countdown between services and a huge red clock displayed on the back wall.  We MUST have structure and a tight schedule to operate efficiently.  We have too much going on not to! And you know what?...it's okay!  Me, personally, I like the structure we have. I find comfort in it. I think God appreciates structure and planning.  It represents responsibility. Even in that structure, God is free to move.  It seems to be a common belief among some worship leaders that God can't move within a small amount of time in music.  My response is that God can move when and how He chooses.  The level of anointing and connection with God, and the length of a worship set really have nothing to do with each other.  We look to minister to God and to the person that's broken.  We look to minister to the husband and wife that could barely make it to church because of a car full of screaming kids.  All types of people make up the body of Christ and God is faithful to move in those people's lives during that time.  It creates a lasting effect on them.  Our time of worship should be about quality.

So, you're a worship leader who is given exactly 17 minutes of music each week.  What are you going to do with that 17 minutes?  It's easy to get into making a set-list in this topic, but my answer is pray.  Pray what God would have you lead.  He is already in your time of worship and He knows exactly who will be in the room and what they'll need for that day.  Know your congregation.  Don't just play songs that you or your team enjoy just for that purpose.  Sing songs that fit.  Are you given a strict time limit in your church? Good! Make it count.

Peace,

Justin