The Clock Struck Twelve

A local church is meeting elsewhere during renovations, and their electronic sign flashes, “Temporary worship.” It is only the next panel that tells the current location, so be patient!

This made me think about temporary worship I was in for a few weeks.

I was pastor at First Baptist Church, Selma, when we did some major roof and ceiling repairs. We asked (at the time) First Presbyterian across the street if we might use their sanctuary for the ten weeks. Our neighbors responded with kindness. We scheduled worship in their facility at 9:30 a.m. so as to be out of the way for their 11 a.m. worship, and we had Bible study in our facility at 10:45.

Our members liked the new times, so we began worship in our newly reworked sanctuary at 10:45 instead of the customary 11.

I remember an anxious church member who asked in a business meeting if the new time meant our traditional one-hour service would now require an extra 15 minutes. I think I responded with gentleness, but the answer was too complicated to handle quickly.

At one time we had a season with some complaints that the pastor often “ran over time,” though no concluding time was posted. Our music minister actually took a stopwatch (this is before we all had them on our phones) and recorded the time taken by everyone who had a role, demonstrating that I as the preacher wasn’t the only one expending time.

Evangelical churches normally have at least four or five major components of worship on Sundays including prayer, scripture reading, preaching and commitment. We might plan for an hour, but this may depend on extenuating circumstances.

One spring I asked a few members to share their conversion experiences on Sundays, taking five-seven minutes. One lady took 20! And sometimes there is the unforeseen that may not be printed in the bulletin. For example, when denominational leaders show up unexpectedly, I most often ask them to give greetings.

If a church has a posted time to begin and to end, this ought to be respected, of course. Churches with multiple services do this every week.

But on the other hand, evangelicals say we’re sensitive to the Holy Spirit. If significant public commitments are made, or some special prayer needs arise or some national life-changing moment occurs (think elections or Desert Storm or 9/11), I think church members agree we must forego our plans and focus on the eternal, not the temporal.

One wit suggested, “The clock struck 12 and the church gave up her dead.”

Whatever time the final “amen” is spoken, I trust we’re more alive than dead and go forth to serve a needy world. -30-

“Reflections” is a weekly faith column written by Michael J. Brooks, pastor of the Siluria Baptist Church, Alabaster, Alabama. The church’s website is siluriabaptist.com.