coc ‘Authorized’ Extra Services

[Ramblin' Jack]

People always look at me like I have three heads when I tell them that the church I grew up in had no problem with Santa, exchanging gifts, the Easter bunny and hiding eggs, but a Christmas or Easter church service was absolutely wrong.

I know what you mean. The idea that a church would specifically reject the religious aspects of holidays seems bizarre to most people. Although, I think some of the early Americans puritans also held this attitude.

[OneStrike_ur_out]

In regards to meeting twice on Sunday, even though it's not authorized it still needs to be done to show everyone that the CoC is just as religious as the Baptists! The CoC can't let those silly Baptists do anything that would make them look less religious!

I was part of a COC that did away with Sunday evening services. They were subjected to a lot of criticism in the COC journals and through plain old gossip.

Lev

A couple of the more liberal / moderate mainline CoC congregations in my neck of the woods have done away with Sunday night services. My understanding is that not very many people were showing up. I'm not sure if this is a growing trend, or just a local anomaly.

It is actually a growing trend. The last cOC I was a part of did away with the Sunday evening services, and it was a very small and ultra-conservative congregation.

[AtPeace]

Sometimes, when I stop to think about it, I am absolutely mortified that I wasted so much of my life by spending all of Sunday at church.

No, it wasn't just 2 hours in the morning, and 1 hour at night.

It was hours of planning on Saturday and making it happen on Sunday so that an entire family got cleaned up and dressed to the nines and fed well and rested well in-between, and extra food made for the inevitable potluck, etc. Hours upon hours, every single precious week.

[Struggler]

Sometimes, when I stop to think about it, I am absolutely mortified that I wasted so much of my life by spending all of Sunday at church.

No, it wasn't just 2 hours in the morning, and 1 hour at night.

It was hours of planning on Saturday and making it happen on Sunday so that an entire family got cleaned up and dressed to the nines and fed well and rested well in-between, and extra food made for the inevitable potluck, etc. Hours upon hours, every single precious week.

You are absolutely right. Everything had to grind to a halt early on Saturday so that we could make sure our workbooks were filled in, everyone got a bath and to bed early so we could be up and at the church. From my teen years through 30-ish, my Sunday afternoons were often spent taking a service or Communion to rest homes and such. Then it was time for the Sunday night service and Monday morning, it was off to school or work. And when I worked weekends, it was even more stressful trying to fit all that into my schedule because we were taught the church comes first.

I'm with you--when I think about it, I wonder why I spent so much of my life doing that stuff.

[zeek]

.

[GuitarHero]

If you dreaded it at all, you were given a heaping dose of guilt. You should WANT to be there! Jesus DIED for you, and you can't give him 2 MEASLY HOURS on Sunday? (Yeah right, 2 hours.) You really need to examine your heart! Something is wrong with YOU.

[Struggler]

And of course, if you said you "enjoyed" going to church, you'd get a lecture on how you're not supposed to enjoy it. You attend because it's your duty and you're "commanded" to do so. Can't win with these people.

[GMan]

And of course, if you said you "enjoyed" going to church, you'd get a lecture on how you're not supposed to enjoy it. You attend because it's your duty and you're "commanded" to do so. Can't win with these people.

I enjoy that comment, because I can so relate.

[OneStrike_ur_out]

A lot of people at my second cOC were retired and just simply could not relate to the time situation people like me were faced with. It was SO easy for the retired folks to finger wag at those of us who didn't have that luxury. And yes, retirement is a luxury. They just didn't seem to get that when your schedule is wide open, and work is no longer a factor in your life, you have it a whole lot easier than those with a full time job have it. Before Sunday evening services were dropped, Sundays were out of the question for anything non-church related. There was simply no time. The morning services ran so long (depsite starting so early) and then, we had to be back at the building by 5:00 PM for evening worship, which also ran long despite starting so early. Sundays were not only bookended, but also locked down with church. So, in essence, church began at 9:00 AM and ended at around 7:00 PM. The little "break" between services notwithstanding. The retired folks were the ones responsible for dragging everything out.

I don't know how or why it happened, but I was SO glad it did. In fact, it was what made my second stint in the cOC last longer. In a business meeting one day, a guy proposed dropping the evening services on Sundays. It was naturally met with some frowns, but he actually asked where it was scripturally commanded (to have a second service on Sunday), and surprise surprise no answer could be given! Me thinks the guy pitched the idea because he was attempting to get some time freed up so as to do essential things at home. Well, it worked! Sunday evening services were eventually discontinued. It was a little better not having to worry about being back at church on Sunday evenings. But, ultimately, that only made preacher man and the other retired folks resentful and thus they tried to drag out Sunday mornings even more than they already were. One of them even siad "oh, WE"RE GONNA GET THIS TIME BACK SOMEHOW, YOU WATCH!!". Crazy.

[Struggler]

I know of c of C's that have dropped the evening service in favor of a lunch and "devotional" right afterward, meaning it's essentially an afternoon service. That way, they get their time in and have the rest of the day. A bit much for me, though.

I gave up Sunday evening services because it meant a whole day of nothing but church; like another workday. Morning service is over, you have lunch and then you can't really do anything because just when you're getting into it, it's time to get dressed and ready for the evening service. Major pain. And it caused some strain with friends who didn't understand why I would drop everything to get ready and rush back for another service. And then you finally get home, you have to prepare dinner and there's no time to enjoy before bed and then starting a new work week.