Worship Like A Puritan

Critic H. L. Mencken once said, wrongly, “Puritanism is the haunting fear that someone, somewhere, may be happy.” On the contrary, Puritans read good books and enjoyed music. They drank beer with meals and rum at weddings. Puritans swam and skated, hunted and fished, and played at archery and bowling (as long as the games were not in a public tavern or on Sunday).

In Puritan worship, a prayer could last an hour or more; a sermon, two hours. In a lifetime, a Puritan might hear 15,000 hours of preaching. Failing to glorify God for all his good gifts was a sacrilege.

My point is not that we get exited about drinking a beer or bowling an afternoon away. My point is that as you gather with a body of believers today, forget for just a little while this world of instantaneous convenience. I know we have lighting fast computers, apps that do almost everything but the dishes, and appliances/machines that respond instantly.

Many believers approach God and worship in this same manner. When it comes to worship God seems to be reduced to a 7-11 type Quick Stop Market. We want to get in, received a benefit and get out. So many so called churches have reduced the sermon to 10-20 minutes and have all but removed prayer from the "order of service."

God knew that we needed good preaching and teaching. This is why He gave us preachers and teachers. The sermon is not to be some social or political speech or motivational pep talk. The sermon is to directed to our heart, to our seat of emotions, it is to motivate believers to be faithful and to stimulate Christ-like works from the heart.

Don't get me wrong, I know an hour long sermon can be as bad as a 10 minute sermon can be good. Don't shy away from good bible teaching churches that thoroughly explain a passage of Scripture and just as thoroughly exhort you to obey that passage. 

Instant church might satisfy some, but it will not develop your faith, giving you courageous convictions that will sustain you. Ask God to teach you to love the word and to love the true preaching of His Word. Don't take short-cuts.