I\'ve wondered from time to time....

Grey Colson

Administrator
Staff member
Where this Sunday Morning and Sunday Evening Service schedule came from or when it started?

Before anyone gets mad :mad: at me, let me first say I'm a Christian and believe that the verse about not forsaking the assembling of yourselves together means just what it says. Fellowship with other Christians and sitting under the preaching of God's Word is very important in the growth of a believer's spiritual life.

When we moved to Paulding, I was still the music minister and youth minister at the Church we attended in Marietta. It got to where we started staying with my in-laws on Sunday afternoon because it was just not practical to drive home to Paulding and sit around for 2 hours before we went back. Currently I work on Sunday, so it's not really an issue right now.

But our pastor...and I LOVED his preaching....used to say:

"People who attend church on Sunday morning really love the church.....Those who attend on Sunday evening really love the preacher and those who are willing to attend on Wednesday night really love the Lord"

Now me doing the music AND the youth, it was a given I had to be there, but sometimes I think "some" pastors get a little too bent out of shape about people not being there at every single service. What if there were services every day? Going 3 times per week would make you a heathen! :eek:

But really, I wonder where this came from. I suppose in communities of old, there wasn't much to do on Sunday. Not only that, but churches were probably in walking distance from the house, not 30 miles away.
 
I don't know the origin of the days/times for worship services. But, it would make interesting research.
 
IDK. But I was raised Catholic. We went to CCD (or Sunday school for kids) at 8 am and Mass was at 9:15. After that, we went to my grandparents' house for lunch, or we'd go home and go over there later in the afternoon for dinner.

That was the only time we went, unless there was a function or something going on. My grandpa was in KofC, too.

But, a lot of folks around these parts think Catholics are heathens anyway, no matter when we go to mass. :))
 
History of Sunday morning and evening services.
http://en.allexperts.com/q/Christianity-Church-History-2348/History-Sunday-morning-evening.htm
 
This one explains Wednesday evening services.
http://www.learnthebible.org/the-origin-of-sunday-and-wednesday-evening-services.html
 
Here's some history of Sunday school; how it got started and how some churches don't have it anymore:

http://www.drurywriting.com/keith/sunday.school.history.htm
 
Madea said:
I don't know the origin of the days/times for worship services. But, it would make interesting research.
I think it probably has its origins in the mediaeval canonical hours (Matins, Lauds, Prime, etc), the offices, or church services, that were said throughout the day in monasteries and convents. Then, at the time of the Reformation in England, for example, these were distilled into two daily offices (Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer, aka Matins and Evensong), which set the pattern for Sundays in the established church in England and, by extension, in many (probably most) non-conformist churches well, in both England and America.

Personally, I'd be a bit dubious about a clergyman who tried to suggest that everyone ought to, as a matter of routine, go to more than one Sunday service. (Some people do, and that is fine, but to say that this is some sort of requirement seems a bit strange to me.)

Certainly here in the UK, many Christians are finding it increasingly difficult to go to church on Sundays anyway: children's sports and work commitments, for example, are much more likely to impinge on Sundays than they used to be. Some churches are experimenting with other models: weekday church, services on weekday evenings, and so on. The Roman Catholic church formalised the Saturday evening alternative some years ago by proving vigil masses. (It's all very well saying that one ought to go to church on Sunday, but if one has to work or if Sunday is the only time that the children can see their grandparents who live 100 miles away, and so on and so on, it may not be entirely realistic.)

In the Church of England now, it is standard in most churches for the main Sunday service to be mid-morning and to be a celebration of the Eucharist. Matins has all but disappeared except in cathedrals and college chapels, and also in very high churches where it is often said early in the morning as part of the daily office. Evensong, where it occurs, is now looked on as something of an "optional extra". The exception to all of this would be some churches that have service(s) in the late afternoon and evening for young people (teenagers and early 20s, typically) – though even these happen often on days other than Sundays (often Saturday evening).
 
Very informative Ridingthewave! Nice to have you on The Hwy and giving us perspective from across the pond! 8)
 
Jack Reacher said:
Very informative Ridingthewave! Nice to have you on The Hwy and giving us perspective from across the pond! 8)
Thanks, Jack Reacher! :)

What I wrote above is just my observations and opinion: others might completely disagree!
 
When I was a teenager I was at church every time the doors were open (Sun morning & evening, Wed evening, Fri evening). I still attend the same church but we did away with the Sun evening and Fri evening services. Fri evening stopped because it wasn't a service led by our pastor anyway, and the folks who got together just quit going. Sun evening stopped, as everyone the congregation voted. There weren't that many who went Sun nights anyway.

I like the way it is now best...just Sun morning and Wed night. :)
 
Ridingthewave said:
Jack Reacher said:
Very informative Ridingthewave! Nice to have you on The Hwy and giving us perspective from across the pond! 8)
Thanks, Jack Reacher! :)

What I wrote above is just my observations and opinion: others might completely disagree!

I was just thinking, Ridingthewave...we'll need to keep a sharp eye out for you on The Hwy since you'll be driving on the other side of the road. It should make it very interesting :laugh

Edited to add:

It's kinda funny that my favorite literary character is supposed to be an American by English Author Lee Child and the character in my book has a British sounding name; Grey Colson. :))
 
Jack Reacher said:
I was just thinking, Ridingthewave...we'll need to keep a sharp eye out for you on The Hwy since you'll be driving on the other side of the road. It should make it very interesting :laugh

I'll take care to jump out of the way whenever I see anyone coming towards me... :B_S

Jack Reacher said:
Edited to add:

It's kinda funny that my favorite literary character is supposed to be an American by English Author Lee Child and the character in my book has a British sounding name; Grey Colson. :))

Are you writing a novel (or have you written one, perhaps)?
 
Ridingthewave said:
Jack Reacher said:
I was just thinking, Ridingthewave...we'll need to keep a sharp eye out for you on The Hwy since you'll be driving on the other side of the road. It should make it very interesting :laugh

I'll take care to jump out of the way whenever I see anyone coming towards me... :B_S

Jack Reacher said:
Edited to add:

It's kinda funny that my favorite literary character is supposed to be an American by English Author Lee Child and the character in my book has a British sounding name; Grey Colson. :))

Are you writing a novel (or have you written one, perhaps)?

I am not an author, but am tring my hand at it. I'm approximately 45,000 words into it and am enjoying it, although I can only dedicate an evening here and there. I may not succed, but I'm sure as heck going to try. It's like I used to tell the guys at work when they would get frustrated by the promotional testing process. If they didn't try, they could only blame themselves. If they worked at it, got their name on the list but didn't get promoted, it wasn't their fault.
 
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