When George Duffield, Jr. wrote “Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus,” I don’t think he had in mind standing in a church service for 25 minutes of what has become known as “praise and worship." But I suspect the praise and worship session is about the only time some Christians stand for Jesus.
Can you tell I haven’t quite bought into the trend of standing and singing mostly choruses for 25 minutes? Actually, we could cut this time in half or more if we didn’t repeat each chorus and repeat each chorus and repeat each chorus. Because I am not as young as I used to be, standing for 25 minutes anywhere strains my back and leg muscles. It also drains my patience.
Have you noticed that most worship team members are young? Maybe if churches gave 70-somethings an opportunity to lead worship, we wouldn’t have to stand as long. And they might just include some hymns. But don’t hold your breath. The possibility of 70-somethings leading praise and worship is as remote as your finding me at the front of a rock concert waving my arms, jumping up and down, and screaming, “Rock on!”
I know, if people are too old to stand for 25 minutes, they can sit down. Everybody should be comfortable, right? But how comfortable would I feel sitting while nearly everyone else is standing?
I wish we could get back to singing hymns like those that were birthed in the Reformation. We used to sing some of them while standing, but we remained seated for others. Also, I wonder what George Duffield, Jr. would say if he experienced modern praise and worship. But then, George Duffield, Jr. is dead; and, as my wife often tells me, “Old man Useda is dead and gone” too.
I suppose I could sit in my car until the preaching begins, but often I am the preacher.
