What is your typical Lord's Day "routine"?

[TaylorOtwell]

I think the title speaks for itself. I'm just curious how you all spend your time on the Lord's Day. Do any of you have a general "routine" that you follow each Lord's Day?

I ask because I want to be more purposeful in my own observance of the Lord's Day. I feel that I come into it with really no plan as to how I will profit from the "market day of the soul". Of course, I'm assuming church attendance, so I'm mainly interested in after church activities.

 

[Philip]

I leave it open---honestly, I find having one part of my week completely unplanned and free of work to be liberating.

 

[dudley]

I think the title speaks for itself. I'm just curious how you all spend your time on the Lord's Day. Do any of you have a general "routine" that you follow each Lord's Day?

I ask because I want to be more purposeful in my own observance of the Lord's Day. I feel that I come into it with really no plan as to how I will profit from the "market day of the soul". Of course, I'm assuming church attendance, so I'm mainly interested in after church activities.

I go to services in the morning. Our church ,The First Presbyterian church of Manasquan, has 3 services, a communion service at 8 am and a traditional service at 9:30 am and a family worship service at 11 am. The Lords Supper is celebrated weekly at the 8 am service and monthly at the 9:30 and 11 am service . Last Sunday I attended The Lords Supper service at 8 am and received communion , then I was received into full membership in the congregation at the 9:30 am service and then went to the coffee reception in the fellowship hall at 10:30 am and then attended the adult prayer class at 11 am . I spent 4 hrs at church last Sunday and usually spend about 2 ½ to 3 hours most Sunday mornings.

There is a coffee hour at 9 am to 11 AM and depending on what service you attend you can gather in the fellowship hall for coffee and etc and meet and talk with others. There are also different adult Sunday school classes as well as Sunday school classes for the children and the teens. I attended a Prayer class the last two Sundays , next Sunday I might attend a Bible class.

I also attend the Bible class every Thursday evening from 7 to 8 pm. It is conducted in the church sanctuary by our associate pastor David Cotton. We have been reading and learning the Gospel of Luke the last 7 weeks.

After church I have lunch and relax a bit and then usually got to my younger sons home 3 miles away and visit with my two grandsons and my son and daughter in law for a while. Sometimes I will stay for dinner.

 

[Herald]

I wake early and go over my Sunday School lesson and/or sermon. After worship we gather for food, fellowship, and teaching at a members house along with several other families. Since we don't have access to our meeting facility in the evening our family spends the rest of the day together.

 

[au5t1n]

The order varies, but I try to complete the following, besides attending corporate worship (only available in the morning):

Bible reading (at least my daily 4 chapters, but often more on the Lord's day)
Prayer
Bible memorization
Currently reading the WLC 20 questions per Lord's day
Read around 20 pages of The Lord's Prayer by Thomas Watson (actually, I bought that from you, didn't I? Thanks!)
One article a week from the Confessional Presbyterian Journal, Vol. 5
Often I study some theological issue of interest online, frequently using the Puritanboard as an aid for finding resources.
Psalm-singing
One audio sermon in the evening

Getting all this done assumes I am not invited over to someone's house on the Lord's day and there are no church events, such as a luncheon or Bible study. If either of those happens, not everything on the list gets done, but those things are good too. The above list is the more common scenario.

It's also not a bad idea to get up early and pray for the sermon, the pastor, and the congregation.

 

[Scott1]

Get routine tasks done night before (e.g. gas, groceries, prepare sabbath meals)

early morning personal Bible reading and prayer
simple breakfast
Sunday School
Corporate worship
Lunch (mostly prepared night before), possible fellowship with guests, prayer with guests
nap or quiet time
Family Bible reading
light evening meal
Sunday evening class, small group
or alternate sing hymns at home
quiet time before bed

 

[TaylorOtwell]

Wow. Thanks for all the great responses everyone! They are really helpful.

 

[C. M. Sheffield]

There are of course some exceptions, but this is generally how it goes:

0700 - Get up and at 'em
0800 - pick up Sausage McMuffin and go to church house
0930 - prayer with Deacons
0945 - personal prayer and las minute preparations
1100 - Morning Worship
1230 - Go home, eat lunch, take a nap
1630 - Back in my Study for prayer and preparation
1830 - Evening Worship
2000 - Go home, eat a bite, put the kids to bed, spend the remainder of my evening with my wife.
2300 - Go to bed!

 

[nicnap]

On the way there I tend to pray and ask the Lord to prepare my heart for the worship service(s) and also listen to the Westminster Larger Catechism (usually the ones I've worked on during the week for catechism).

I know I've seen the links to this before, but would you be willing to post them again for the WLC? I have been trying to find the time to record them myself and burn that to a CD, but I don't particularly like to listen to myself.

 

[nicnap]

Thanks, friend.

 

[MLCOPE2]

7am wake for morning devotions
7:30am wake the wife and kiddos and get everyone fed and ready (clothes prepared the nite before)
9:15am psalm sing (before and on way to church)
10am corporate worship
12:30 pm home for lunch (often brewing while gone)
1:30pm nap for everyone (we have seven wonderful children and they all love a good nap!)
5:30pm back at church for evening worship (most weeks)
7:30pm back home for family worship (psalm-singing, prayer, and bible lesson)
9pm kids to bed and spend time with the misses
10pm down for the count!

 

[jwithnell]

My whole week really has to be in preparation for the Sabbath -- otherwise, we'd be the family coming in right before the sermon with the kids half dressed : )

Some specific tasks involve making bread for the Lord's table (usually on Thursdays and frozen) and doing the prep for any major food needed on Sunday; I get out the little kids' clothes on Saturday evening.

Sundays, I like being up early 6:30-7 to worship personally and to continue with any Bible study or reading that I've been working through.

8 am -- Get breakfast and make myself ready
9:20 -- Out the door so we can have a little time for fellowship before Sunday School
9:45 -- Participate in one of the quarterly Sunday School classes or find a quiet corner for my own study
11 am -- Worship
1 pm something -- home for a light lunch.
Read, rest, finish any food prep
Return to church for a 5 pm fellowship meal
6 pm -- Evening Bible Study, usually something in-depth; we're working through Berkoff right now
7:30 pm -- Home, get everyone off to bed
Monday -- get up and wonder how the house can be destroyed by my taking one day off from straightening and cleaning!

 

[kvanlaan]

For us, this is a little like describing a weekly train wreck (as if the movie "Groundhog Day" was about getting ready for church).

What should happen is as follows:

Saturday night:
everyone gets their respective 'buddy's' clothes ready, complete with shoes and socks
clean the van and fill with gas
clean house to prepare for the Lord's Day

Sunday morning:
kids up at 6:30 for chores (feed goats and chickens, get hay and water for cows)
7am breakfast (my job) - cereal usually - followed by devotions (Proverbs in the morning, and usually one or two Q&As from the Heidelberg catechism)
8:20am leave for church
9:05 arrival
noon - return home, usually with 2-3 children's friends in tow
Large meal
Nap
time with kids, wife
5:45pm - leave for church
9:30-10pm arrive home and, if we did not have dinner, we do devotions then, instead of after dinner (something from the NT followed by one or two Q&As from the HC again)

In reality, we have actually made it all the way to church (a half hour's drive at the time) with Joseph wearing only socks, no shoes. Mortifying? Yes. Because we don't stick out enough...

We tend to get up later than we should, because Saturday is our work day - we are now, for instance, preparing the barn for winter, and worked at it all day and into the evening yesterday. This means we don't pop awake at 6 or 6:30 like we should. But it is indeed a good time, we are always blessed with a fine sermon and fellowship at church, and the children and the two of us (more Elizabeth than I) usually pull it together to get there on time. Thing is, we must be on time or we're in the front bench. So we almost always arrive early, in order to get an entire center bench to fit our family. This means general chaos to get out the door on time.

Re-reading this, it doesn't sound like a day of rest, but it really is for the most part!

 

[au5t1n]

otherwise, we'd be the family coming in right before the sermon with the kids half dressed : )

In reality, we have actually made it all the way to church (a half hour's drive at the time) with Joseph wearing only socks, no shoes. Mortifying? Yes. Because we don't stick out enough...

I didn't know you two went to the same church.

 

[AThornquist]

otherwise, we'd be the family coming in right before the sermon with the kids half dressed : )

In reality, we have actually made it all the way to church (a half hour's drive at the time) with Joseph wearing only socks, no shoes. Mortifying? Yes. Because we don't stick out enough...

I didn't know you two went to the same church.

Their church believes that the only way to be fully clothed is in Christ's righteousness by grace through faith. Haha!


---------- Post added at 08:28 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:20 PM ----------



The normal Sunday schedule:

0800 Boiler Room prayer with other saints (and the name "Boiler Room" is in reference to Spurgeon; Google it to know more)
0900 Sunday School
1030 Morning Service

After worship, I go to the house of one of many families. I have the "singles ticket," so I have free food and good fellowship guaranteed every Sunday. It rocks. Normally I go to Pastor Rich Barcellos' house.

0500 Prayer meeting, business meeting, or communion -- depending on the weekend
0600 Evening Service

After worship, I have further fellowship with the saints. Tonight we watched "Luther."

 

[SolaScriptura]

Here's our normal routine:

We get up, have breakfast together as a family, and then get dressed for church. Our worship service starts at 9:30am, so we get there and make sure all the kids have gone to the restroom and then we attend worship followed by Sunday School. After that we chat with the saints and then we head for home around 1pm. We have lunch, relax around the house for a bit while the 3yr old takes a nap, and then if the weather is good we go for a walk. And then we have dinner followed by a longer than normal devotional period... and then we go to bed.

 

[Rich Koster]

One Sunday per month we have a dinner fellowship where everyone brings something after AM meeting. We then have an earlier PM service (starting between 2&3).
We also have family groups (usually 4 or 5 families) who get together at least once per quarter between normal AM & PM service schedule.
We also have invited guests as we physically feel up to it.
Other times we discuss and explore certain sermon texts and points which we bring up during the 30 minute ride home.
Sunday PM early zzzzzzzzzzzzzz

 

[Pilgrim Standard]

Wake up get children reday for chuch.
Eat & Pray with family.
Feed chickens.
Travel to Church.
Sunday school.
Morning Service.
After morning service many of the families eat at church then fellowship over coffee.
Afternoon service.
Return home and discuss sunday school and services with family.
Read some of the WLC with family and discuss, somtimes children get their own books and read at this time.
Nap for little ones, sometimes all of us, or Download a sermon from sermonaudio and listen with family.
Wake children, Eat dinner.
Download another sermon and listen with family; discuss.
Send children to bed.
Read (currently between Durham on Isa 53, Thomas M'Crie's Lectures on Baptism, and Institutes) tilll bedtime.