Q. How much time do you allow for music in worship? Does it depend on how the Holy Spirit leads you in that service?

A. The question of "how much time" is like a river that flows between two banks. If your church's philosophy of ministry is speaker-driven communication, this will result in less time for music. If the approach is experiential, this may result in more music. The congregational worship experience for most churches flows somewhere between those banks.

The issue of time and the leading of the Holy Spirit is a common struggle. The good news is that the Holy Spirit knows how to work within time and cultural constraints. The Holy Spirit works with great power, but in our humanity we often feel that we need to do more, to go longer. Longer does not necessarily mean more effective. Many times, longer is less effective as we start to lose the attention of parts of the congregation.

Careful preparation starts with the leadership of the Holy Spirit. Many services I plan are done by faith ...