WHAT IS RESPONSE TIME?
One of the things that makes worship at Seacoast a powerful experience is Response Time. Every service at every Seacoast campus concludes with this moment when we all have the chance to consider what God might be asking us to do in response to the worship and message we have experienced. Worship was never meant to be a passive experience. To help us get into that posture, here are the five elements of Response Time.
PRAYER
James 5:13-14 tells us, “Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray…Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord.” During Response Time, we have the opportunity to receive prayer from our Prayer Team. Whether you need healing, encouragement, or just a reminder of God’s love for you, a member of our Prayer Team would love to pray for you. If you would like to pray with an Elder or Pastor and receive counsel, they are available as well.
COMMUNION
Jesus instituted Communion at the Last Supper, which he shared with his closest disciples. The Gospels tell us that during the Last Supper, Jesus took bread and broke it, saying “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” He then took a cup of wine and said, “This cup is the covenant in my new blood, which is poured out for you.” Communion is when we take the bread, remembering Christ’s body that was broken for us, and we dip the bread in the cup, remembering the blood Christ shed so that we could be free. During response time, you may visit any of our Communion stations to take part. You don’t have to be a member of Seacoast to take Communion, just a member of the Body of Christ.
THE CROSS
1 Corinthians 1:18 says, “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” Jesus paid the ultimate price for our sin on the cross so that we could be reconciled to God. In Response Time, the cross acts as a station where we can symbolically nail our sins to the cross. You can also pin concerns, fears, and prayers to the cross, remembering that through his death Jesus made possible the promise of new life.
THE CANDLES
The practice of lighting candles before the Lord goes back to the Old Testament. God required the Israelites to maintain lamps burning before the Holy of Holies (Exodus 40). In John 8:12, Jesus said “I am the light of the world,” so the lighting of candles has come to symbolize the hope we have in Christ. At Seacoast, we also light candles to symbolize prayers that we offer to God on behalf of others. When we light a votive candle, we place an intention or request before the Lord. We encourage you to visit one of our candle stations and light a candle on behalf of someone who needs the light of God in their life.
TITHES AND OFFERINGS
We believe that everything we have has been given to us by a generous God. The act of submitting to God with our tithes and offering is an act of worship, as we learn to become generous as well. Take time during our response time to pray with your family, commit your tithes and offering to God and freely and graciously ask God to lead you in how you can be a good steward with the resources he has entrusted to you. If you are a guest this weekend, we’d rather you not give. We are not interested in your money, we are just glad you are here. This part of Response Time is for those who have made Seacoast Church their home.
Next Steps
- You can participate in any of the elements of Response Time in-person or online during one of our weekend services. What’s God saying to you?
- Watch this short video for more information on Response Time.
