Donald Whitney makes a great comment in Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life about where our heart should be as we are about to hear the Word of God preached on Sunday mornings. While not the main point of his chapter on Bible intake, he makes a fruitful digression.
If you enter the typical evangelical church two minutes before the start of the worship service, it sounds almost like you’ve walked into a gymnasium two minutes before a basketball game. Part of my pastoral heart appreciates the good things represented by people who are glad to see and talk with each other. There is a spirit of family reunion in the air when the family of God gathers together. But I think a larger part of my heart longs for reverence and a spirit of seeking God among those who come to hear His Word. (pg. 31)
Whitney continues, relating a story of a congregation of Korean Christians using his church building for their services.
I was impressed by the way they entered the worship center. Whether they were first to arrive or came in after the service had already started, they immediately bowed in prayer for several moments before arranging their belongings, unbuttoning their coat, or acknowledging the presence of anyone else. This served as an effective reminder to their own hearts and to everyone else of their main purpose for that time. (pg. 31)
Oh, how often I neglect to prepare my heart for corporate worship and the hearing of God’s Word on Sunday mornings. Oh, how easy it is for me to converse with others, or to even twiddle my thumbs aimlessly, instead of spending a few minutes with God in reverent prayer before the morning’s service begins. May God continue to pour out His grace on me so that I can approach his Word with more awe and reverence and thanksgiving!
1 comment:
When I went through this book with growth group last year, I was challenged by the same passage. While it's good to be excited about being at church and seeing our friends and family, it's also important to focus on the reason we are there.
That's not to say that it should be absolute silence before the service starts, but it's definitely a valid point to evaluate in ourselves. One of the ways God used this in my life was to remind me from time to time to take a few minutes and direct myself towards him. I don't do it every Sunday, but many times I come in and take a moment pray that God would help me to be focused on him and prepare my heart for worship. And God honors those prayers.
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