However great that it is to listen to these great men deliver great lessons, let me tell you about sitting in the pew and listening to "your preacher."
First, he has spent or should have spent, a lot of time getting a lesson that he believes, or should believe, is pertinent to the needs of you and the other members of your forever family at your local church.
Second, he has prayed about the purpose of the lesson.
Third, he has taken care to be precise and thoughtful in his use of God's word as he uses it in his lesson.
Fourth, he has prayed for you to be attentive to and touched by the lesson he has prepared.
Fifth, he is unsure how you will react but puts his faith in God's Spirit to move and motivate you in your spiritual walk with God.
Sixth, he is sure that God will bless his words no matter how unsure he is as long as he stands for truth.
What about you as you sit in the pew? What is it that you should be doing as you come to your church family reunion each and every week? What is it that is important?
First, preaching is not the purpose of being together with your spiritual family.
Second, your heart should have considered preparing for Sunday's time together on Monday before the next Sunday.
Third, you should be praying for your attitude concerning worship beforehand as well as preparing your mind to share in the Supper (communion) before arriving at the appointed time.
Fourth, you should be ready to sing praises to God. I know that some of us don't have "great singing voices," but isn't it nice to know that God said to sing and make melody in your heart without saying that the singing should be or must be done "well." He just wants honesty to permeate from our hearts and mean what we sing.
Fifth, you should listen and contemplate the meaning of the message that the preacher shares each week. Bible classes are a source of great information as well. Those who teach are spending time preparing as well.
Sixth, ask God to bless your heart and your mind as you worship Him.
Remember, these are not a complete list of things we can do. Many of you will and are already thinking about other attitudes when it comes to being together to worship on Sundays. Don't let the world tell you what you should think, how you should act, how you should worship, or how you should live during the week. Spend this week, and every week, preparing to worship God each Sunday that is coming up.
Remember, sitting in the pew is just as important as the preaching, the singing, the learning, the contribution or any other part of our time together. It is imperative that we sit (wherever that is) ready to worship our God who loves us so much. Attendance is a necessary part of our time on this earth as Christians.
Your forever family needs you to be with them as a part of the body of Christ. Your attendance is more than just sitting in the pew, it is you being an active part of the worship.
I love technology, but it is not the answer to a too-busy schedule or the answer to an "I don't like crowds" mentality, or I can worship at home just as well as I can when I am sitting in the pew.
Sitting in the pew is a blessing from God to help us through the difficult days of each week. Looking forward to the fellowship with the forever family where you worship God is essential to your spiritual growth.
I hope to see you sitting in the pew each Sunday. To my forever family, I miss you when you aren't here.
I love you all,
Britt
