Resharing an old post ahead of your Sunday. Happy worshiping!
1. Rest up - don’t stay up so late Saturday night you get caught sleeping through the sermon.
2. Read before you go - pick a passage that puts your mind in the right place and meditate on it before you leave.
3. Pray before you go - for yourself, for your church family, for the preacher and teachers, and that God would be honored.
4. Get there early - make time to fellowship with the family and greet any new faces. For the same reasons, don’t dart out the door the minute it ends.
5. Pick someone to encourage - one reason we assemble is to stir each other up to love and good works. Be intentional in your efforts to do so.
6. Go to Bible class - if your congregation offers chances to learn more, take them!
7. Take a moment to remember why you’re there - to prevent rote, overly ritualistic worship, take a moment before it starts to think on what (and Whom) you’re there for.
8. Pay attention to the songs - it’s easy to go through the motions with songs we’ve heard 500x. Think about what is being said and what it tells us about God and our relationship with him.
9. Take notes - a 30 minute lecture each week is very hard to remember. Take notes and revisit them in your personal study at home to make the message stick.
10. Discuss the worship afterward - it’s easy to stand around and talk about the weather, the football game, work, or anything else. Take “church” outside the building by discussing it (the sermon, the songs, the Lord’s Supper talk, etc.) in your chats afterward or over lunch.
11. Go again next week and whenever else you can - sporadic attendance guarantees a person stays immature, disconnected from the church family, and unable to participate in the work of the church.
As retired clergy I think this should be part of a discussion for every person who attends worship.
Well done!