Growing up in the Catholic Church, I appreciated the reverence and respect the sanctuary commanded. Upon arrival, we’d sit in the pews in silence, some bringing the kneeler down to pray before service while others sat quietly in a solemn, contemplative state.
Once I became a Believer, I attended the protestant church. There was a definite shift in how the people entered the sanctuary. Instead of quiet solitude, there was joyful fellowship as congregants greeted one another, caught up on their weeks, or made a point of welcoming new visitors. The underlying joy in the room was palpable.
Neither of these scenarios is wrong when the heart posture of those entering into the church service is one of honor and glory to the Lord. BUT if, in our solemnity, we are going through the motions as a weekly habit OR if all we are thinking about is seeing our friends at church on Sunday, then we’ve missed the true meaning of attending church services.
So, how should we enter into our weekly church service? The Scriptures show us 5 attitudes we should carry into the worship service that bring honor and glory to the Lord.
“But you shall seek the LORD at the place which the LORD your God will choose from all your tribes, to establish His name there for His dwelling, and there you shall come. There you shall bring your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, your tithes, the contribution of your hand, your votive offerings, your freewill offerings, and the firstborn of your herd and of your flock. You and your households shall also eat before the LORD your God, and rejoice in all your undertakings in which the LORD your God has blessed you. “You shall not do at all what we are doing here today, every man doing whatever is right in his own eyes”. Deuteronomy 12:1-8
Seek the Lord There
"One thing have I asked of the LORD, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to inquire in his temple". Psalm 27:4
Sadly, for some, going to church is an item to be checked off their Spiritual to-do list. They enter the sanctuary thinking about their plans for the day and counting the minutes until the service ends, with little thought for the Lord. Certainly, not agreeing with the above Psalm by their actions.
There is indeed something about the Catholic sanctuary that feels like an invitation into God’s presence, that calls a person into King David’s mindset as outlined in the Psalm above.
Many Catholic churches are ornate and hearken back to the temples built for the Lord in the Old Testament—a beautiful place set apart for the Glory of God to fill the entire space. Back in the day, Catholic church doors were left open throughout the week. My mom said that when she was a little girl and throughout her teenage years, she loved sitting alone in the sanctuary, talking to God, and feeling comforted in His presence.
For modern-day Christians, entering a sanctuary arrayed in majesty provides an excellent opportunity to reflect upon ALL that the Lord has done not only for the saints of old, but is STILL doing for Christians today. To truly sense His presence in that space. Spending time in prayer and thanksgiving. What a beautiful, intentional, and reverent start to a church service.
Although Protestant churches may not have embellished sanctuaries, upon entering the jubilant space, you sense the presence of the Holy Spirit by the love and joy of the congregants within.
In this setting, we have the opportunity to be intentional in our conversations before the church service. To truly hear and pray with those who might need comforting. To be the hands and feet of Jesus. To hold space for His presence by seeking Him not only for others, but for ourselves. What a beautiful example of Christ dwelling not only in the house of the Lord, BUT in and through His people.
It’s good in these settings to also take some time in quietness just before church to pray and ask the Lord to calm your mind and spirit, so you can receive what He has for you throughout the worship service and follow His lead while you are there.
There are many ways to seek the Lord with intention when entering His courts. May we join King David in the same manner in which he did.
Bring Your Sacrificial Offerings
"Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; bring an offering, and come into his courts!" Psalm 96:8
Before becoming a Pastor’s wife, because of my introversion, I often left immediately after church. Pretty much just “consuming” the worship service and then leaving.
My now-Pastor husband always says, not only are we coming to church to worship the Lord, but there is someone at church who could benefit from our presence… This is so true.
Whether you are a Pastor’s wife, ministry leader, or congregant, your presence is no less critical at church. We all have a purpose within our congregation and ways that the Lord will use us to encourage and/or help others.
Instead of coming to church only looking forward to how YOU will be ministered to, add to that excitement the ways the Lord will use you while gathered with the fellowship of Believers - sacrificially offering your time, talents, and treasures for His glory.
Communion and Fellowship
“Is not the cup of blessing which we bless a sharing in the blood of Christ? Isn't the bread which we break a sharing in the body of Christ? Since there is one bread, we who are many are one body; for we all partake of the one bread.” 1 Corinthians 10:16-17
Whether you receive communion weekly or monthly, it is a sacred time to be entered into with respect and reverence. Sometimes, when we do something repeatedly, it can feel too rote, with the meaning getting lost in the translation.
Communion Sunday is not only about taking time to remember what Christ did at the Last Supper and ultimately on the cross, but also about reflecting on the fellowship of the act. We, the body of Christ, are all partaking of the bread and the cup as one body, together.
While still attending the Catholic Church, our parish had a beautiful tradition of making small bread cakes and distributing them on Thanksgiving morning after mass. We were all instructed to eat the bread at our homes at a particular time as a means of fellowship, eating together while being separate. I loved thinking about the symbolism of this act of worship through fellowship.
At the first Protestant church I attended, one of the congregants said something that has always stuck with me and is so meaningful. He said that during the time of reflection and prayer, before drinking the cup, he would look at the juice and imagine it as Jesus’ blood. Not in a morbid sense, but in awe that Jesus shed His blood for him! It put this person in a mindset of total worship before taking part in communion.
One of the Protestant churches I attended had a beautiful tradition after communion: standing in a circle, holding hands, and singing “Blessed be the Tie that Binds.” Again, communion and fellowship are one act of Worship in total.
These are all examples of worshipful attitudes to have when coming to church on Communion Sunday.
A Heart of Rejoicing
"Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name." Psalm 100:4
Let’s face it, for Believers, one of the hardest mornings can be Sunday morning before church. Satan seems to set his sights on those of us preparing for church service and attempts to trip us up, whether it be through family squabbles, husband and wife getting
on each other's nerves, or driving to church in silence. You name it. I’m sure at one point or another, you’ve experienced this.
Psychologists say our brains can’t hold a negative thought and a positive thought at the same time. The positive will squash the negative. With that in mind, we can leave that bad morning behind by entering the church and giving thanks to the Lord.
No matter how your morning started before church. Whether everything is going wrong or you are singing worship music at the top of your lungs, it is essential to enter into worship service with thanksgiving and praise to the Lord. This is such a beautiful act of worship and the perfect way to enter into fellowship with the Lord. Not only will it set to rights a bad morning, but it will be the catalyst for a meaningful time with the Lord and with your church fellowship in worship.
Self-Sacrificing Frame of Mind
“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” Philippians 2:3-4
Unfortunately, we humans can be grumblers by nature. Sadly, that complaining doesn’t stop in a church service. In fact, it might be spurred on if we don’t like the music that was chosen, if someone new is wearing overpowering perfume right behind you, or if a child is making a lot of noise and you can’t hear the service. Whatever might set you off, church is where we most certainly should put into practice the Apostle Paul’s words above.
It doesn’t matter if we don’t like the hymn or worship music that was chosen. If we think it does, then we are being prideful. If a child is being rambunctious, we should extend grace to the mom who is doing her best to calm that child down and wants time with the Lord in church. As far as the overpowering perfume, as someone who can be negatively affected by that, if you can change seats without making it look obvious, you will survive not sitting in “your pew” that week. Lol.
They always say that family is the first place to practice the teaching above by the Apostle Paul. How much more to our church family is self-sacrifice a vital attitude? After all, we are in church learning about Christian conduct. What better place to put that into practice!
Dear Lord, help us to have the proper attitude in all things as we enter our worship service. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Do you struggle in any of these areas when you attend church? If so, what can you do to change that the next time you are in a worship service?
Photo Credit: ©Life Surge
