Wash Up!

This is the first of two posts on preparing yourself for worship. The second part will be posted in next week's entry.

Verse of the week: Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ..." Colossians 4:2-3a

What do you do right before you come to worship? No really, stop reading and think about what the fifteen minutes look like before you leave your house for the church...or wherever you're worshiping.

Are you running around frantically trying to get ready because you overslept? Are you trying to keep your eyes open because you were up too late the night before? Are you scarfing down something that probably doesn't qualify as breakfast?

I remember when I was young (before my siblings and I got busy with all the different activities we did) that dinner was a very important part of the day. One thing I always remember being asked was, "Did you wash your hands?" And then, I'd have to prove it...mom and/or dad would smell my hands to see if they smelled like soap. After a while, I learned the drill and washed my hands, then walked up to my mom or dad and showed them I was ready for dinner by raising my hands so they could smell them. It was my way of saying, "I'm prepared to receive this meal."

So, do you prepare for worship? I'm not saying you have to be "clean" before you enter worship- God loves us despite our flaws...remember that's why we have Jesus. But many of us show up unprepared for worship. We see worship as something we go to and not something we do. Worship should not have spectators, worship should have participants. Someone taking part in a meal, or playing a role in a play will always spend some time preparing for what they're doing.

This week, I would challenge you to spend some time in prayer before worship. Ask God to speak to you during the worship experience, ask God to speak through those leading worship, ask that everything may be left outside the church, so that all can focus on what they're doing- worshiping an amazing God.