Worship is not like other things we do in our lives. It's a time set apart, in a place set apart, for us to connect with God through the person of Jesus Christ, to prepare ourselves for the work we are called to do in the world. We do this habitually - week after week. But what if we "pre-paved" the experience? That is, what if we did a few things to heighten our awareness and clarify our intentions around the act of worship. Here are three things you might consider doing between Saturday and Sunday morning prior to coming to worship. It may be best to start with one, and when it is integrated into your routine, move to the next one.
1) Sit quietly for 15 minutes and imagine yourself at St. Mark's on Sunday morning. Focus on the aspect of worship that feels the most satisfying to you. Sit in that place of satisfaction until it has completely filled your heart. Be aware of your body: are you smiling as you feel the sensation of joy in this moment in the worship experience? Where in your body do you feel this happiness or joy or deep satisfaction (whatever word best describes your experience)? Put your hand on this part of your body and rest in the knowledge that you are communicating with the Spirit in this moment - it is the joy of the Spirit that you feel. Joy is the natural state of the Spirit. By doing this practice prior to worship you are tuning your mind and body, your whole self, to the mystery of the worship experience, and moving beyond the mere mechanics of it.
2) Skip the news from 7pm Saturday evening until Monday morning. Give your mind and nervous system a sabbath. Notice how this practice feels to you. Are you feeling that something big is missing? Are you having a hard time not checking the headlines on your phone? When I first began the practice of turning off the news I quickly realized that I was missing the adrenaline hit - it took a while to let peace and tranquility, the connection to the Spirit, be a bigger emotional payoff. Be intentional and disciplined about your time away from "the world" fully knowing and trusting that God's attention is fully present to every situation.
3) Read the scripture lessons for Sunday. You can find them on The Lectionary Page.net. Look particularly at the Gospel lesson and find it in your bible. Read several verses before the prescribed reading, and several verses after it, enough to give yourself a sense of location, audience, and of what is going on. Did the lectionary writers leave out verses? What are they? Observe one word or phrase that is in the lesson - or in the surrounding verses - or missed verses - that catches your eye. Write it down and then, quickly, without analyzing or self-censoring your thoughts, jot down a note about why it speaks to you. This practice should only take about 15 minutes.
Thank you for reading my blog and walking with me in the path of spiritual grace; for your willingness to spend this time with me as together we learn how to see and be Christ in the world. Rowena +
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