Growing up in the Catholic Church, I valued the respect and reverence for the sanctuary. When we arrived, we sat in the pews in silence, some kneeling in prayer before the service, others sitting quietly in a state of solemn contemplation.
After becoming a believer, I attended a Protestant church. There was a clear change in the way people entered the sanctuary. The quiet solitude was replaced by joyful fellowship as members of the congregation greeted each other, reported on the week’s progress, and actively welcomed new visitors. The underlying joy in the room was palpable.
Neither of these scenarios is wrong if the heart attitude of those who participate in church services is one that reflects honor and glory to the Lord. But if we do this as a weekly habit in a solemn state of mind, or if we only think about meeting friends at church on Sunday, we are missing out on the real meaning of attending church services.
So how should you start your weekly church service? The Bible gives us five attitudes we should adopt in worship to bring honor and glory to the Lord.
“But you shall seek the Lord in the place where the Lord your God shall seek him from among all your tribes, and shall name there his name, and shall be his dwelling place; and come thither; You shall bring the offering of your hands, the offering of your offering, and your voluntary sacrifices, and the firstborn of your flock and of your flock; and you shall eat before the Lord your God, you and your household, and rejoice in all things.” This is the work that the Lord your God has blessed you with. “Never do what we are doing today, for every man does what is right in his own eyes.” Deuteronomy 12:1-8.
seek the Lord there
“One thing have I asked the Lord, that I may dwell in his house all the days of my life, and behold his beauty, and inquire in his temple.” Psalm 27:4
Sadly, for some people, going to church is an item to check off their spiritual to-do list. They enter the sanctuary thinking little about the Lord, thinking about their plans for the day, and counting the minutes until the end of the service. True, their actions do not agree with the above psalm.
Indeed, there is something about a Catholic sanctuary that feels like an invitation to the presence of God, inviting one into the mindset of King David as outlined in the Psalm above.
Many Catholic churches are decorated and recall the temples built to the Lord in the Old Testament, beautiful places set aside specifically for the glory of God to fill the entire space. In the old days, the doors of Catholic churches were left open all week. My mother said that throughout her childhood and teenage years, she loved to sit alone in the sanctuary and talk to God and feel comforted in His presence.
For Christians today, entering the majestic sanctuary is a great opportunity to reflect on all that the Lord not only did for the saints of old, but also does for Christians today. To truly feel the presence of God in that space. Spend time in prayer and gratitude. What a beautiful, intentional, and reverent beginning to church worship!
Protestant churches may not have decorated sanctuaries, but when you enter a space of joy, you feel the presence of the Holy Spirit through the love and joy of the faithful inside.
In these settings, there is an opportunity for intentional conversation before church services. Truly listen to the voices of those who need comfort and pray with them. To be the hands and feet of Jesus. Holding space for God’s presence by seeking Him for ourselves as well as for others. What a beautiful example of Christ dwelling not only in the Lord’s house, but in and through His people.
In these situations, it may be a good idea to take some quiet time just before church to pray and ask the Lord to calm your heart and spirit. That way, you can receive what the Lord has in store for you during worship and follow His guidance while you are there.
There are many ways to seek the Lord with intention as you enter His court. May we join King David as he did.
bring me a sacrificial offering
“Give unto the Lord the glory due to his name; come to his court with an offering.” Psalm 96:8
Before I became a pastor’s wife, I was an introvert and would often leave immediately after church. They mostly just “consume” worship and leave.
My husband, who is now a pastor, always says, “We don’t just come to church to worship the Lord, there are people in church who can benefit from our presence”…this is so true.
Whether you are a pastor’s wife, a missionary leader, or a lay member, your presence in the church is equally important. We all have a purpose within the congregation and ways the Lord uses us to encourage and help others.
Don’t just come to church looking forward to how you will be served, but build on that excitement by expecting to see how the Lord will use you in the fellowship of believers, sacrificing your time, talents, and treasure for His glory.
Communion and fellowship
“Is not the cup of blessing that we bless a partaker of the blood of Christ? Is not the bread that we break a partaker of the body of Christ? For as 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 we receive Holy Communion weekly or monthly, it is a sacred time that we enter with reverence and reverence. If you do something over and over again, the translation may lose meaning and feel like you’ve memorized it too much.
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 communion of that act. As members of the body of Christ, we all partake of the bread and cup together as one body.
While still attending Catholic church in our parish, we had a beautiful tradition of making little pancakes and distributing them the morning after Thanksgiving Mass. We were all instructed to eat bread at home at certain times as a means of fellowship, and we ate together even when we were apart. I loved thinking about the symbolism of this act of worship through communion.
At the first Protestant church I attended, one of the members said something that has always stuck with me and was very meaningful. He said that during his time of reflection and prayer, he looked at the juice before drinking the cup and imagined it to be the blood of Jesus. Not in a morbid sense, but in awe that Jesus shed His blood for Him. This person now has a complete adoration mindset before participating in Holy Communion.
One of the Protestant churches I attended had a beautiful tradition of standing in a circle after receiving Holy Communion, holding hands, and singing “Blessed are the Links That Bind.” Again, communion and communion are acts of worship as a whole.
These are all examples of the worshipful attitude you should have when coming to church on Communion Sunday.
heart of joy
“Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise; give thanks to him, and praise his name.” Psalm 100:4
Let’s be honest, one of the hardest mornings for a believer may be the morning before church on Sunday. Satan seems to be targeting us as we prepare for church services, and he seems to be trying to cause us to stumble through family disputes and marital quarrels.
You can both get nervous or just drive to church in silence. You name it. I’m sure you’ve had an experience like this at least once.
Psychologists say that our brains cannot hold negative and positive thoughts at the same time. Positive things cancel out negative things. With that in mind, you can leave that bad morning behind by going into church and thanking the Lord.
No matter how the morning started in front of the church. Even if everything is not going well, or even if you are singing worship music at the top of your voice, it is important to enter into worship with gratitude and praise to the Lord. This is a very beautiful act of worship and a perfect way to enter into communion with the Lord. It will not only correct a bad morning, but it will also give you a chance to spend meaningful time in communion with the Lord and at church services.
self-sacrificing attitude
“Never act out of selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility let others be more important to you than yourself. Let each one look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” Philippians 2:3-4
Unfortunately, we humans are inherently complainers. Sadly, the complaints are not limited to church services. In fact, that feeling can be fueled if you don’t like the music chosen, if someone new is wearing strong perfume right behind you, or if your kids are making too much noise and you can’t hear the service. No matter what makes you anxious, the church is the place where we most certainly should put the Apostle Paul’s words above into practice.
If you don’t like the hymn or worship music chosen, that’s okay. If we think so, we should be proud. If a child is being naughty, we should do our best to calm him down and extend grace to the mother who wants to spend time with the Lord at church. When it comes to strong perfumes, as someone who can be adversely affected by the scent, if I can change seats to make it less noticeable, I’m fine with not sitting in “my seat” for the week. lol.
They always say that the family is the first place to put into practice the above teachings of the Apostle Paul. How important is self-sacrifice to our church family? After all, we are learning about Christian behavior in church. There’s no better place to put that into practice.
Dear Lord, help us to have the proper attitude in all things when we come to worship. In the name of Jesus, amen.
Do you struggle in any of the following areas when you attend church? If so, what can you do to change it the next time you attend worship?
Photo courtesy: ©Life Surge
Karen Dell Tattoo is a blogger, author, women’s ministry leader, pastor’s wife, mother, and grandmother who is passionate about God’s Word. Her blog, “Growing Together in Grace and Knowledge,” and her books, “Choosing to Trust God: Breaking the Habit of Worry,” “A 30-Day Devotional,” and “Choosing to Trust God Companion Journal,” reveal her heart offering biblical insights to inspire women to grow in, through, and overcome hardship. Karen and her husband live in Rhode Island and enjoy walking in the woods, petting owls, and spending time with their grandchildren.
