Of all the things that people find weird about us, one of the biggest is that we spend three hours in church. If used correctly this can be a time of spiritual refreshment, received inspiration, and warm fellowship. It can also be a time of boredom, idleness, or mind games.
As in so many other areas, preparedness is the key. Think of break-the-fast. If many people show up empty-handed but ready to eat, the experience will not be very satisfying (except possibly for those who were first in line). A few hard-working and unselfish individuals may do more than their part, and improve the situation, but the odds of success are better if everyone is contributing.
Our time together on Sunday can go much the same way. If many people come prepared for inspiration and fellowship, the general feeling is better and the chance of individuals receiving needed answers is greater. Your noisy whispering behind me might distract me from the lesson and lead me to be a little angry, or your quiet thoughtfulness and personal remarks may remind me that I am not alone, and that we all have our own struggles but that peace and joy come from living Gospel principles. Your prayer for the teacher may help her say exactly what I need to hear. More importantly, you may hear exactly what you need to hear.
So, what are some things that we can do to make our time in church better?
Study the lessons in advance: Not only are we given manuals, study guides, and schedules at the beginning of the year, but all manuals and study guides are posted under the Gospel Library at www.lds.org. The Relief Society lesson schedule even lists which conference talks will be used on the Teachings for our Times weeks, and those talks are also available on the web site.
Studying the lesson on Sunday morning can be a great way to have quiet time for listening to the Spirit and keeping the Sabbath holy. It makes you more ready to participate in class later, which the instructors will appreciate. Also, it may be that there are points for you in the lesson that are not the most important points for the class as a whole, in a different direction than the class will go. It’s very seldom that all of the material gets covered for any lesson. Spending your own time with the material, for both the Sunday School and the third hour lessons, provides a chance for your individual spiritual needs to be met. After all, it’s not like we don’t have enough time before church, which leads to the second point.
Be on time: We meet at 2:45. Even if you sleep until one in the afternoon, it should be possible to be ready and at the church by 2:45 (although you may find that staying up late and then sleeping in does not set the best tone for the day). Figure out how much time you need, and then allow that time. Being seated a few minutes in advance, able to listen to the prelude music and prepare for the sacrament, will help you to be more in tune with the Spirit.
If you end up late anyway, be respectful about that. Entering quietly is considerate to those around you. Friends can be greeted and outfits admired after the closing hymn.
Be humble: Church should not be a fashion show, or a chance to brag or make a point of how many friends you have, or what a great testimony you can bear because you have suffered so much. Even the times when you are focusing on worries about how others are judging you or how inadequate you feel are times when you are not feeling the Spirit, or even leaving a doorway for inspiration. Any time you are focusing on you, or on what others think of you is probably not a time when you are being strengthened.
Be open to learning: I remember one person who always used to read during sacrament meeting. It did not matter whether the speakers were good or not, they could not bless him. Also, perhaps we should re-evaluate what we consider to be “good”. If a speaker or teacher invites the Spirit, we can learn if we will cooperate. As we are in tune, any comment or scripture can lead us to know and feel what we need. If a teacher or speaker struggles, be understanding. Church responsibilities help us learn and grow, and we may not get everything right at once. This leads to the next point.
Do your church jobs: Are there ways in which you could do your calling better? This may affect someone else’s church experience. Teachers play an important part, but so do those in charge of the music, and even those who participate in small ways like saying a prayer. As you are asked to serve, do so willingly, and bearing in mind what church can be for everyone.
There are callings and assignments that are not carried out on Sunday, but these generally involve serving someone, and as we serve each other the increased love will invite the Spirit. Are your home and visiting teachees there this Sunday? If not, they may need you, and other people who are not officially yours may need you. This leads to our next point.
Be both loving and reverent: We should be aware of others, and open to them. Do not discourage someone from sitting next to you because you were hoping for a cute boy instead. Kindness is more important than that, and having the cute boy there doesn’t really do much, because we are supposed to be focused on other things.
We can go too far the other way, so friendly and happy to see each other that we visit too much, and detract from the Spirit in that way. Stay aware of the purpose of the meetings, because we can socialize some, but we also have other times and activities for socialization, but there are some things that we only get for a few minutes once a week.
Be prepared to take the sacrament: This is the most important thing we do, and the purpose of the meeting. The refreshment comes because we have repented of our sins again, and been reminded of the promises of our baptismal covenants. As we renew our commitment, we are better able to receive inspiration. We need to be ready to participate.
There may be time when we are unable to participate because of sin. Work with your bishop on this so you can actually make progress. If it is not a sin that should require working with a bishop, but you still feel unworthy, talk to him about this too. He can help you work out the issue, establishing standards or practices that will help you feel ready and worthy every week. There may be times when you feel like you should abstain because you have a bad mood, but wouldn’t it be better to work on the mood, and be ready when the time comes?
We should not be satisfied with merely showing up for church services. We have probably all witnessed cases of those whose testimonies have waned along with their attendance. Somehow, “meeting together oft” is a key element in enduring to the end. Since we need to keep coming, we should be working to make that experience enjoyable and valuable for us, instead of wasting that potential. Then we can reap the blessings.
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