What goes through your mind as you approach church on Sundays?
I’d expect a wide range of answers to that question, and it probably depends on various factors - what the time is, how your day is going, whether there are any kids in tow, etc. Perhaps you’ve been attending church for a long time now, and there is a tendency to just go into autopilot as you walk through the door and not give attention to your mindset.
A few years ago, I read Tony Payne’s helpful little book on how we should walk into church on Sundays. In the opening chapter, he argues for a small but significant shift in this moment, which is to pray about where to sit. This not only expresses our trust in God for what he will do as we gather together, but also turns our attention towards others. He writes:
‘When we pray about where to sit, we’re also putting ourselves in the right frame of mind towards each other. We have started to think about the church as being someone other than me. This can be quite a mind-shift, but it’s a vital one. We come to church not only to be loved and blessed by God, but also to love and bless others around us. We come not to spectate or consume, nor even to have our personal encounter with God. We come to love and to serve.’
From experience, this kind of thinking requires intentionality. If we don’t set our minds on the things of the Spirit, then we turn inwards. On the contrary, imagine what it would look like if every person walked through the door having just finished a prayer with a posture of ‘who can I encourage today’ and ‘how can I show hospitality to those who are new’? I think we would see a demonstration of what the author of Hebrews had in mind in chapter 10:24-25:
‘And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.’
Last Sunday, Daniel reminded us that as followers of Jesus, we are all called to this kind of ministry and succinctly defined it for us as ‘pursuing God’s purposes in people’s lives for God’s glory and people’s good’. Prayer is our most effective way of fulfilling this.
So on Sunday, as you walk through the gates or park your car, I want to encourage you to join me in starting to pray something like this, with joyful expectancy for what God may do as we gather:
Lord, as we gather today, help me to glorify you and serve others. Lead me to those who I can encourage and set my mind on the things of the Spirit as we worship you and hear from your word. Amen.