S’posed to Do

S’posed to Do

Have you ever come into the church building a bit early and wondered what you’re supposed to do… before the worship begins? Prior to the opening prayer? Is it okay to chat a few moments with another member about his vacation cruise? Would it be better to ask a poignant bible question to stir your minds about scriptural things? Or should you just sit down on your assigned pew and meditate. Whatever that means. Perhaps you should find a passage in the bible that prepares your mind for worship. What chapter and verse would that be? Some congregations play hymns softly over the PA system. I guess you could hum along. How about saying a prayer for someone you notice is not in their assigned pew? Are they alright? Is it okay to watch the youngins play in the aisle and just be grateful they are ‘where they need to be’? Maybe you should read the latest bulletin. Got to be something there to prep you for worshiping God. What are you supposed to be doing… right before ‘church starts’?

Actually… perhaps you should consider the penultimate question. What would Jesus do? Or better yet… what would He have you do? While there are no instructional verses on how to ready yourself for worship, there are plenty about how to worship. Maybe we can we take a cue from one of these scriptures? 

David wrote in Psalms 95:6: Come, let us worship and bow down,

Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.

So, should we be limbering up our knees? When Jesus was talking to a woman at a well in John 4, He told her:

“But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

Does that mean we need to ‘get in the spirit’ and ‘be really truthful’?

In Hebrews 13:15, we are encouraged to ceaselessly worship God:

Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name.

Perhaps the Apostle Paul answered it best in Romans 12:1-8,

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.

So, to answer our question, Jesus would have you do… what you do best. If that’s exhorting a weak, struggling sister… do that. If it’s instructing a member more perfectly on how to meet a challenge, then by all means, do that. Or if you can simply offer a smile to a weary brother, do that. If you can just be an ‘ear’ for a family that had a wonderful week of sun and surf, be an ear. And if you can lift another’s spirit by simply being where you’re supposed to be as a sign of your faithfulness, do that, as well. For, we are the family of God. Brothers and sisters showing love and kindness to each other. I think that’s what Jesus would have you do... to prep for worship. And above all, show mercy… with cheerfulness.

Michael Choate