Do you know what it is like to have droopy eyes during a worship service? Probably. At one time or another the likelihood that all of us have been plagued by this malady is high. Our eyes might have been so droopy that we lost concentration on the service, perhaps even dozed.
Often the droopy eyes are not the fault of the worship service — not the fault of the music or the speaker. The droopy eyes are our own fault. We did not prepare for worship.
During my college years one of my professors who also served as pastor of a small nearby church counseled that preparation for worship includes one’s Saturday night activities.
Hollis Todd, chairman of the speech department at Mississippi College in Clinton, guarded his Saturday evenings so he would be physically strong and mentally alert when he stood in the pulpit the following morning. Being physically prepared to preach was more important to him than any late Saturday night activity.
Hard lesson to learn
That has been a hard lesson for me to learn. At one time in my life I officiated freestyle wrestling. One year I officiated the national Amateur Athletic Union wrestling tournament held in Waukegan, Illinois, north of Chicago. When the tournament ended Saturday evening, another friend and I drove all night back to Louisville, Kentucky, where I lived at the time. I took a quick shower, changed clothes, loaded my family into our Dodge station wagon and drove to Covington, Kentucky, (more than a two-hour drive) where I served as interim pastor of Latonia Baptist Church.
Looking back, the foolishness of that episode is obvious. So is its irresponsibility. I did not make preaching my top priority. I let something else take precedent over being physically prepared to lead God’s people in worship. While I would never attempt anything so ridiculous as that now, I sometimes wonder about how late I get back from Saturday night football games or how long I sit up watching some ballgame on television.
The number of people who wearily drag into church on Sunday morning still dazed by the activities of Saturday night are legion. Even the casual observer will conclude that many of us have yet to learn that real worship takes preparation. That is true for all seeking to worship God, not just the preachers.
Every student of the Bible should know the importance of preparation for worship. In Exodus 30:20, God instructs Moses that those who enter the Tabernacle, the Tent of Meeting, must first wash with water. When the priests approached the altar they had to first wash their hands and feet. They had to prepare to meet God.
When God summoned Israel to meet with Him, they first had to wash before they could assemble to hear God’s words. Again, they had to prepare for the occasion.
During the days of Jesus, before one could ascend to Temple Mount to offer sacrifices one had to wash, often in the Pool of Siloam. Pilgrims would bring new white clothes which they would put on after preparing to worship God through the ritual of washing. Then they would ascend the steps, enter Temple Mount and there offer sacrifices and worship to God.
Every Jew understood the experience of worship and sacrifice as a special time. Never would they rush into God’s presence without preparing for the experience. Early Christians did not use cleansing rituals before approaching God in worship but they were keenly aware of God’s holiness. Worship began with praise, with confession and with petition.
Recognizing the holiness of God kept New Testament Christians from being casual about worship, taking worship for granted or rushing into worship without some form of preparation.
Early Christians also understood that presence did not equal worship. We need to understand that too. Worship is an encounter with God. It is not just showing up at a church service. And while God in His providence may break in on us anywhere at any time, worship usually happens when we are seeking God.
That means worship becomes a personal priority and if worship is a priority, we must prepare for it as best we can.
Part of that preparation is physical. To doze off while in conversation with our work supervisor would be unthinkable. To be so weary we have trouble talking to friends or family would be rude. Yet we often attempt to worship our Creator and Redeemer when physical energy is drained.
Worship demands alertness both physically and mentally. We must be able to hear God, to sense His presence, to respond to His spirit. That cannot happen when senses are numbed by exhaustion.
Part of that preparation is mental. Worship must be a priority. It cannot stand in the back of the line behind a list of other concerns. Occasionally we may have an issue which needs to be laid before the Lord in prayer before we can worship. Most of the time, however, it is the ongoing problems of life that push worship to the back of the line.
Worship is not supposed to be like accidentally bumping into a friend. It is supposed to be more like intentionally seeking out that friend. Worship is an intentional time to meet God.
Part of that preparation is spiritual. Try reflecting on what God has done for you before you leave for a worship service and see what a difference it makes in your experience. Think about all the ways you are praying that God will act in your behalf and for your family. Ponder what you have read from the Bible each day during the past week. Mull over all the things God has been saying to you. Remember the joy of those worship experiences from the past.
Reorientation
These and other similar exercises can reorient us toward the things of God. They can help make us aware of the ongoing conversation between us and our Savior and prepare us for the next part of that conversation through worship.
Nothing can guarantee an encounter with God. Our Lord is not manipulated by anything we do. But when we seek Him with our whole hearts — when we are prepared for worship — God promises that He will be found (Jer. 29:13).
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