Tips on Worship

Do you ever feel like your worship is in a rut? Week after week you do the same thing over and over. It can seem meaningless. Is that what God desires from us? No! Here are some tips that might help improve your worship.

Prepare for worship. The night before, you might lay out your outfit, Bibles, or whatever you carry to worship. Have breakfast planned out. Invite people to come with you. Pray about worship and your part in it. Go to bed. It is hard to worship running on little sleep. Set your alarm a little earlier if you continually find yourself running behind. Sing or play songs of worship as you get ready or drive to church. Show up early. You can greet visitors or encourage others. It is hard to get into worship mode sliding in during the first song. Sit somewhere different, especially if where you sit provides distractions.

During worship, I want to pray along with the one leading us. I want to think about what they are saying to see if I agree or disagree or if I need to add something to their prayer in my mind. I want to sing like I am thankful that Jesus died and saved me from my sins. When I take the Lord’s Supper, I want to reflect on what Jesus has done for me and examine what I am doing for Him in light of His return. During the sermon, I want to get my Bible out and make sure what I am being told is true. If my phone is a distraction, then go back to a physical Bible. Take notes. Ask the question, “What in this lesson applies to me and how can I conform my life to it?” When I give, I want to count my many blessing and give generously and joyfully.

After worship, I do not run out but again look for visitors or those that need encouragement. I talk about the blessing of worship with my family or whoever I come in contact with. Most importantly, live more like Jesus.

Faith & Integrity in Election Season

As election season approaches, many of us feel the weight of political division. However, as Christians, we are called to engage differently - through the lens of faith, integrity and love.

Romans 13:1 reminds us that all authority is ultimately from God. While voting is a privilege and responsibility, our hope should rest in God's sovereignty, not in a candidate or party.

As we prepare to vote, let's remember Christ's example of humility, compassion and truth. Let's pray for wisdom and courage to stand by our values while showing love to those with differing views.

In this season, may we seek God's guidance, remembering that our identity is in Christ. Let our actions reflect His peace, even in times of division.

Brooks Jackson

What to Say When You Do Not Know What to Say

Funerals can be tough. I remember as a kid, visitation would often last several days with a funeral at the end. Now sometimes someone might be lucky to have a graveside service. I think some of the problem is that death is inconvenient for the living, and death scares us a little. We would rather avoid it altogether because we may not know what to say to someone who has just lost a loved one. Our culture, for the most part, hates silence (maybe not the mother of three small children). We feel the need to say something to the grieving because the silence is worse. Sometimes we just end up repeating what we have heard or maybe what has been said to us. I think some pretty horrible things are said at funeral visitations.

Well-intentioned people say things like: “It was for the best,” or “Some good will come of this,” or “God just needed another rose for His garden,” and the list could go on. There may be the rare occurrence that one of these statements is helpful, but most of the time they are not. Some of these statements might be true, but do you really think the line at the visitation is the place for these comments? It might be that you need to have a deep, theological discussion with the grieving at some point but probably not at the funeral.

So what do you say and do? I was in a grief class once, and the teacher suggested that you hug them and hush. I think about Job’s friends who did a great job when they sat with him and kept their mouths shut. They got in trouble when they started talking. I might suggest some simple things to say if you need to speak: “I am so sorry for your loss,” or “Your loved one had such a great impact on my life,” or “I am praying for you” (really pray for them or do not say it). Let us weep with those who weep (Romans 12:15).