Redeem the Time: Prepare for Worship

Yesterday, I gave a few ways to physically set up your space for worship. You can read that post here. Today, I want to give you a couple of points to consider before worshipping with your family on Sunday morning.

Don’t

• expect your family to be ready to worship as soon as you turn on your computer or TV

• wait until the service starts to decide how you will participate

• forget that this is new and different for everyone

Do

• talk to your family about your expectations before the service starts. Will you sing together? Will you stand and kneel at the appropriate times?

• have an activity available during the sermon, especially if your children do not usually stay in the service. We have journals for each kid that only come out during the sermon and communion. They use them to illustrate the readings, draw the communion table, draw the priest’s vestments, or write down a few thoughts or questions. During lunch, they share their drawings and observations with the family.

• give yourself grace. Worshipping at home may be new and scary territory. It will be messy, it may be loud, and it will surprise you.

• expect God to show up. If the prophet Elijah can hear the low whisper of the Lord after terrible winds, a great earthquake, and blazing fire, so too can you know that God will be present and ready to speak, even if your Sunday worship is more of a Sunday whirlwind.