Preparing for Sunday Worship by George Cherian

Concept of community is biblical as God himself is a community. The Trinity shows the relationship of love between the Father, Son and the Holy spirit. They work together in unity. It is the plan of God to create community on this Earth, a community governed by love. Church is the community of God and he loves to dwell with his people (Exodus 29:45). The church are the missionaries to this prodigal world. The church are living stones, Holy priesthood called to offer sacrifices to God through Jesus Christ.

This lays the foundation for why the church should meet together.

Preparation to come together on a Sunday, is a weekday process. Throughout the week our attitude should be God oriented. As the Psalmist says “Better is one day in your courts than thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked”. “As the deer panteth for the water my soul yearns for you”, so should be our weekday attitude.

As we come to worship our God on a Sunday, be in the spirit. Draw near to him with a true heart (Heb 10:22). Before worshiping God, we should reconcile with our brother or sister (Matt 5: 23-24). Pursue peace with all people. Church is a place of sharing and we come together to give. It’s all about our brother and sister rather than me. Breaking of bread/ Lord’s table is a place of fellowship where we together remember Jesus and what he did for us. Church is a place to give our tithes and offerings. God loves a cheerful giver. Greet each other, pray for each other and let us not neglect coming together but encourage one another. When we come together we are ministering to the heavenlies.

Few things that can be done for preparing for a Sunday morning

• Have personal time with God throughout the weekday and have family prayers
• Go to bed early on a Saturday so that Sunday morning can have a fresh start. Refrain from media. It’s okay to be boring
• Plan ahead (like what to wear, what to have for breakfast, etc)
• Be an early bird on Sunday and have a time with God
• Listen to worship songs while traveling to church or talk about what God spoke that morning to you during the car drive
• Reach early to church and give enough time to yourself
• Collect your thoughts and sit for sometime meditating

God loves to see us on a Sunday morning as we are his chosen people, royal priesthood and his possession. Let us rejoice in coming together. I was glad when they said to me, let us go to the house of the Lord.

Reflection by Susan Paul