Hello Vine,

Do you ever feel disconnected or distracted during Sunday worship? You aren’t alone.

Maybe it’s a challenge to quiet your thoughts—tasks to complete, bills to pay, appointments to come. Perhaps you don’t recognize one of the songs, the Scriptures seem more difficult to focus on, or you just feel sleepy.

We can’t always anticipate every aspect of a given Sunday, how we feel or what to expect; however, we can take steps to prepare our hearts for worship that can raise both our level of excitement and engagement.

Recently, I was reminded of how we can do just that as I read a book about rediscovering the local church’s beauty. These are rhythms that have impacted me throughout my own life, and I pray they’ll also enhance your own relationships with God and each other as we gather.

Practical Ways to Prepare Our Hearts for Sunday Worship

  1. Read or listen to the Scriptures. You can do this on your own, with family, or with friends. This can provide us with a quick devotional option as we read and discuss God’s Word.
  2. Listen to the songs. As we sing new songs or revisit Vine classics and theologically rich hymns, listening through the songs in the week ahead will help you engage. As you think on (or even pray) the words, the words have the potential to grow in meaning week-after-week. 
  3. Pray for the service and church. If nothing else, we’d be honored if you prayed. Pray for God to protect us from distractions, for our leaders and volunteers, and for those who will attend. Pray for God to inspire your love for Him and His people. Pray for the discipleship of our church family and that all will be done to God’s honor.

Here’s a great collect to pray from the Book of Common Prayer:

O Almighty God, you pour out on all who desire it the spirit of grace and of supplication: Deliver us, when we draw near to you, from coldness of heart and wanderings of mind, that with steadfast thoughts and kindled affections we may worship you in spirit and in truth; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
(For the Spirit of Prayer, BCP 2019)

A final note: You’ll find the above resources linked near the bottom of our newsletter as images (“Season, Scriptures, Songs”). Bookmark them for later in your browser and Spotify. You may also access them via the link to our latest newsletter on The Vine’s homepage.

In Christ our hope,

Amanda