Getting Out of the Routine of Church

What if a simple shift in your Sunday morning routine could transform your entire worship experience? Join us, Melody and Candi, as we share our personal journey in cultivating a heart and mindset ready for church. We explore practical tips like starting your day with prayer, enjoying worship music on the drive, and the often-overlooked power of arriving early to create a serene atmosphere and foster meaningful connections with your church family. For busy families, we tackle the chaos of Sunday mornings with suggestions for preparing the night before, ensuring a smoother and more focused approach to worship.

We also delve into the true essence of servanthood within the church, drawing from our extensive experience on church staff. We highlight the importance of embodying the teachings of sermons and how this can lead to profound spiritual growth. Hear how pastors and their families navigate the rewarding yet challenging roles they play, and discover strategies to keep your worship vibrant and God-centered.

Transcript

0:00:00 - Melody

Hi, I'm Melody and I'm Candi, and you're listening to Quirks, Bumps, and Bruises. Well, on this episode of Quirks, bumps and Bruises, Candi, we're back to talking church again. 

0:00:12 - Candi

We are. That's our favorite subject. We spend a lot of time at church, so we talk about it. 

0:00:18 - Melody

A lot Huge part of our lives, and Candi and I both we go to different churches same denomination but different churches and we love our churches and we love our church families, we love being involved in our church. But there is times in our lives where I feel like church can become more routine. Oh yeah, you know what I mean, and so we're going to talk about some ways to approach church a little differently. In other words, when you're getting ready for church on Sunday morning, how can you have a different perspective or get ready for that in a different way, so that when you get there you are totally prepared to worship? Yeah, because I'll say this, I've said this a lot Worship is not kind of natural. It's not a natural instinctive type thing. You have to prepare your heart for it. The heart does have to be prepared. And I don't know about you, but many times, by the time I've walked into church, I feel like I've still got like some baggage on my shoulders. 

0:01:22 - Candi

Well, and you've been. I don't know about you, but with me. You've yelled at your kids to go change the clothes 10 times, Brush your teeth, eat your breakfast, and let's talk about that so. 

0:01:32 - Melody

I think probably the first thing that should happen on a Sunday morning before you ever hit the front doors of your church is prayer To pray before you ever get there. Begin to pray for God to help you get the distractions and the unfocused things out of your mind, the baggage off your shoulders. 

0:01:54 - Candi

Just to get your spirit right. 

0:01:56 - Melody

Right, because it's not always where it should be, and to help you prepare for what's ahead. So prayer, I think, is always the umbrella over everything we do. Second, I think, a great thing to do, and this is hard, especially with you, Candi. I actually drive to church by myself. I have to go early. 

0:02:13 - Candi

It's probably a good choice. 

0:02:14 - Melody

My husband comes later, but I have to go early and so I'm by myself, so this is easy for me. You've got your whole family more than likely together, yeah, but worshiping in the car on the way with praise music, or you singing without a radio on or anything, if you're just singing praises to our holy God before you ever get there, that's a great way to kind of calm your heart, doesn't that just calm you? Music makes such a difference. And so worshiping, praying and then worshiping in the car. And then, Candi, there's another one, and this one's hard too. 

0:02:48 - Candi

When you got kids, this is hard for me, even without children, is to get there early. But I have tried my husband's nudging for the last 10 years we've been married to get to church early, because when I rush in and I've got to take kids to their classes, I've got to get where I'm going, I've got to make sure I've got. It's just a hassle and I feel like I'm always coming in. I can hear we have like a countdown for five minutes and I hear that music playing and I just get stressed because I'm like I got to be in my seat. I got to be, but I hadn't went to the bathroom, I hadn't done this. So if I can get there early and just take the time to take everybody where they need to go and then come into the auditorium a little early and you have time to speak to church members that you don't get to talk to a lot, so that really calms me and really prepares my heart, because when you get there late, you're rushing. Nothing is going right. You know what I mean. 

0:03:42 - Melody

I've always had a torn between two ways when it comes to the moments before your worship service starts. We have a very outgoing social church. Our church family really loves each other, they love to talk, and so you have a lot of that going on. You know people are going. Oh, I haven't seen you asking about people and just talking. And that's always a beautiful thing to see in a church family, because I have been in churches where hardly nobody spoke to each other, and so to see a church family that loves each other is a good problem. But I've always been a little bit torn because I think in my head this should also probably be a reverent time. Yeah, this should be, because there's usually music play, just a time to kind of settle yourself, take a breath, maybe pray again in your mind and, you know, talk to the Lord. And so I've always wondered which one of those things you know is the best way, because it's hard to do that when you've got a lot of chatter and things going on. 

One thing too, about getting there early, and because I had the two kids. I had two kids and I was on staff, so I had to get my kids to church, open up, get sound ready, powerpoint ready, get the choir read all that praise team, all that. Then you're exhausted. It was tough, yeah. So this is what I had to do. If you're a young mom and you just seem like you're struggling on Sunday mornings, you have to prepare on Saturday, you do. And so the kids baths, of course, would be done. Their clothes would be laid out, ironed if need be, everything Shoes, socks, everything Right. I would have their little Bible laid out. I would have their little offering ready to go inside the bar. I had everything done. The only thing we had to do on Sunday morning was to get ready and eat some breakfast. Yes, if not, you can get really frazzled really fast no-transcript when you are irritable and you're aggravated and you've been fussing with the kids and you told your husband to mind his own business it is hard to be ready for worship. 

0:05:52 - Candi

A little preparation goes a long way. 

0:05:54 - Melody

Yeah, how about inviting someone with you? That's something I don't think we do enough. I'm guilty of that. Can you mention before that you're guilty of that? We've got people all around us all the time Friends, family, neighbors that we can invite to come with us to church and for some reason we just don't do it. 

0:06:10 - Candi

I think we're afraid they'll say no, and I mean, if they do, what's the problem with? That, Unless it's your husband who invites everyone he sees Right Grocery store gas station wherever he can, and we have seen so many families join because of that, and I'm like I've got to do that more. 

0:06:30 - Melody

Yeah, just to be more bold, and how awesome would that be. I actually got bold one Easter it was just two years ago and my neighbor I just text her on the day before Easter and I said, hey, would you like? She's single, her husband passed away, she's a widow and I said would you love to go to church with me tomorrow? I'll come by in my car and just grab you and we'll go to church and I'll bring you home afterwards. And honestly, I thought she was going to say no, but she said yes and she came to church with me that Sunday. So invite someone Now. This is a big one too. Candi is bringing your Bible. 

0:07:08 - Candi

Well, you know, again, I think you got to prepare for that, because you don't always think that when you're in a rush. But yeah, technology has changed that a little bit. I think I know my oldest son. We were walking into church just last week and he said, oh, I left my Bible in the truck, you know, and he said, but that's OK. I got my phone and I was like, yes, and he said, oh, I left my Bible in the truck, you know, and he said, but that's OK. I got my phone and I was like, yes, and I'm grateful for that because you have the Bible app and in certain situations. But I still love a Bible, a good old fashioned Bible, with you in your hands. You just pay more attention. There's something about having God's word in your lap open while the pastor's preaching. I love. 

0:07:45 - Melody

And I know a lot of people may think we are old fashioned for saying that, but to me there's nothing any more beautiful than hearing the swishing pages of a Bible when you're turning to a passage within a church sanctuary. Yes, you know, it's just a beautiful. You can't do that on a phone. 

No, you can't, and if the phone isn't the only thing you have, hey, that's awesome. We're not saying there's anything wrong with technology. And the same thing with me with reading a book. I don't want to read it on Kindle, I want the actual hardback book, paper in my hand. There's just something about that. But bringing your Bible is definitely very, very important. 

0:08:22 - Candi

I'll say this. The next one is taking notes, and that is so true. I get more out of something if I am taking notes. If I'm in a staff meeting, if I'm whatever it may be if I have a book open, I'm taking notes. I pay more attention and I just that really, really helps me and that's just my ADD soul. But like looking around or noticing distractions, I just don't seem to notice those as much when I'm taking notes. It keeps you focused. It does. 

0:08:51 - Melody

Well, why do you think when you're in college and you're in a lecture type situation, you're not just sitting there listening, you're taking notes because you're going to take those notes later and study them, right, oh right, same thing. You should be taking those notes from that sermon and thinking about them throughout the week. Now, my church doesn't have a problem with this. We do have a problem, but it's probably the opposite. Which I talked about a few moments ago is talking to people. I have seen so many people through the years and you can see it happening come in late so they don't have to talk to anybody. Slip out early so they don't have to talk to anybody. I don't think that's how the Lord meant for that to be. 

0:09:28 - Candi

And I've been there a couple of times where I'm just like a people out. I just I don't want to talk to nobody. And I love to talk to people. But you do have those moments, but it's not good for your soul, it's really not. 

0:09:39 - Melody

Well, the Lord wants us to fellowship with other believers. You can't do that. You can't do that, and there are times I think there are people that need you, you know, and so if you're kind of in tune to, that person is seems to be struggling a little bit. I'm not going to be nosy and go ask them what's wrong unless they offer that information, but sometimes somebody just needs a hug or a smile. 

Good morning yeah or a good morning. So it is good to talk to those that are around you in your church fellowship and get to know who they are, because they may become some of the dearest friends that you have in your life. Yeah, I know, some of my very dearest people that I adore and love are those that I worship with each and every Sunday. Now, Candi, this one is all about you singing loudly. Yes. 

0:10:27 - Candi

And I do it proudly. I sing loudly, proudly. Yeah, I love to sing loudly and I notice so many in the church now especially with praise teams that you have that are leading the worship People don't sing anymore, they just. It's almost like it's a concert, like you're singing to me. No, sing with them, you're supposed to. So, yeah, sing and sing loud. 

0:10:50 - Melody

The Lord says make a joyful noise into the Lord. He doesn't say that you have to be Sandy Patty or David Phelps in order to do that. Right, you need to make that joyful noise to the Lord and sing those songs of praise to him, making music with your heart and with your soul. So sing y'all, just sing it out as much as possible. This is a big one. That I think has to happen is serving. If you are a member of a church fellowship, you should be plugged in at a place where you feel called to serve. Yeah, and it doesn't matter what age you are you can be 110. But there's something you can do if you can't do anything physical, you can pray. If you can't do anything physical, you can pray. Or you can write notes to people, little letters to let people know. 

0:11:37 - Candi

You can sit in a chair and greet people as they come into church. 

0:11:40 - Melody

Yeah, we have a couple of people two that I can think of right away that I always say this If those two people right there can come to church, ain't nobody else got an excuse Right, one can hardly walk, but comes in with that cane every Sunday. The other is in a wheelchair and still serves in the most amazing ways. I remember one particular Saturday my husband was spreading mulch in our playground area. That person in the wheelchair can't do that, but you know what he did Came over and sat with him to give him company, to talk to him while he did that. Oh my goodness, and it meant the world to my husband when he did that. So there are things that you can do. 

That is serving. That is a servant's heart and I know we have a pastor now. He's an interim pastor, but I can already tell his heart is with servanthood. He is not going to ask you to do anything that he wouldn't do himself. Celebrity culture now going on in the church, where you know we're here, we're at this level. Everybody else is down here at this level. Don't ask me to do that's beneath me, yeah, yeah. And there's nothing that a good leader is going to do, exactly what he expects of his congregation, a hundred percent. And then, lastly this is a big one Live out the sermon. 

Now, I've been on staff at a church. I was on staff at a church for 36 years and so I have a different perspective of pastors because I've seen it. I've seen that it's the hardest job in the world. For one thing, the pastor's wife is the second hardest job in the world because they have to hear a lot of things about their husband and that kind of thing. They do not spend hours, and I know my son-in-law, because he was at our church for seven years hours preparing that sermon. 

He didn't do that so that you could sit there, listen and then walk out and never think about it again and not be changed by it. And not be changed, not be convicted by it. Because God gave him that message to relay to the congregation. And in turn, that's where, like taking the notes, comes in. Yeah, because you can take notes on that sermon. And then you take those notes home and you think about them, you meditate on them, you reread that scripture and then you begin to live out that sermon that was preached for you and prepared for you by God. 

The pastor is just the vessel, just the messenger, right? So living out the sermon very big, because we're not really getting anywhere. If we're not, we're like a little mouse on a wheel, you know, just running and running and running and getting nowhere at all. So those are just some ways I think it was probably about 10 ways that you can begin to feel prepared for your church worship service, so that it doesn't feel routine. I think your relationship with the church and with the Lord is sometimes like a marriage. There are plateaus of where it's you're really high on the mountaintop, yeah. There's times where it's just the mundane in between, which we're talking about today. That's it just being routine. And then there are times I'll be honest I think, Candi, you can say the same, where you feel like you're just not really hearing anything from the Lord. 

You feel like you're in a dry season, and so I think, if we continue to do the things that we've talked about today, that that can begin to make a change and a turn to make worship service be exactly what is intended to be, which is to honor the Lord, to give him glory, to give him honor, to give him praise and to remember it ain't about us. So many times I hear people say I didn't really get anything out of that song today, or I didn't get anything out. Well, sorry, sweetie, and about you. That's your fault. He is our audience of one, and so anything that we do, it is to give him glory and to give him honor. So hopefully that will help you as you're going throughout your week to begin now to prepare for that worship service that will take place for you and your church this coming Sunday that will take place for you and your church this coming Sunday. 

0:15:54 - Announcer 1

Thanks for listening to the Quirks, Bumps, and Bruises Podcast with Candi and Melody. If you enjoyed the show, please take a moment to subscribe, rate, and share the podcast. You can learn more at joyFM.org. 

0:16:21 - Announcer 2

Try Peas and Carrots Podcast for more encouragement. Brian and Kayla share life from their piece of the vegetable patch. Expect to laugh, find common ground, and hear stories you can't wait to share. It's a podcast about doing life together, growing in Christ together, and learning to laugh no matter what comes your way. Search Peas and Carrots Podcast wherever you listen to podcasts today.