Preparing - by Ben Barnes

My wife & I are expecting our first baby in mid June.  We’re pretty excited pronounced “scared out of our whits".  We’ve been preparing a nursery with paint and furniture and decorations.  We’ve been preparing friends and family with parties and cards.  We’ve even tried to prepare the cat (which really did not go well).  We’ve taken classes, read articles and have heard advice that all pretty much tells us the same thing: we should do what we can, but we’re never going to be fully prepared for this baby.  And on most days I’m actually okay with that.  Other days, I’m just nervous that I’ll never sleep again.

Seems to me that just about any trip to the grocery store or church (or hospital birthing floor, for that matter) takes some preparation.  A list of stuff you need to buy.  An extra $20 just in case.  Another bottle of water for the drive.  A quick youtube search for how to assemble and install a baby seat into your car.  And, honestly, worship is no different.

When we’re getting ready for church, we can lay our clothes out or put the church’s address into the GPS or set the coffee maker the night before.  We can do all sorts of things to prepare for worship.  Prayer, scripture, time with other believers… all wonderful ways to get ready for gathering with the body of Christ!  But when it comes down to it, no matter what we do to prepare, we’re never ready for what God may do during worship. Ultimately, we do what we can to be ready, then allow the Holy Spirit to work in our lives and our hearts.