Sunday Morning Worship
Saturday night, after paintball, some of us hung out for a while at my house. (Well, really it is the Cooze's house but they aren't home this weekend and they told me I could have people over.) At about 11:40 I started figuring out how everyone was going to get home because I wanted to go to bed. There are two reasons that I wanted to go to bed. Actually, it's one reason and then there is a reason that that one reason was intensified last night. The reason is this: I was tired. I was tired so I wanted to go to bed. Fair enough, right? But there is something deeper, and more intense about last night because last night was a Saturday night. Saturday night is the worst night of the week to be up late. This is because Saturday night comes before Sunday morning and Sunday morning is the time we have our corporate worship service at Church.
I do not want to be tired on Sunday morning. I wasn't preaching or doing anything up front but that does not mean that I should be okay with being tired. I want to follow the example of Jim Elliot who wouldn't go out late on Saturdays because he wanted to be well rested and prepared for Sunday morning worship. This is because when we are rested well on Sunday morning, we will get more out of the time of worship and put more into the time of worship. We will find more satisfaction in God's presence if we are not thinking the whole time about how tired we are or fighting to stay away and to keep from being irritated.
I typed "Sunday Morning" into Desiring God because I thought I remembered Piper saying something about this as well. And now that I have found how he says it, I will just quote him to better express myself.
The article is "Take Heed How You Hear!"
In it he writes, "Without sufficient sleep, our minds are dull, our emotions are flat, our proneness to depression is higher, and our fuses are short." I know he is right because that's exactly what I have found to be true. And if my mind is dull and my emotions are flat and my proneness to depression is high and my fuse is short then I will not maximally glorify God by enjoying Him during the Sunday Morning Worship Service!
Most people need 8 hours of sleep, so we should seek to get at least that on Saturday night. But everyone is different. Personally, after a tiring week, I could have used more than 8 hours last night. Some people could probably thrive (not just "get by"!) Sunday morning on 6 hours of sleep, but not me, and not most people.
I want to renew my commitment to come to Sunday Morning well rested and ready to worship. Would you make the same commitment?
I do not want to be tired on Sunday morning. I wasn't preaching or doing anything up front but that does not mean that I should be okay with being tired. I want to follow the example of Jim Elliot who wouldn't go out late on Saturdays because he wanted to be well rested and prepared for Sunday morning worship. This is because when we are rested well on Sunday morning, we will get more out of the time of worship and put more into the time of worship. We will find more satisfaction in God's presence if we are not thinking the whole time about how tired we are or fighting to stay away and to keep from being irritated.I typed "Sunday Morning" into Desiring God because I thought I remembered Piper saying something about this as well. And now that I have found how he says it, I will just quote him to better express myself.
The article is "Take Heed How You Hear!"
In it he writes, "Without sufficient sleep, our minds are dull, our emotions are flat, our proneness to depression is higher, and our fuses are short." I know he is right because that's exactly what I have found to be true. And if my mind is dull and my emotions are flat and my proneness to depression is high and my fuse is short then I will not maximally glorify God by enjoying Him during the Sunday Morning Worship Service!
Most people need 8 hours of sleep, so we should seek to get at least that on Saturday night. But everyone is different. Personally, after a tiring week, I could have used more than 8 hours last night. Some people could probably thrive (not just "get by"!) Sunday morning on 6 hours of sleep, but not me, and not most people.
I want to renew my commitment to come to Sunday Morning well rested and ready to worship. Would you make the same commitment?
posted by Mark D. Smith | 1:09 PM
5 Comments:
Sweet... Jim Elliot... he's a hard man to follow, but he was following Christ so it's worth it. Kind of our modern Paul. As for me, I went to bed at 9:30 Saturday night because I was alone. Lol
Yeah I love Jim Elliot. Have you read Shadow of the Almighty? I've read it twice and will read it again someday too. Incredible. In that song I posted a few posts ago, DA TRUTH says:
"I get so tired
Of reading men in the Bible
Then coming up for air
Looking around—I can't find nobody like them...."
To say NOBODY is hyperbole, but the truth is in there. So then I love to read of someone like Jim Elliot because his example is one to follow.
As for you getting lots of sleep last night...I'm so sorry you couldn't come....
Great Post, Mark. I'm with you... we need more sleep EVERY night, yet Saturday night should really be most important
Stimulating post Mark...merci beaucoup. 8-10 hours of sleep is the optimal range for me. NIght night.
ps. Shadow of the Almighty...great book.
I have days off when I want them. I have one day a week. but I"m sure you could always pop up on a weekend. Let me know and you can stay over night...
Patman the Pat.
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