Are you distracted on Sundays?

Perhaps you have a hard time staying focused during the message, I know I have challenges in that at times.

Tim Challies began one of his blog posts with this intro: “It is one of the strengths, or perhaps one of the weaknesses, of the human mind that it can have different “tracks” playing at the same time. Even as one series of words is emerging from a person’s mouth, an entirely different series of words may be flitting through his brain. He can have an entire monologue playing internally, even as another is playing externally. Preachers are especially familiar with this phenomenon and become accustomed to saying one thing even as they think another.”

He then proceeded to list seven examples of things that may flit through the preachers mind. Some apply to me, some don’t. But it was insightful, nevertheless. In an email dialogue I had with him I wrote this, “My goodness did you hit this one on the head for me as a preacher. I've been the senior pastor of a church in Las Vegas for 18 years now and have grown in preaching, but that second (or sometimes even third voice layer) is active and true. I wrestle with many of these thoughts (usually negative, and ones I need to bring to the Lord in "arrow prayers" right then). Oh, that the Spirit works through such weak men is astounding and spectacular! Thanks for sharing. It was encouraging to me because I rarely (if ever) hear of how others wrestle with this too.”

He ended with this comment: “What’s important for congregants to understand is that it is not only listeners who need to remain undistracted, who need to battle to keep their minds focused and their thoughts directed. The preacher fights the same battle, though at the front of the room and much more in the public eye. So, just as we pray for undistracted minds for those who listen, we would do well to pray for undistracted minds for those who preach. For the battle rages in the pulpit just as much as in the pew.”

My invitation is for you to pray for the one preaching as you pray for yourself to be focused on gleaning what the Spirit desires us to receive. We get to give it a go again tomorrow – I am looking forward to that.

Held Abundantly By His Grace,

Pastor John