How long does it take at church...

How long does it take at church service for our focus to switch from ourselves to Jesus? Are you there when you walk in the door? Are you there when you start singing worship songs? Does it take prayer?

I was thinking of being Christ focused this Sunday in worship. I noticed at first I was still thinking me and others thoughts. Thoughts of what was said on the drive over or the process of getting ready for church. I had thoughts of the others around me, how the ladies were dressed, looking at babies, just people watching. Then we start singing and I am distracted by the "hipness" of the worship leader's hair. Rabbit trails of thoughts start all while singing all about Christ. Some have raised their hands in worship and some don't sing at all. This distracts me further until a young lady very lithe and delicate looking starts to sing about ashes turning into beauty and laying burdens at the feet of the cross. My focus centers on Him, not on me, or the others around me, but Jesus. He brings my attention to the fact that it took me awhile to get "there" today. Not in a shame way but a lifting of the head way.
We start the final worship song and it is rightly; Jesus at the Center of it All. Did you know He customizes the music just for you!

The worship leader calls us to pray silently for thanksgiving and then for perhaps a burden. I tell him how thankful I am for my family and the closeness I feel with them. I pray for my burden, which is myself. I ask for Him in spite of me and my nature to show humbleness through him, love from him and a heart that is full of Him. May I, the selfish and negative, show his joy. Because only He can do that.


I know I will not keep my focus but, I am thankful that I got to experience the Christ centered focus today. It is always a wonderful light feeling when we trade our yoke for his. I pray I may have these moments more often and cherish them when I do. Most importantly to have them at home when I am doing the mundane task of life. So that by focusing on him I can suddenly be doing the holy tasks of life by this shift of heart and not a shift of tasks.