Church Conduct Part 6: Distractions in Church by Pastor Thomas Goodroad

I’m breaking from the series of Reformation Fathers articles this week to write on another Church Conduct topic that has been asked about recently: distractions in church.

When we are in church, our focus should always be on what the important thing is: God’s Word and Sacraments being brought to His people for the forgiveness of sins. Where this happens, worship also happens, God’s people giving thanks to Him. Ultimately, it is the responsibility of each individual to focus while in church. No one else can focus for you, so it should always be your own personal objective to focus as much as possible on why you are there. Sometimes, this is easier said than done. Distractions are common. There are noises like coughing, kids that are still learning how to sit still and keep noises down, people whispering or getting up to go to the bathroom, phones sometimes buzzing (or worse); occasionally, even the Pastors can be distracting if they make a mistake or misspeak. Regardless of what else is going on, it is your own responsibility to keep your focus on God’s Word and Sacraments.

But what can be just as important as keeping your mind off of distractions is keeping yourself from being a distraction. When we Christians are gathered in the Divine Service and in the study of God’s Word, we must continue to follow Christ’s example of loving God, as well as serving our neighbor. We must be charitable to our neighbor when we come together, realizing this it is not a place where we can simply do whatever we please and rely on everyone else to overcome distractions with their own focus. Everyone must work together to keep distractions to a minimum and help everyone, as well as themselves, to stay focused on God’s Word.

There are some obvious things that are unavoidable; a quick cough, a sneeze, or someone accidentally dropping a hymnal are easy to ignore and are out of your control. It’s also well known that kids make noise. Here at Good Shepherd, we have an excellent reputation for being loving, kind, and patient towards families and kids, so if you are reading this and you have kids, don’t feel bad if your kids aren’t perfect angels in church! The more you bring them, the more they learn to be calm and comfortable in the place where God comes to serve them in Word and Sacrament. But it’s also worth noting that if any of these things are happening in excess, it is also appropriate to step outside the sanctuary or classroom until the situation resolves, whether it is a coughing fit or a little meltdown-in-the-making.

On the other hand, there are also distractions that are completely avoidable and behavior that is never appropriate. Cellphones are a frequent distraction in church and, while a case can be made for answering a quick emergency text, should be kept on silent and in your pocket or purse at all times. It is never appropriate to browse social media, read new articles, or what-have-you while in the sanctuary during worship or in Bible study. Of course, we should never assume that anyone is doing those things if their phone is out, as, putting the best construction on things, many people have the Bible on their phone and read it that way, myself included. But realize  that if you are browsing social media when you should be focusing on God’s Word, you are willingly and knowingly putting pleasure above God and His Word and should repent in order to receive forgiveness of that sin.

In the same vein, another completely avoidable behavior is talking during worship or Bible study. Of course, there are some situations where a little communication is necessary, especially if you have kids and need to get their or your spouse’s attention, but this is typically something that is easy to ignore and is deliberately kept to a minimum, as well as done in order to resume focus on God’s Word more quickly. However, if it is more than two or three quick, quiet sentences, the conversation should be taken outside of the sanctuary or classroom. Sitting and chatting about things that merely cross your mind, something entertaining, or—even worse—just having casual conversation either in church or in Bible study is not appropriate behavior. Fellowship is, indeed, a valuable thing in a church, but there is a time and place for everything. While the study of God’s Word is happening, your focus should be on what is being taught by the Pastor (or occasionally Vicar) rather than building your relationships. That can and should be done surrounding the services and studies or even over lunch afterward!

Overall, it is important to stay focused on why we are here. When in worship, focus on worship. When in study, focus on study. When in fellowship, focus on fellowship. But do all according to your love for Christ and in service to one another.

Blessings in Christ!
Pastor Goodroad


NEWS:

Building Faith in the Home
Come join us for Building Faith in the Home class on Sunday, January 26th following the second worship service. We will have pizza for lunch in the fellowship hall before the class on Technology begins. The church will be covering the pizza cost for members. Please bring a side or dessert to share. The children will be able to participate in board games in the classrooms again while the parents meet with Pastor in the fellowship hall for the class after lunch. If you are a non-member, please contact the church office at 402-423-7639 with a family head-count and names and ages of children attending by Thursday, January 16, and please bring $5/person to cover costs.

PCAN
The congregation is invited to volunteer or attend the Pancakes for PCAN benefit on Tuesday, February 4 from 4:00 -7:00 pm here at Good Shepherd. The free-will offering will benefit Lincoln area families experiencing pediatric cancer. This will be the 11th year Good Shepherd Church and School will partner with PCAN (Pediatric Cancer Action Network) in this community outreach fundraiser to reduce the financial burden on families with diagnoses of pediatric cancer and to advocate for a cure through awareness, action, and education. Last year, we were able to raise over $5,000 to help local families with essential needs! Many volunteers are needed to help with 1 hour shifts. Sign-up sheets are located in the Narthex. Help is needed on Sunday the 2nd , and at various times on Monday the 3rd. THANK YOU! In case of inclement weather, February 11 is scheduled as a “snow date.”

Book Cart Update
The Theological Library book cart has been updated with books that discuss devotions and prayer life. Please feel free to check them out! If you have any questions or still need a library card, stop into the church office.

Announcement For Users of Apple Handheld Devices
Our KNNA app is once again available for download from the Apple App Store! The app has been unavailable due to the need of updating for new Apple devices. We have completed the update, and the app can be found by searching for “KNNA” in the App Store. For users that have the original app, an update is also available. For Android users, the app is currently in a certification process. We are hoping to have the app available in a couple of weeks. We will let you know when the upgrade is completed and available for download. Thanks for listening to KNNA-LP.