I smile at a deacon as I pass the open church door, new handbag in my right hand, Starbucks breve double-shot latte in my left. I’m proud of myself. I got coffee this morning and still made it to worship on time.
Almost.
I switch my phone on silent, but it’s sitting face up in my purse on the floor. For some reason, I just can’t tuck it inside my purse. The outfit worn by a woman three rows ahead of me starts me thinking about the episodes I binged watched last night, about something that happened between me and a friend last Tuesday, and—oh Dear!—I look down, my toenail polish is chipped.
It’s May, what color should I choose? Springtime…maybe a soft green, or a fun coral pink. I could add some gold sparkle to the tips…
A cold shock runs up my upper arm as the metal communion tray bumps my bare skin. Did we pray for communion? Already? I take a flake of bread and try to rein in my wayward thoughts, but just as I think of the cross, my mind thinks of the adorable handbag I saw at Macy’s adorned with a turquoise and silver cross. If I saved enough money on groceries this month, I could probably buy it in June. In fact, it could be on sale! My hands itches to look up the Macy’s website on my website…thank goodness the church has Wi-Fi.
I resist.
My phone lights up with Facebook and Instagram notifications, emails pile up. My eyes drink it all in.
The cup is passed and my heart falls. My head is anywhere but where it should be. But now the moments of the Lord’s Supper are slipping away. I sat near the back today.
Guilt and remorse weigh me down. Another Lord’s Supper spent thinking about everything BUT the Lord.
How can I focus my mind on the Lord’s Supper on Sunday? What should I think about during that time?
It sounds like a silly question, but with distractions at an all-time high, it’s probably one of the most important questions Christian women can ask themselves.
You love our Lord with all your heart, but if you’re like me, we get so used to thinking of frivolous things that it’s harder to think on spiritual things—things that really matter.
Here are 4 ideas to help you focus your mind during the Lord’s Supper.
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- Practice a new morning routine on Sundays.
- Instead of waking up late and rushed, set your alarm earlier so you have time to focus your mind on what’s important on the Lord’s Day.
- Play some worship music instead of your regular play-list.
- Save conflict conversations with your siblings or parents at least until after worship. You don’t need that kind of negativity in your worship.
- Practice a new morning routine on Sundays.
- Copy these scriptures onto gorgeous notecards (not into your phone! We don’t want to be tempted with that distraction during worship) Read them BEFORE worship and during the Lord’s Supper.
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- Of course, scriptures like 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 about the Lord’s Supper can be beneficial, but I find scriptures about Jesus, the Man Himself, help focus my mind.
- Acts 4:12 “And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.”
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- Isaiah 53:4-5 Surely our griefs He Himself bore,
And our sorrows He carried;
Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken,
Smitten of God, and afflicted.
But He was pierced through for our transgressions,
He was crushed for our iniquities;
The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him,
And by His scourging we are healed.
- Create a visual picture in your mind.
- I once saw a BC comic that depicted the blood of Jesus flowing from the cross into a river. Mrs. BC was washing their black tunics and the blood washed them white. I love the image that Jesus’ blood washes the blackness of sin off my heart, leaving it white and pure. I love to imagine His blood cleansing every nook and cranny of my heart—and then thanking Him for his unending forgiveness. I need it every hour!
- Don’t forget to think of the resurrection! Every man dies, but Jesus alone raised from the dead which is our hope for eternal resurrection, too.
- Close your eyes.
- I know it sounds simple, but it can make all the difference when dealing with distraction. Close your eyes and abandon your mind to thoughts of our Lord. Whether you know Him well, or are just beginning this relationship with Him, close your eyes so the world can vanish in light of Jesus!
Learning to focus our minds during the Lord’s Supper is a discipline that is learned over time. Never give up pursuing Jesus with all your heart, your mind, and your strength—especially when we celebrate the Lord’s death until He comes.
- First Aid for a Broken Heart - May 24, 2018
- Where’s Your Mind During the Lord’s Supper? - July 10, 2017
- Which Filter Are You Using? - September 27, 2016
Welcome! We are so glad you stopped by. Come Fill Your Cup is a group of Christian ladies dedicated to equipping women for study and service. We know you are busy and that life’s hectic pace pulls you in so many directions, but you can’t truly be the woman God desires unless you take time to fill your own cup…not with spa days (though we love a good spa!) or the latest novel…but with God’s Holy Word. We want to help you with that! Our goal is to reach you in the midst of your busy day and give you encouragement, education, and fellowship as you strive to live the life God has laid before you. Our prayer is that we can help fill your cup so that you, in turn, can overflow to all those around you. So, as we like to say…come fill your cup, and let it overflow!
Thank you for sharing. This has always been a challenge and people have been trying for generations to find a way to make the moment meaningful and unwasted.
Might I recommend another tact?
The Lord’s supper was always envisioned as a communal meal that celebrates “the body” (begin with 1 Corinthians 10 and read through chapter 12 and see exactly what “body” references e.g., “as there is one loaf, we who are many form one body” 10:17, “Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ.” 12:12, etc.)–
The Supper is a meal modeled after the Passover–where people interacted in conversation and children asked questions and were answered. I doubt if it was a quiet time of contemplation.
The problem in 1 Corinthians 11 is a lack of “discerning the body” or “judging the body correctly” or “recognizing the body”–this lack meant the Corinthians basically were treating the community of believers in a selfish way (the poor went hungry and were embarrassed). I don’t mean to suggest that there is little or no contemplation on Jesus death and resurrection–the meal itself is a physical proclamation of this message–but it is also a proclamation that we are family, community because of that action on the cross. The “body” in question is not merely the physical body of Jesus, but the community of believers.
We take the supper best, in my opinion, when we recognize each other and each others’ needs, pain, and joy. I know one church that spends time when taking the supper to share prayer concerns and gratitude (“Eucharist” means “thanksgiving”).
So yes, think of Jesus’ death but recognize this is a communal meal rather than a “just-you-and-me-God” contemplative moment. If it were just that, why would we do it in a group?
I hope you don’t mind me throwing my two cents’ worth out there! Again, thank you for the post!
Great article, and this is a problem that probably faces all of us at sometime or another.