He preached on the Good Samaritan, but when he began analyzing the text he used the word "lawyer." He pronounced it lo-yer with a short o sound as in Pa. I've always pronouned the word like loy-yer, as in joy-er.
My mind left the Bible teaching and raced off out of the church. I was distracted.
Years back, John and I attended a wonderful church in San Diego. I remember one particular Sunday I was engrossed in worship, eyes closed, hands up. Beautiful.
My beloved chose that moment to lean over to me and whisper, "Look at the heed (head) on that one." He did this in a Scottish accent like Mike Meyers in the movie "I Married an Axe Murderer."
My eyes popped open, I glanced at John and followed his eyes to someone walking down an aisle. His head was, well, um...big. Really big.
Distraction.
I informed John after that particular Sunday that I'd been in the throne room worshipping when he whispered. It's been a joke ever since. I have had occasion to see something or think something in church and lean over to John and whisper, interrupting his worship, too. When this happens he'll look at me with a mixture of annoyance of love (mostly annoyance) and say "Look at the heed on that one."
Distractions are so easily a part of church, aren't they? I think the enemy loves to tempt us to stray away from a moment with God, be it in listening to the Word being preached or worshipping. I love to be in worship and hang out with God. Sometimes that means I don't hear a thing the preacher says because I am having a conversation with God. Sometimes that means taking notes on what the preacher says and soaking it in. And sometimes that means dancing with my King. Eyes closed, hands up.
But it never means analyzing the diameter of someone's cranium and it doesn't mean leaving because I don't agree with a pronunciation.
I have to make a choice to be engaged with God, even in church. How bout you? How do you handle distractions in church?
