Leave your coat, tie and jewelry where they are.
After Sunday School, but before the service starts, forget talking over Saturday's big game with the deacons. Or about collecting on your bets.
During the service, stop thinking about how your newly-hired pastor will adjust to tithes plummeting over the past month (as a consequence of "The Failing Economy").
And while the pastor's praying for God's will to be done, never mind considering "having a moment of prayer" with the person who owns the car on your church parking lot stickered with slogans endorsing the candidate opposite of yours.
Don't glance around during the offering to make mental notes about what so-and-so's teen-aged daughter is wearing to church, and forget entirely about reminding the pastor after the service that last week's service ran 90 seconds past noon ... which made finding a seat at Turf n' Stuff next to impossible.
In other words, on Sunday morning, stop thinking about Being Number One.
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Oh boy, then what on earth am I possibly suggesting?
I'm suggesting that you think about putting yourself aside and making God Number One ... and soon as you've got a handle and mastered that one, then start thinking about bowing your head, repenting & praying that God will take control of your life ... even if that means putting your own interests aside and acknowledging your role as Number Two.
Maybe, with all heads bowed, for the first time in your church-life.
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One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?"
"The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.
"'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.'"
- Mark 12:29-30
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I can't even read the word "gyro" on a Greek menu but I'm saying that no matter what translation of scripture you read, be assured that the word "All" means to not leave anything out.
All your mind and strength means Don't Bother trying to impress others with your riches and material success at church ... because wealth didn't come from you and isn't yours to begin with. It also means stop trying to be the most influential member of the congregation by talking the loudest and being the most argumentative during budget and steering meetings.
Are we almost through yet?
No, we're not.
All your mind and strength means to stop bullying and intimdating others with retaliation to get your own way ... because you aren't Christ, and Your Way can only lead others in one direction ... straight to hell.
"With All your mind and strength" tells us how far we should go to Love the Lord Your God.
And Yes, it All your mind and strength even means getting rid of all the porn, sexual fantasies and emotional bitterness, too.
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When the Pharisees tried trapping Christ in their word-snares, he didn't take advantage of the opportunity to push God aside (like we do when we're confronted, emphasizing our own piety and reminding others of our self-importance) to make himself Number One.
Uh, being 100% sinless, Christ was certainly much more qualified than either you or I to tell others that he was Number One.
Instead, Jesus answered with words that that still make legalists and iron-willed traditionalists wince and start thumbing in their paid-for pew to see if the King James also says:
"And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."
- Matthew 22:39-40
Christ had no problem with humility or making himself Number Two, being subordinate to the will of The Almighty.
So stop trying to make church All About Me 'cause it ain't ... and never was in the first place.
"If you love me, you will obey what I command."
- John 14:15
