The biggest preparation for Sunday: do nothing.
Perhaps I can put that better. (And first, you might need to look at the first in this blog series.)
Church is primarily about God and his work. God is with his people by his Spirit, and not only announces that Jesus is Lord, but forms the likeness of Jesus in all who trust him.
Here’s some indication of the priority for God’s work among us, from only one chapter of the Bible (Colossians 1)
- Grace and peace are from the Father (v.2)
- The gospel is that which bears fruit all over the world (v.6)
- Every Christian relationship and role is in or of Christ (apostle, saint, brother, minister, servant, membership of the body, etc)
- In everything, Christ is preeminent (v.18)
- The reconciliation of all things – heavenly and earthly – is by Christ and his blood (v.20)
- The riches of the glory of God’s mystery is Christ in you (v.27)
- The goal of ministry is maturity in Christ (v.28)
Much more could be added, but the idea is clear. The sufficiency of any church is completely the sufficiency of God in Christ, through the power of the Spirit.
In other words, the sufficiency of church is never you or me or us.
So to prepare, we do nothing except trust God.
How? There’s no better way than prayer. Prayer is when I cease activity – and activism – and accept that God works. I cease, and I ask him to work in accordance with his promise.
So, pray for your church meeting. Pray for God to change yourself and all present, for God to work through all with formal roles, for God to use all without such roles, for Christ to be honoured, for the Father to produce spiritual fruit that will last.