How do you prepare for Church on Sunday? Do you pray before Church? What about when you go to Church on Sunday? What is your attitude?
The Russian church father, St. Seraphim of Sarov stated this should be our attitude: "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner": let all thine attention and training be in this. Walking, sitting, doing, and standing in church before the divine service, coming in and going out, keep this unceasingly on thy lips and in thy heart."
How much better prepared for church we would be if we followed this simple advice. His advice is not new. Jesus told a parable of two men who went to the Temple and shows us the wrong way to go to God's house and the right way.
Luke 18:10 Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.
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