Blocking out the blockers

I don't read much. When I do, I enjoy it. However, in order for me to enjoy reading, and really get into a book I need things around me to be just right.

I can't just sit in a noisy room and block everything out, it just doesn't work for me.

It's sort of the same for worship. I find it really difficult losing myself in worship and I've been wracking my brains to think why. Then it came to me. I need to concentrate too much!

What I mean is, I shouldn't need to concentrate, I should be able to focus completely on God. But I can't, or haven't been able to at least while we met at the URC. The conditions just have been right for me.

Why then, have I been able to completely lose myself in a huge tent with plastic seats and temporary floor - at Roots? Here's why:

- everybody is there for the same reason
- nobody cares what I'm doing or why
- the music is loud and my bad singing voice can't be heard
- the words to the songs hit the screen before they are needed

Not an exhaustive list - another reason is that the songs become so well known over a few days that the words aren't often needed to be seen - we know them. There's nothing else to think about - just Him.

I can't do much to change the conditions I find myself in back in Romford. I have to change myself!

The refurbished worship hall has the ingredients in technology and comfort to help me block out the blockers - with a bit of training and awareness in the AV room, volume, timely words, wandering cameras etc. will settle down and take more of those distractions away.

In my head I need to enter Romford citadel with a Big Top attitude. Jesus gave his life for me, is it too much to ask that conditions, at least in my head, are as perfect as they can be?

Let the work begin.