HOW TO CONDUCT YOURSELF DURING PREACHING

[John81]

Too funny LuAnne! Now my cheeks hurt:lol:

Your first story reminded me of what I've observed in our church. I've noticed that the children who attended services from the time they were babies are so much better behaved during services than those who were sent to nursery.

We have several young children who attend services that have done so since they were babies and they are well behaved and attentive. Most of those who went to nursery seem to have little patience during the services and they fidget, make noise and distract their parents and others.

[HappyChristian]

Too funny LuAnne! Now my cheeks hurt:lol:

Your first story reminded me of what I've observed in our church. I've noticed that the children who attended services from the time they were babies are so much better behaved during services than those who were sent to nursery.

We have several young children who attend services that have done so since they were babies and they are well behaved and attentive. Most of those who went to nursery seem to have little patience during the services and they fidget, make noise and distract their parents and others.

We have a few of those, but for the most part, kids are pretty well behaved. Our son never had much problem settling in to the services. Of course, there were times he slept.

And then there was the Christmas Eve service where he threw up on the floor by our pew....it was a real P-U then.

[John81]

We have a few of those, but for the most part, kids are pretty well behaved. Our son never had much problem settling in to the services. Of course, there were times he slept.

And then there was the Christmas Eve service where he threw up on the floor by our pew....it was a real P-U then.

Okay, now I KNOW you are trying to make my face break!

[HappyChristian]

Okay, now I KNOW you are trying to make my face break!

[amblivion]

HAHA!! There are some funny stories here.

I agree that people do not conduct themselves in a very adult manner at church many times. People check their balance in the bank during church, using their phones. My own brother is a very big distraction. He plays games on his blackberry, or him and his wife talk. I used to sit with them, but it is too much of a distraction for me to now. One of my biggest pet peeves is when people can tell the pastor is about to end his sermon, so they start putting their coats on and zipping up their Bibles. I want to say, "People come on it isn't over yet. Wait until after he is finished to do that!"

Anyways, when I was younger my brother and I were having a flicking war in the back where my family sat. This was during the pastors message. I will not forget this day because I was so embarrassed. During our flicking war, our pastor interrupted us, and said, "Will you two stop flicking eachother in the back pews there?" Everyone in the whole church looked back at us. I probably turned ten shades of red and have not done that again. Good thing he never caught us when we used to spit the spit wads at each other during church, a better thing our parents never caught us.

[JerryNumbers]

A finishing nail or a ten penney?

Rail road spike

[holster]

Rail road spike

Wow... no that's some nail!

[Jerry]

The points on how to listen well were very practical and worth reading.

Question: Would someone here be distracted if I was sitting nearby (perhaps in the back row) and using the Bible program on my Ipod Touch? I didn't think it would bother anyone, but feedback is always good. I do not have the volume turned on (so no sounds at all, whether from button clicking, etc.). Sometimes the pastor will say a word means such and such, or I want to look up a word or phrase in the passage or that came to mind during the message (sometimes something touched on will give me ideas for my next message at the Mission - I can't shut that part of my brain off - so I may do a quick word search in the Bible program). I certainly do NOT want to be a distraction to anyone - in fact, me using my Bible program often means I am getting more out of the message because I am digging deeper.

On a side note, I often sit at the back because I have to leave early to catch the bus (in the evening, they are only once an hour), but other times I am back there because of asthma prOBlems. When I am surrounded by people, my nerves kick in, especially if I am tired, and my chest tightens up and I have a harder time breathing properly. I sometimes need to leave the room to blow my nose if I have any kind of cold - because then I start to panic because I feel like I can't breathe. So technically, this would be leaving for a legitimate medical reason, but I always feel so bad. I do my best not to disturb anyone. But the pastor is always speaking about teaching your kids to go to the bathroom during breaks or before the services - so I feel I am a bad example to the kids (though I am not actually leaving to "go to the bathroom" as such, though I am using the bathroom). Is this something I should mention to my pastor, so that he thinks I am not just leaving because I am getting restless or bored, or because I couldn't go to the bathroom before the service?

[holster]

I used to a KJV Franklin Electronic Bible during services. Personally, your use of the iPod would not bother me at all. In fact, I'd be thrilled that someone was researching. I do think I'd mention it to the pastor though....

[Psalms18_28]

People used to tell me that I breathe too loud. That's why I sit in the back. I have severe sinus/allergy/asthma prOBlems and hate being next to a person out of fear that he would tell or think the same thing. It's sort of a panic attack in a way.

[amblivion]

Jerry, I would not be distracted. I know some people who use their blackberrys during church for their Bible. They use it when they forget their Bible sometimes too. I agree I would mention it to the pastor. He might think you are playing games or doing other things during his message.

I don't mean this part in a mean spirit or anything but some people are too easily distracted. Your stories about breathing and people telling you that you breath too hard reminds me of a story. My family used to bring a young girl who used to wiggle in her seat a lot. She did not grow up in a Christian home, and her mom was an alcoholic. She was prOBably about eight or nine years old. Anyways one day after church, someone asked my mom, do you have to bring her? She wiggles a lot. We even were sitting in the back pew when someone mentioned that.

[trc123]

Although I'm an IT guy and I use my work Black Berry and Laptop during meetings all the time; I have to say (after giving this some thought) that yes, it would very much bother me to see fingers flickering all over and hearing taps or clicks going during the preaching. I wouldn't say anything to you and I wouldn't think you are a bad person; but I would be very distracted and find it hard to concentrate on the preaching.

[Jerry]

It is an Ipod Touch, so you would not actually hear any tapping of buttons as it is a touch screen. Would that make any difference? Or is it the fact that someone is using a little handheld device that would be distracting in itself? I do appreciate input because I don't want to hinder others from getting the most out of each sermon and study.

[JerryNumbers]

Strange, I've never forgot my Bible when going to church, and I have never been in a church that did not have a few extra Bibles laying around for those who do not have one and or forgot theirs.

There be those who can't help their self, they have to distract others where ever they go.

As for a young child who has not been brought up in church and does not know how they should behave, most any reasonable person would understand, but its easy to have an unreasonable person in any group of people.

My wife's twin sister was an unreasonable person, if someone set in the place she always set she would quickly tell them they had her seat and they should move.

I want tell the whole story here, but this old man when he was yet a very young boy had to wear his wool dress pants one warm Sunday because of his misbehaving. Mother told me you better not squirm and cause a distraction because your legs are itching. I didn't, but I guarantee those wools pants were causing my legs to itch on that very warm Sunday morning, but I did not squirm and distract others.

[Jerry]

Not sure if your comment was directed towards me. I don't forget my Bible - but I use the Bible program to search for words or get the definitions of certain words.