BradHoffmann.com

There are many distractions in worship.  What about the guy who falls asleep and snores? With a gentle nudge he returns to the land of the living but not before the huge wake up snort. You chuckle on the inside thankful it wasn’t you this week.

What about the cell ringing during the sermon? One person will reach into her purse or pocket to silence the devise, but then there’s that person who will let it ring because they either don’t recognize their ring tone or don’t want to be seen as the one in the crowd who forgot to silence their phone.

What about sneezy? It’s allergy season for sure. He pulls out the tissue either blowing or dotting his nose during the morning events.

Oh, and don’t forget about the starlight mint eater. You can hear the attempted unwrap from across the room. Why does the mint sound as if it is doubly wrapped and taking an eternity to escape its packaging?

Then there’s the fidgeter. She’s constantly rummaging through her purse for something. Maybe it’s to gather loose change from the bottom or an all out attempt to find the bottom. You can hear the clanking and rattling of the stuff in her purse from three rows over as she digs through it.

Then there are the talkers. They’re the ones who talk about their week or someone sitting in from of them during the worship time. Everyone else is singing and they’re talking.

What about those kids? They just won’t sit still. They’re fidgeting and moving around next to or in front of you.

Then there’s the restroom frequenter. It’s like they wait until the most obvious moment to get up and make their way to the restroom unaware that nearly every eye in the room is following them.

What about the game player? He’s on his phone and it seems innocent enough. But the continued tapping of the fingers on screen and the changing colors of the game’s topography continually catch the corner of your eye.

Oh, and don’t forget about the whiny baby. You say to yourself, “Isn’t there a nursery in this place?”

And the list goes on and on. Needless to say, there are many church distractions any given weekend. And, if I’m going to be totally honest about it, it’s really okay. With every distraction there’s a story. Maybe it was late night, a scratchy throat, a rough morning or too much coffee. Let’s not give our friends or fellow attenders too hard of a time. You could be next week’s distraction. Make room for grace. Personally, I’m just glad they’re in church. And, if I try to play the distraction police, I run the risk of embarrassing them or worse making them feel unwelcome. People have moved on for lesser reasons. It’s really not about my comfort or convenience anyway. Hey, you could aways sit someone else in there room. Give a little space, be a little inconvenienced, welcome the distraction and be glad they’re here. Behind every distraction is a potential friendship.