Practice Looking Up
Just over a year ago, the popular Instagram account Humans of New York posted an insightful “message for the New Year.” It’s worth reading the whole post. In brief, however, the author, Brandon Stanton, reflects on parenting advice that encourages parents to prioritize pointing out what children do well, “[b]ecause what you pay attention to—expands.” He goes on to discuss how our algorithmically shaped digital world gives us more of what we pay attention to. Have you ever lingered—even briefly—over a clip of an author or preacher on a podcast, only to find the algorithm subsequently pushing more and more of this same person’s content? What we pay attention to expands.
This principle is worth considering as we plan worship each Sabbath. It invites us to reflect on how the experiences of Sabbath and worship can help us attend to what matters most and, as a result, allow life’s most essential dimensions to expand. The invitation to rest from work carries profound metaphorical significance. It reminds us that our redemption and very existence are not the fruit of our labor but gifts of God, privileging the priority of relational presence with God and one another, among other things. The Sabbath also holds significant social and ethical implications, addressing the exploitative perils that often accompany our relentless pursuit of productivity from ourselves and others.
On a practical level, the Sabbath offers us the chance to recalibrate our attention—shifting it from the noise of daily life to the things that matter most. This shift doesn’t happen automatically; it requires intentional practices that help us learn to focus. Here are three specific ways we can support worshipers in cultivating this renewed attention:
Invite worshipers to be fully present to God and one another.
Encourage worshipers to set aside their phones during worship—or at least for a portion of the gathering. Acknowledge the challenge this presents and frame that difficulty as evidence of our deep need to relearn the practice of being digitally disconnected. When we look down at our phones, we may be physically present but mentally absent. Worship offers a countercultural opportunity to practice looking up—toward God and toward one another.
Create opportunities to engage the body as well as the mind.
Many of us spend our weeks seated at desks, working in front of screens, and the rest we most need is not from physical labor but from mental strain. Worship can provide a moment to reconnect with our bodies in meaningful ways. Invite worshipers to turn and greet one another, come forward for prayer, or stand to sing together. While worship is no replacement for a walk in the park or a workout at the gym, engaging the body in these ways is not only healthy—it’s a way to practice being fully present in worship. In a world that keeps us sitting, worship gives us the chance to stand up, move, and embody our faith.
Encourage worshipers to attend intentionally to the moment.
Guide worshipers in noticing the many gifts present in the worship experience: the words of scripture, the light of the sun streaming through windows, or the blend of voices raised in praise. Help them see this as a practice of intentionally fixing their focus on God’s self-revelation through scripture and creation. While we cannot eliminate the distractions and competing forces of our world, we can practice responding differently. Worship is a time to look up, notice, and give our attention to what we long to see expand in our lives.
The things that expand in our lives through what we attend to will ultimately transform us. As we read in 2 Corinthians 3:18, “And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” So, as we gather for worship each Sabbath, let’s take this opportunity to fix our eyes on what we pray will grow in our experience this year and beyond, and on the God who so generously provides more than we could ever ask or imagine. Let’s practice looking up.
