Please doodle in church

Without the supernatural intervention of God, your pastor absolutely cannot compete with the power of Facebook and Instagram during service. Social media companies invest hundreds of millions of dollars into making their content addictive. Google makes its billions off of your attention.

I don’t write this post to knock on social media or Google.

You struggle to pay attention for biological reasons as well

Honestly, someone who works with their feet or hands all week struggles to remain conscious when sitting through a sermon. Biologically, your blood stops flowing quite a bit when you sit down for the 25 minutes of a sermon.

You’ve shown up because you think Church has value

If you identify as a Christian, then you believe the Bible holds some value for you. Also, you think going to church can change your life. So that little chunk of time in the middle of the service called the sermon has some information you probably need.

So doodle

Maybe you get engaged with a proper outline and exhaustive notes. Outline to your heart’s content!

But if you have a brain that works like mine, sometimes you get bored.

(Honestly, sometimes the sermons I deliver can’t be outlined well.)

Activate your brain

They say when you write something down, your brain activates powerfully. Even if you draw a picture of a turtle or a butterfly. Or stick figures climbing a mountain. Drawing pictures makes your mind come alive.

Please understand, I don’t write this as an artist. Everyone else in my family has that gene. I like to draw stick figures and houses and rocket ships. That wakes me up, and it engages my brain actually to pay attention to what’s going on.

And most importantly, my brain stays in the room and on topic.

 Conclusion

Give it a try. Doodle. Do whatever it takes to engage and make the most of the time you have. Learn, grow, see what God can teach you in church.

Full disclosure: I didn’t draw these doodles… I found them on the notes of a friend that she left at my house after a missions meeting. I think it meant she was paying attention.