In Jesus' parable of the sower (Matt 13:18ff), the key factor which determines whether the seed will grow and bear fruit or not is the quality of the soil - the parable begs the question, "what kind of soil am I?" We have no power to change the seed or the mysterious natural process that turns a seed into a plant, but we do have some influence over what kind of soil we will be.
This principle applies broadly to all of life, but you can test it in a Sunday service: Pay close attention to how very different your experience of hearing and responding to the word of God is if you 'prepare the soil' before worship, compared with arriving on a Sunday scattered and rushed.
Years ago, I was a part of a small group that started meeting on a Sunday before our church's evening service. After a month of meeting, our group members commented that our experience of the evening service seemed different for us now - we found that we were more present in worship and far more open to God's speaking. It took a while to realize that the reason for this was the preparation of the soil that was taking place in our small group right before the service each week. It made us realize that God is always available and speaking in corporate worship - what varies each week was the extent to which we had prepared for that encounter. That is good news if you are longing to encounter God in worship!
This Sunday is a special moment for us as we renew our covenant with God. I'm looking forward to sharing in the service with you as we gather expectant and ready to meet with the One in whom we live and move and have our being.