Tuesday, July 10, 2007

Family worship

We have turned a page in our parenting. I admit, it is one that should have been turned years ago, but we are just coming around to it. It comes in response to some passages we love.

Deuteronomy 6:6-7 - And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. (ESV, emphasis added)

Ephesians 6:4 - Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. (ESV)


And so, we have started family worship. We will not expect our kids to do the "church thing" once a week. We will do it daily. I have my guitar at home and so our times are much like Sunday mornings with worship and teaching, except that our boys are all with us and there are a lot fewer people.

Our first night worshipping together was Saturday, I must tell you that it was less than reverent. We completely expected that our first times would be more training than worshipping, and we were right. The boys had a "tough" time staying focused and not acting like... hmmm... animals. We didn't know how many nights it would take for them to begin to settle in to the routine, but we were committed to doing it.

Last night, our third night of family worship, was wonderful. The boys sat and engaged like they had not done the previous two nights. Our friends Corey and Megan were there and participated. I'm not saying that we have arrived at the ideal family worship time, I'm just so thankful and encouraged that progress is already being made.

What is the purpose and end result? Our hope is that God is glorified beyond our generation...

Psalm 78:5-7 - He established a testimony in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers to teach to their children, that the next generation might know them, the children yet unborn, and arise and tell them to their children, so that they should set their hope in God and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments.

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