Family Altar

I know it sounds very "christianese" to talk about having a family worship time. Most of us just nod our heads in assent when asked if we are having family worship, too afraid to admit we don't see how it works or even why it might be necessary. After all, don't we sit in church for hours on Sunday morning and maybe even Wednesday evenings listening to the word of God? Aren't our children hearing all the Bible stories during Sunday school hours? We don't want to bore them do we? And besides that, who has an extra hour in their day to read from the Bible aloud while our children wiggle around or complain. Honestly, we are all  too tired, and it can be too much of a struggle to get your children to listen quietly without the television being involved. Well, I am here to tell you it can be done, and it should be done.

First of all it is commanded in Scripture. It is the father's role to teach the scriptures to their children and to wash their wives with the reading of the word. Check out Deut. 6 and Eph 5:26. That settles the why, now for the how. Let me tell you a little secret, it doesn't have to be dry or boring, and your kids don't have to sit still the entire time either.

Our family worship times have looked different depending on the different seasons of our family's life. When the kids were little we would let them sit on the floor or at the table with coloring books and crayons while Dad read from the Bible and asked age appropriate questions. We gave lots of praise for the kind of behavior we wanted and not too much attention to the negative. We wanted this to be something they wanted to participate in not something they were forced to endure. As they grew we centered family worship around dessert time. I would serve dessert and John would read. There were many times when we shared reading responsibilities. Our first graders especially liked when they could be trusted with the reading of the word.we have read through the entire Bible together as a family. We have read through many books besides the Bible during our family worship too. Once we had more adult children (I know that is an oxymoron but I can't think of a better term). John found it encouraging to read John Piper aloud together and discuss it, also C.S. Lewis and Randy Alcorn to name a few. By that time our children were feasting on the word daily for themselves and our family worship time became more about refining their worldview. My point is this. Family worship time is about your family doing things that strengthen them in the word. It can look however you want it to and be whenever you want it to be.

My caution is this, wives your role in this is one of support not domination. We can so easily squelch a man's desire to lead his family with one negative word or nagging. How sad for us that we emasculate our husbands in order to see things done right or done our way.  I learned this lesson the hard way when I was a young wife. It is amazing how one critical word can keep our husbands from even attempting to lead. Your children will learn just as much from watching you respect your husband (or disrespect as the case may be) than they will from what they hear read to them, especially when they are young. Give your husband the freedom to lead and sit back and enjoy the process. It doesn't have to be perfect or the way someone else is doing it, it should be done though.

Sow worship time into your family's life and reap a closeness that will stay with your family through the ages.