Because theology is everybody's task
Monday, March 14, 2011
Children In Church?
Alan Knox at The Assembling of the Church has a good post on the presence and role of children in the gathered church, titled, Children as Part of the Church Gathering. He discusses various aspects of having children with us adults as we meet together as the church. For many, church is an entirely adult affair, with children never gathering with the assembly until the top age of Sunday school has been reached. In this post, Alan looks at some practical implications as well as the ideas behind having children in church. Please give it a read.
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We include children in every element of our weekly gathering. Just this Sunday:
ReplyDelete* A 7 year old girl quotes 1 John 4:19. The Holy Spirit hammers this deep into my soul. I will forget 99% of what I have heard from Swindol or MacArthur but I will not forget this.
* A child selects Amazing Grace for us to sing. A 10 year old boy say "I know that on the piano". He slides in on the bench and leads us all in perfect chords and melody.
* It's time to thank God for his blood and body as we celebrate the Lord's table. I ask if anyone would like to lead us a thanksgiving prayer. A hand shoots up and another 10 year old boy leads us in a beautiful prayer.
It's like this every Sunday. What percentage of believers COMPLETELY miss all this and are annoyed that someone should suggest that their age segmented - geared for adults only "worship" is very spiritually / mutually vapid?
Tim,
ReplyDeleteI can only imagine what you're talking about. Although, I'm not unfamiliar with those things outside of the church meeting. I've had experience with children being quiet (or not) in a sermon-centered worship service. I remember believing that quiet listening to a sermon and service was what was expected of church people, so the idea of children participating would have been completely foreign. Their exercising of their knowledge and talents would have been welcome in settings other than church.
Just before the offertory, the pastor invites the children to the front of the church where he has a special children's message. Then he sends them off to Sunday School. They are mercifully spared the sermon.
ReplyDeleteVache
ReplyDeleteThe adults should be spared the Bible lecture also. God specifically asks for "one another" driven teaching. Col. 3:16; Heb. 10:24,25. This is the exact opposite of one-way communication via a "sermon" as tradition has called them. I frequently ask believers what their preacher taught them that Sunday. I have yet to have one believer be able to tell me. This proves it's 90% a waste of time and money. "Preach the word, in season and out of season..." does not mean "Lecture the word, in season..".