I’m a big believer in family worship. I believe God has clearly called parents to intentionally teach their children the ways of God.
But for some, the idea of family worship is a bit scary. Either they don’t know how to do it or they think it means three hours every night of exegetical study through Leviticus.
But family worship doesn’t have to be scary or boring or a drudgery. It can be simple.
Here are five ways we do it:
1. Around the Table.
Sometimes we do it at dinner, other times we do it at breakfast (especially if I’m home for those meals). We usually use some kind of tool.
In the past, we’ve used the Jesus StoryBook Bible by Sally Lloyd Jones, a book every Christian parent should own (in my opinion). Right now, we are using an excellent book, Proverbs for Kids. This terrific book takes a proverb and offers some practical spiritual truth applicable to kids. It doesn’t take very long, and it always includes a relatable story.
We decided to do Proverbs because we just felt our kids needed some relational wisdom during this season of their lives. I also highly recommend New City Catechism, by The Gospel Coalition. There are other really good resources out there for children as well.
When we do this around the table, it’s very informal.
I usually read some Scripture and do some explanation, then I ask the kids questions about it. Sometimes we laugh, sometimes we joke. After we are done, we usually offer a prayer.
But we’re very intentional about teaching our kids about the Scriptures. The table is a great place to do it. We are all gathered, we’re enjoying God’s good provision of food and the grace of conversation. I think it’s important for families to share as many meals together as they can.
2. With a Hymnal or Singing.
We don’t do this as often as we do the above, but every so often I will reach over and grab a hymnal and we’ll sing some songs together as a family. It can be really fun.
What I love about the hymns is that they ground spiritual truth into the hearts of our children. We also like to listen to good Christian music in the car or at home.
Sometimes words will come up, especially with hymns, that need explanation. This is a great way to share with our kids some good ideas and truth.
