It’s so hard, but it’s worth it.
Getting your late sleeper up on time, or interrupting your early riser’s Sunday morning fun.
Asking your little ones to go get dressed to get out the door, when they really just want to stay in their pjs. “It’s the weekend!”
It’s so hard, but it’s worth it.
Taking your kids somewhere they don’t necessarily want to be.
Expecting little ones to sit quietly for an hour or so.
It’s so hard, but it’s worth it.
Asking teens to not throw attitude about being there as well.
It’s so hard, but it’s worth it.
Sitting in church with children is a monumental task. Oh, I know. I’ve done it so many times, over and over again—Sunday morning single parent over here (pastor’s wife). I’ve had little kids in my house for more than twenty years, so I’ve definitely got some experience. Additionally, as the pastor’s family, there’s an unspoken expectation that we are present every single week. Barring illness or vacations, we are—Sunday morning services, midweek evening services, holidays, special services, you name it, we’re there.
As the mama in the pew, it’s often frustrating. As the parent on duty every single time, it’s tiring. The same complaints over and over. The same questions repeatedly.
“Why do we have to be here?”
“How come other families aren’t here all the time?”
“How much longer ’til the service is over?”
“Did you bring a snack?”
We “have to be here” because it’s what we do. Sunday morning = church. It’s good for you, whether or not you want to believe it. It’s teaching you, whether or not you want to learn. It’s building a habit, which I know you don’t really care about right now. You’re being fed by the Word of God, whether you know it or not.
Other families aren’t here all the time because sometimes a child is sick. Sometimes a parent has to work. Sometimes there are other priorities. Others are here every single week, just like us. You don’t notice because you’re too busy focusing on your dislike for the “required routine.”
The service will be over when it’s over. I’m not in control of how long the sermon is. I know
there are two more songs. Please be patient. Listen and follow along. It’ll help the time pass.
Yes, I brought a snack Or – No, I didn’t this week. Or – You already had your snack, there’s nothing else until lunchtime.
All the questions, week after week. All the answers, week after week.
It’s so hard, but it’s worth it.
The training up of children as part of the church starts early, even while in the womb. An unborn baby can hear words spoken, and the Holy Spirit begins to bring the saving Word and budding faith to those tiny, just-formed ears. Didn’t John leap in his mother’s womb? “And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb.” (Luke 1:41a)
The repetition and routine of regular worship feeds little souls whether they’re actively paying attention or instead doodling on the attendance card. The rhythm of the liturgy soaks into their tiny beings and soon those words are sung or spoken during play or in the car. Sections of the sermon catch their attention, leading to questions and conversation over lunch.
Romans 10:17 says, “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.”
Deuteronomy 11:19 says this about the words of God: “You shall teach them to your children, talking of them when you are sitting in your house, and when you are walking by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.”
Do I have a bad attitude about it too? Absolutely. Sometimes I’m tired and wish I could have the opportunity to sleep in, just this once. Other times the weekend is packed full of activities and events and I want just the tiniest bit of morning downtime to avoid overwhelm. Do the never-ending questions annoy me? Um, yes.
Just like for my kids, the repetition and routine of regular worship feeds my soul, whether I”m actively paying attention or instead letting my gaze wander over to what is happening in the pew in front of me. The rhythm of the liturgy soaks into my being, and soon the words and music are sung while driving and doing the mundane every day things of life. Sections of the sermon catch my attention, leading to questions and conversation over lunch.
It’s my role as a parent to teach and guide my children, introducing them to the Lord’s love and the gift of salvation offered to us through faith. I am the one to first pray with them and read Bible stories to them, infusing Scripture into their hearts and minds. Regular worship attendance helps to bolster that knowledge, increase an awareness of the fellowship of believers, and further educate and instruct through Sunday school and the worship service.
Two of my children are grown, and nearly every week it was hard to sit in the pew with them when they were little. Two of my children are still pretty young, and nearly every week it’s STILL hard to sit in the pew with them.
I do it; despite the tired, despite the annoyed, despite all the negative feelings I sometimes have about it. I do it because it’s the best thing I can do for my kids. It’s all the more sweet on those Sunday mornings when everyone sits nicely, they follow along with the service relatively well, and I actually have an opportunity to take in the sermon fully, digesting the Gospel truths fed to me through the words of my husband.
I have experienced the blessings of faith, in both the unspeakably wonderful and the unspeakably tragic experiences of life. I have the opportunity to share Christ’s love weekly with my children in the form of regular worship attendance, and I’m going to do that every chance I get.
It’s so hard, but it’s worth it.