Preparing Your Family for Corporate Worship (part 1)
Sure, there may be a lot of modern day controversy over headship in the home, but the Bible is clear that this God created/ordained headship is in the jurisdiction of the husband. This isn't a headship that the husband is supposed to take on, this is his God ordered place. If you look closely at Scripture, it is clear that this headship/leadership position is the place where the husband is. (...for the husband [is] head of the wife... Eph 5:23)
I hear from many wives that they wish their husbands would be the spiritual leader of their homes. The fact is... he is. It's maybe more of an issue of what kind of spiritual leader is he going to be. I want to take several Friday night postings to address some ways husbands can do this God breathed duty with joy for his family.
(disclaimer: I post these thoughts as a combination of things I did, didn't do and wish I would have done.)
Tonight I'll start with some thoughts on children in corporate worship services:
I think it is important that we teach our children that there is a difference between entertainment and worship. Take some time before Sunday morning to talk to your family about the things they will do when you gather with others on Sunday morning.
Does your family witness you preparing to give from your resources? Do they know that you have made an intentional plan to give? I'm not saying you are required to tell them how much (why not though) I'm more meaning do they know that you are planning to give and that this planning is intentionally when you gather with the faithful.
Is your famlily asking "Are we going to church on Sunday?" (Do they ask if they are going to school, eat, watch your favorite show on TV, do their homework, etc?) Start talking about gathering with the Lord's people today with them. Gathering with the Lord's people is something the Lord's people should enjoy doing. Use this preparation to teach your family that you are planning to gather.
Let them see you making plans to gather with the faithful. It is important that our families see what is important to us. It is likely that our families have heard us talk about a lot of things this past week; have they heard us talk about God?
Has your family seen your Bible since the last time you gathered with the faithful? Have they seen or heard you read from your Bible this week?
Gather your family together and read Scripture together (you may consider reading 1 Chronicles 19 together, I will be preaching from this text on November 6.)
Be sure to teach your family that it's alright if they don't understand everything that the preacher will say or talk about. Children learn more than we think. It is important that they learn from you about your wanting to gather with the Lord's people to worship God, fellowship with other believers and learn as much as we can about what God is like and what he would require from his followers.
Remind yourself and your family that this corporate gathering is not an instant gratification event, this is not entertainment. When we approach the corporate gathering as we do entertainment we will evaluate it in the same manner. This is of eternal value. Don't let them see this as a secondary event you decide to do if you wake up in time to go. They will begin to think about church as something you go to rather than something they are. Husbands, you are positioned by God to help your families understand this. Model it for them this week.
Make sure that you know where everyone's bible is on Saturday night. Let your family see that preparation for this gathering on Sunday morning is something you are anticipating.
You may not be in the habit of taking notes or writing significant things down that you learn about God, but consider taking the family out to the office supply store on Saturday to purchase a notebook for everyone to write significant things God may speak to you about. We have student notebooks on the table in the back of the auditorium. Tell your children about this and encourage them to consider using them. Let them see you writing things down too.
Plan to talk about things they heard and learned sometime on Sunday afternoon or evening. Use this time to teach further and even answer questions they may be thinking about.
These are only to help you start thinking about some things you can put to use as you lead. Remember, husband, you are head of your wife. You may be an apathetic-head, you may be a lazy-head, you may be a bossy-head, you may be a dead-head, but you are head... Your past headship does not dictate your current headship. Your family may think it odd that you have all of the sudden decided to be a spiritually-intentional-head, but don't let that hinder you from being what they want and especially need from you; God-fearing headship.
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