Family worship

.

‘The family who plays together stays together.’

That’s a quote I’ve heard in a variety of forms from a variety of people because families today recognise the value of regular time spent in each other’s company.

Martin Luther is quoted as saying: ‘Our home is like a little church.’ Because for worship to be a source of spiritual growth it needs to be more than once a week and it needs to be in the home as well as the church.

In Family Worship 101 William Boekestein points out that our children leave our homes over time with one god or another, be that money, leisure, career or in God’s grace the one true God of the gospel. What god or God they leave with can be influenced by how we worship within the four walls we call home. Family worship is called a discipline for good reason, as it can be hard work.

But if it all seems a bit daunting don’t worry. Here are a few books that will help you get started:

Table Talk series by Alison Mitchell (ISBN 978 1 873 166 970); Family Time by Andrew Brannigan (ISBN 978 1 781 915 899); Exploring the Bible by David Murray (ISBN 978 1 433 556 869); Read with Me by Jean Stapleton (ISBN 978 1 845 501 488).

All of the above focus on God’s word but have different ideas of how to apply God’s word to family life. Family Time has been described online as ‘very doable’. Exploring the Bible has been recommended as ‘super-quick and open-ended.’ The Table Talk series is recommended as a good choice for a family who have both pre-school and primary-age children. Jean Stapleton’s book also has extra features that will extend the readership into a slightly older child. Some of these titles have been reviewed by the Hope-Filled Family in the article ‘16 best family devotions’. Look that article up for some inspiration and some other titles that might suit your family situation.

Introduce praise to your devotion times by using whatever you use in church, be that hymns or psalms, or Bible songs by Colin Buchanan. Also keep a simple prayer journal for family contributions while also using the following titles:

40 Days 40 Bites (ISBN 978 1 781 914 014) or Window on the World (ISBN 978 1 781 283 684).

Place these by your television so that when the family is exposed to world news items your prayers can reach out to the world.

If family worship is something you want to investigate further, I recommend A Neglected Grace by Jason Helopoulos (ISBN 978 1 781 912 034). This is the best title I know for introducing the why and how of family worship. But Growing Young Disciples recommends a title that I haven’t read yet: Family Worship by Donald Whitney (ISBN 978 1 433 567 223). ‘Donald Whitney’s short and practical volume is the best. Families of all make-ups, ages and stages would benefit from the encouragement that this book offers.’ Growing Young Disciples is a ministry that I’m continually beginning to trust for great advice and excellent content on Facebook.