Because of the significance of worshiping God at home, elders in the Reformed churches often inquire about personal or family worship during their annual visits. They ask questions like these: Do you read the Bible at meal times? Does the father in the family bring the needs of the family before the Lord? Do you have discussions in the family about the portion of the Bible you have read? Is the sermon discussed in the family? Do the parents teach the children how to pray?

Answers to these questions are sometimes alarming. Elders often hear that family worship is under a great deal of pressure. Indeed, also in the Reformed churches, meaningful family worship is increasingly rare. Even where it is practiced, families will confess with sorrow that it lacks depth and relevance.

The present situation is a reason for concern. It has always been a conviction of the church that the Lord requires more of His people than only corporate, public worship. Therefore, in addition to attending worship services on the Lord's Day, Christian believers for many centuries have had the practice of home worship. At set times on each day, they put aside their work in order to read the Bible and to pray to their Father in heaven.

Especially the Reformation of the 16th century gave a mighty impetus to such practices. The results were seen in increase of faith and growth in godliness. A further result was a greater joy and more active participation in public worship. When there was daily home worship of God, the public worship of God on Sunday was naturally meaningful and vibrant. Without home worship, however, people came to experience public worship as artificial and contrived, having no connection to the rest of life.

Because churches which do not encourage and practice family worship soon become formalistic and sterile, lacking real love for the Lord and His service.

What is Worship?⤒🔗

Before we get into the subject of improving family and personal worship, we should try to define our topic. A basic point is the distinction between “serving” the Lord and “worshiping” Him.

The “service” of God is a broader category than the worship of God. Serving God concerns our relationship to Him in the midst of daily life. We serve God where He has called us. This means that in all our daily endeavours, we seek to glorify God.

As Paul says in 1 Corinthans10:31:

So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

Consider also Ephesians 6:5:

Slaves, be obedient to those who are your earthly masters, with fear and trembling, in singleness of heart, as to Christ; not in the way of eye service, as men-pleasers, but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart.

But what does it mean to work, play, eat and drink to the glory of God? Does it mean that we are called to have regular prayer and Bible reading breaks at 10:00, 12:00, and 2:30? Well, of course, that wouldn't be a bad idea. But to glorify God in the midst of daily life means, above all, that we live in obedience, to the Great King. The structures of our life must reflect the law of the Kingdom. How do we serve and glorify God in daily life? By being honest, by working hard, by keeping our language clean, by developing our talents, by being good citizens, by showing submission to lawful authority, by showing patience, kindness and compassion, and by honouring all the obligations of our various relationships.

Thus, in both working and eating, believers serve the Lord. Often, busy as they are in their daily work, believers, glorify God spontaneously and without conscious awareness. Obedience is integrated into their lives.

What, then, is worship? We may say that worship is concentrated service of God. In worship, we set aside time to exercise our minds and spirits in the praise of God. In a direct and conscious way, we bring glory to God. In the course of our overall service to God, there must also be those special, consecrated moments and hours, when we focus single-mindedly on Him.

A common phrase of prayer well expresses this distinction between service and worship. We say things like this: “Lord, we come before You,” or, “Our Father in heaven, we come before Thy throne.” When we say that we are coming before God, we do not, of course, deny that we are always before God. For God is omnipresent. Yet, in prayer, we seek His presence in a special way. We seek His face!

To use an analogy, imagine a strong monarchy, such as existed in England a few centuries ago. Think of a peasant in such a Kingdom. He always has to reckon with the Law of the King. At all times, he has to take into account the will of the Sovereign. He must live as a servant of the King.

Yet, this does not mean that the peasant is obligated to consciously focus his mind on the sovereign at all times. He is not required to bow day and night to the King. However, if and when the peasant gets an audience with the King, he behaves differently. Now he shows his reverence in a direct way. He bows. He follows the protocol of the court. If he is invited to eat at the King's Table, then he has unique fellowship with his King.¹

In the same way, we should maintain a distinction between ordinary service and direct worship of God. Worship is special. It is “bowing down” in mind and spirit before the Great King (see Psalm 95:1, 2, 6). It is confessing that God is, indeed, King over our entire lives. It is acknowledging that He is the owner of our lives. Sometimes you can hear the slogan, “all of life is worship.” This is inaccurate. If all of your life is indeed worship, then you are living in disobedience. Worship is the special, concentrated service of God.

This worship is only possible if we also know beyond any doubt that we are really the people of the King, His holy nation, His Royal Priesthood, the people of His pasture, the sheep of His hand (see Exodus 19:6; Revelation 1:6; 1 Peter 2:9).

Worship, then is a special meeting between the covenant Lord, the Great King, and His special people, Israel, the church. Because the King is holy, while the people are in themselves unholy, this meeting is only possible through the sacrifice of Christ. His worthy blood makes us able to come into the presence of God.

Corporate and Family Worship←⤒🔗

For the purpose of this discussion, we have no space to study in detail the need for corporate worship. The Bible gives us a vast array of instruction about the need for the people of the Lord to seek His face in congregational worship. There, we call upon His Name, we listen to the instruction of His Kingly voice and we praise His glorious Name in singing (see Psalm 84, Ps. 122, Hebrews 10:23-25; 12:22-24; etc.). This public worship has an official character. The Lord is directly represented in this worship by His office bearers, who speak in His Name.

God clearly does require corporate worship. However, does the Bible also demand personal and family worship? On the basis of both biblical example and biblical precept, the answer must be positive.

The service of God concerns the way we glorify Him in all of life, while the worship of God involves special, consecrated times in which we consciously bow our hearts and minds before our Maker.

The need for public worship may at this time be taken for granted. However, is there also a biblical mandate for personal or family worship of God? Our answer is “yes” and we offer the following as evidence.

Instruction in Worship←⤒🔗

In the first place, we notice that a major part of corporate worship is instruction. The Word of the King is to be declared and applied to the lives of His people. In Scripture, we see that instruction happens not only in corporate worship, but also in families.

For example, in Genesis 18:19, we read that God chose Abraham so that he might charge his children to keep the way of the LORD by doing righteousness and justice. It would be impossible for Abraham to fulfill his calling without instructing his children in the promise and obligation of the covenant.

In Exodus12:26, 27, the Lord lays on His people the sacred obligation to teach their children the meaning of the Passover (see also Exodus 13:8,14). In Deuteronomy 4:9, 10, the people of Israel are exhorted to keep alive in the minds of their children through the generations the memory of the stupendous events which took place at Mount Horeb. Deuteronomy 6:6, 7 states:

And these words which I command you this day shall be upon your heart; and you shall teach them diligently to your children.

A similar ordinance is found in Deuteronomy 11:19.

Many of the Psalms also speak about instruction in the family environment. It was through the family that God wished knowledge of His saving work to be preserved. Through family instruction, the people would remember the mighty deeds of God. See, for example, Psalm 78:1-8 and Psalm 145:4. On the other hand, if fathers and mothers did not do their job of instructing, the children would soon forget the ways and the laws of the LORD.

The Proverbs frequently demonstrate how parents are to be deeply involved in training their children. Through the faithful teaching of father and mother, children become wise. For an example, see Proverbs 6:20 ff.

Moving to the New Testament, we can point to Ephesians 6, verse 4, which requires especially fathers to bring up their children in the fear and discipline of the Lord. In addition, we may think of the example of Timothy. From childhood, Timothy was acquainted with the sacred writings which are able to instruct for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. Timothy grew up in a home which was saturated with the Word! (see 2 Timothy 1:5, 3:14, 15). His faith was born and nurtured in the home environment.

In summary, we can say that family worship follows naturally from the biblical mandate to teach God's Word in the home.

Bible Reading←⤒🔗

Family worship also follows from the many exhortations to read and meditate on God's Word in a regular way. For some texts on this point, see Psalm 1, Joshua 1:8 and Colossians 3:1 6. For example, the last passage exhorts us to let the Word dwell in us richly. Fulfilling this command is not possible without daily Bible reading. If we don't focus on the Word in a daily fashion, it won't dwell in us richly, but only superficially.

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Prayer←⤒🔗

Another important part of worship is prayer. Must families engage in prayer? Yes, for Scripture commands us to “pray constantly” (1 Thessalonians 5:17), that is, regularly. We are also called to “give thanks in all circumstances” (1 Thessalonians 5:18), for “this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” Consider also Philippians 4:6-8 where believers are instructed to “have no anxiety about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication let your requests be made known to God.” It is impossible to obey these Scriptural commands without regular family worship.

Singing←⤒🔗

Family worship ideally includes singing. Is there a biblical basis for this? Yes, for in Scripture, God's people are often heard singing. Think of the Lord and the twelve disciples singing hymns at the Last Supper (Matthew 26:30). Or, consider Paul and Silas praying and singing in the Philippian jail (Acts 16).

Then, too, there are explicit commands calling believers to engage in song. Colossians 3:16 states:

Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly, teach and admonish one another in all wisdom, and sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs.

Similarly, Ephesians 5:19 envisions believers as people who “make melody to the Lord with all their hearts.” This is said not in the context of public worship, but in the context of daily life! (compare v. 20).

The Importance of Family←⤒🔗

Family worship also follows from the nature of the family. The family is a very important institution in God's dealings with His people. The covenant of grace is established with believers and with their children. It is in the family that faith in the God of the covenant is nurtured and strengthened. It is in the family above all that children learn the meaning of obedience to the Lord.

As the Lord shows His grace to Christian families, He desires these families to respond to Him in worship, confessing their love for Him, listening to His Word and singing His praise. If things are well in a Christian home, personal or family worship will develop naturally! How could we fail to exercise communion with our Father in heaven?

Time for Family Worship←⤒🔗

We can begin by stating that there is no one perfect time for family or personal worship. Each family has its own agenda. Some families are not able to gather in the morning because father is long gone. Others find the evening difficult because children are gone to classes and various sports events, etc. It will be helpful for each individual or family to experiment in finding a suitable time frame. Some suggestions would be getting the whole family to rise 15 minutes earlier or having supper a half hour earlier than was the custom before. Other families would find a time slot other than meals more suitable, for example, 8:30 in the evening.

In any case, we should be aware that no time is easy! Satan does not like family worship and will use all sorts of devices in his efforts to disrupt it. Therefore, we have to discipline ourselves and our families to resist attacks on our appointed times.

If, despite a busy life, father and mother keep a regular time for family worship, this sends a clear message to the children about the supreme importance of this activity. On the other hand, if family worship is canceled for the slightest excuse, young people soon realize the real priorities of their parents.

If possible, we should strive for both morning and evening worship. In the Bible, we find Psalms for morning and evening. Also, both morning and evening sacrifices were brought in the temple. Furthermore, morning and evening worship harmonizes with the natural cycle of life. When we get up to work and when we finish our work for the day, we are particularly aware of our dependence on God, of our need for His blessing on our labour and on our sleep.

The key for success in family worship is planning. Just as we plan our meals, so we need to plan our spiritual worship of God. There should be a habit in our worship. If we continuously need to make a fresh decision to worship God in our homes, we will become unfaithful in a short time.

As far as the length of family worship is concerned, it is important to be realistic, especially in cases where younger children are present. In my opinion, a workable plan would be something like this:

• Morning: 5 minutes, including the reading of perhaps ten verses of N.T., or a few verses of the Proverbs or one of the Psalms, a time of prayer, thanking God for His providential care, asking for a blessing on the labours of the day, and a short Psalm.

• Evening: 15 minutes. Reading of a longer portion, a chapter or more of the OT, more extensive prayer, and singing of one or more Psalms.

Leadership in Family Worship←⤒🔗

Normally, the father will lead family worship. As the head of the household, ultimate responsibility is with him. In Scripture, it is above all the father who is called to teach and instruct his children.

Perhaps no single truth is more crucial to the ongoing life of the church in these days than to have fathers awaken to their spiritual responsibility of giving leadership to their families. In many cases, this leadership is completely lacking and the effects will most certainly appear in the children.

In the absence of a father, however, the same responsibilities come to rest on a mother. In Scripture, also mothers are described as having great impact on their children in family worship. See Proverbs 6:20-27; 2 Timothy1, 3 (Timothy's mom).

Also, it is perfectly fitting that from time to time a father or mother would delegate certain responsibilities to the children, such as reading of Scripture or offering prayer to God. However, the norm will be paternal leadership.

Having spoken about the time for worship and necessary leadership in worship, we continue by examining the various parts of family/personal worship in more detail.

The Bible Reading←⤒🔗

The first aspect we must deal with is the family Bible reading. It is hard to believe, but some families have no system at all. When they read the Bible, their choice is random. Such an approach to Scripture cannot be edifying and will only frustrate those who follow it. There must be a plan! From time to time, fathers should sit down in order to devise a yearly arrangement for the reading of Scripture.

On the other hand, the old method of reading through the whole Bible from Genesis to Revelation is probably not the best idea. Also in family worship, variety is the spice of life. Who would like their minister to spend two years in one book of the Old Testament? It is helpful to plan a refreshing alteration in the Bible reading.

In the mornings, the family could read through the Gospels. A small section would suffice. Or, they could choose to read through the Psalms and Proverbs, again limiting themselves to small sections. In the evenings, the family could read longer portions from the O.T history and prophets. For more variety, something different could be read on Saturdays, while on Sundays, it is an excellent idea to read the portion of Scripture which formed the text for the sermon.

It would be best to involve children in the Bible reading. Each child should have a Bible to maximize his or her understanding and to help discussion. The children can take turns with the parents in the reading of Scripture.

A suggestion would be to appoint one of the children to be a record keeper. The child's task would be to faithfully record the Bible readings for the day.

Another area of discussion is the use of Children's Story Bibles. It used to be that every self-respecting Christian home had a number of these teaching tools. Every day, mother would sit down with the preschoolers and even older children to acquaint their young minds with the mighty deeds of the Lord in history. For many children, that time was a holy hour in the rhythm of life. The benefits were enormous. The facts of the history of redemption were firmly planted in their minds.

It is important to make a good choice for a children's story Bible. You will desire one which refrains from fantasizing, but instead, sticks closely to the Biblical text. Also, some of the examples I've seen are offensive because of the always hippy-like representations of our God and Saviour, Jesus Christ. One, by Kenneth Taylor, even dares to include a picture of God on the first page! Parents may have to excise certain portions at their discretion.

Examples that can be recommended include Story Bible for Younger Children and the two volume Story Bible for Older Children, by Anne De Vries (published by Paideia Press, 1978). These volumes are still stocked by various Christian book and Bible stores. The Children's Story Bible, by Catherine F. Vos, is also a very workable volume, as is My Bible Story Book by Dena Korfker (Kregel). Older titles include The Bible History Told To Our Children, (three volumes by John Vreugdenhil and Bible, Our Guide (three parts) by Gesina Ingwersen. It would be good if a publisher could be found to make these books available again.

In many homes, of course, the Bible is, indeed, read in a regular fashion. In too many cases, however, this is done in a rather superficial manner. Of course, there will not always be opportunity for in depth discussion of the passage read. However, if not always, then at least regularly, we need reflection, discussion and application! Parents need to teach their children, to give them instruction.

If we turn to Deuteronomy 6, we find the famous “Shema”:

Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God is one LORD; and you love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.

These words comprise what the Lord Jesus called the first and great commandment.

Isn't it remarkable that after giving this great commandment Moses immediately goes on to speak about teaching the laws of God diligently to the children? In other words, if you really love God, one of the first things you will do is to make sure you diligently teach your children about the promises and laws of God. People who say they love God without teaching their children His Word are inconsistent to say the least! If you really love God, then you will desire also your children to love Him and worship Him with you! In order to bring this about, you will need to instruct and discuss.

Question and Answer Method←⤒🔗

The most important form of instruction is the Question and Answer method. This is the basic educational method of all ages. We also find much evidence of it in Scripture. The Bible envisions a healthy covenantal life in which there is openness between parents and children. This kind of atmosphere leads to lively discussion. Children do not unthinkingly participate in family worship, but instead ask many questions.

If we turn to Deuteronomy 6:20-25, we find an example of what we might call “family discussion of the Bible” (read it). In verse 20, a child asks about the meaning of the laws of the LORD. We can easily imagine the situation. Children often ask, “Why do we have to do this?” The question asked in verse 20 is not cynical and rebellious, however, but has a positive tone.

Notice that this child speaks about the “LORD, our God!” The child identifies with the faith of the parents. At the same time, the questioner also shows distance when he speaks about the commandments which “the LORD our God has commanded you!” We notice here a child growing to maturity, trying to find his place within the covenant community. In typical teenage fashion, the child both distances himself and joins himself to the family and the family's faith.

In verses 21 and following, we hear the answer given by the believing parent to the probing child. The parent first points to the previous sin and misery of Israel when they lived in slavery in Egypt. Then, in verses 22 and 23, the parent tells about Israel's deliverance:

The LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand; and the LORD showed signs and wonders, great and grievous, against Egypt and against Pharaoh and all his household, before our eyes; and He brought us out from there, that He might bring us in and give us the land which He swore to give to our fathers.

And finally, in verses 24 and 25, we hear the Israelite parent explaining the place of God's law as a Rule for Gratitude, given by God for the good of His people.

Parental instruction, then, must be broad, as broad as the Scriptures, as broad as the confessions (compare the structure of the Heidelberg Catechism: Sin, Salvation, Service). As children grow up, the rules of Christian life increasingly need to be set in the framework of God's saving grace. Otherwise, the young people will come to understand Christian life as a barren legalism.

We may also notice texts such as Exodus 12:26, 27 and Exodus 13:8, 14. These pertain to the celebration of the Passover. Again, there is to be no unthinking participation in the rituals of worship. Children may and should ask questions. They want to know about the meaning of different elements of Israel's worship. “Dad, why do we do it like this? Why do we have to kill a lamb and paint its blood on our doorpost?” Or: “what does this have to do with us?” We can imagine similar questions about baptism, Lord's Supper, confession of faith, Sunday observance and Christian feast days.

In their questions, children show that they have no love for empty ritual. They want to see the relevance of what is being read in the Bible to their lives. This is the beautiful opportunity of family worship. We can show our children that the LORD is, indeed, our God, that He saves us from our own sin and misery. The family instruction is very personal. We tell the young people about God's great deeds for them! In this way, the reality of God is impressed on them.

As parents, people need to take the time to answer children's questions. God gave children an inquisitive mind. This is how they learn. However, if they constantly meet parents who have no time to answer or research questions, they will stop asking.

It can also happen that children stop asking questions because they are preoccupied with other matters, or because they have grown lazy. In that case, father and mother need to become the questioners. With questions, you stimulate the children to become active listeners.

Different types of questions are needed for different age groups. For little ones, we restrict ourselves to questions off fact. We ask them, for example, “What happened when the Lord Jesus came to John the Baptist?” Or we ask: “who did …?” or: “who said …?” Such questions are designed to train young minds to listen to the words being read. Of course, parents need not wait with their questions until the end of the passage but may intersperse reading with questions.

For an older group, we move on to questions of interpretation. An example: “What does it mean that the Lord Jesus was baptized by John, even though He was without sin?” And lastly, with growing maturity in the children, we proceed to questions of application. Here instruction again becomes personal, for now the concern is: what does this passage say to you? What does the Lord require of you in this passage? What does He ask you to believe?

Repetition←⤒🔗

Repetition is another tool to be utilized in family worship. Moses says that we must teach our children diligently (Deuteronomy 6:7). Another way to translate this is: we must repeat these things over and over to our children. Don't teachers often say that “Repetition is the mother of learning?” Therefore, it is a good idea to review the reading and discussion of the previous evening. After all, the point of family instruction is that the children can remember the great deeds of the LORD. Why not use Friday or Saturday to quiz the young people on all the readings of the week gone by?

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Memorization←⤒🔗

Memorization has fallen out of style for many educators. However, memorizing of Scripture has only been rarely practiced within Reformed circles. We have our children memorize the Catechism and the rhymed Psalms in grade school, but not passages of Scripture. This failure is to be deplored! Every family could and should implement a Scripture memory program. For example, Dad could assign a couple of verses per week from Proverbs. Another example: memorize a central verse or two from the text of Sunday's sermon or verses from the book of the Bible presently being read by the family.

Memorization was practiced by the Jews for centuries (see Proverbs 22:17, 18) and is still pursued by thousands of Christians. Having Scripture verses on the tip of your tongue can be a powerful force against sin and a tremendous antidote to doubt, not to mention a sharp sword in bearing witness!

To involve the children, have one of them write out the memory verse(s) for each week on a card and hang it on the refrigerator. These cards can be kept for future reviews!

Use of the Confessions←⤒🔗

The historic creeds and confessions of the Church are well-suited for use in family worship. As a starting point, parents can keep themselves informed about what the children have to study for Catechism. Discussion of the Bible readings can be related to the relevant Lord's Day of the Catechism. Children can be asked to explain certain words on the basis of their Catechism study. Also, the time of family worship can be used to test the children's memory work.

For a weekend variation in Bible reading, it will be helpful and enjoyable to go through one of the confessions. Sadly, however, many people pay no attention to the confessions after their Catechism years and are therefore actually quite ignorant of the contents of these documents.

What strength we would regain if families would undertake reading and discussion of the Belgic Confession (and not only the articles about the doctrine of the church)! How great it would be, for example, if also the content of Articles 12, 23, 24 and, most lovely of all, Article 26, was written on the hearts of all church members.

The preceding remarks may strike some as idealistic, others as intimidating. Can a family really have this kind of discussion and application of a Bible reading? The answer is that many families already do experience this kind of worship life and that others can receive the same if they are willing to work at it.

Ordinary fathers and mothers are fully able to lead their families in worship. Certainly this may involve some preparation. However, this preparation need not involve vast amounts of time. Suppose a father leaves for work before the rest of the family rises. In his personal Bible reading during the morning, he could stay ahead of the family by reading the passage for the evening devotions. Through the course of the day, he can think about the passage and so prepare himself for family worship in the evening.

Those who lead family worship may also avail themselves of study helps. Every Christian family should make Christian books and study guides a budget priority. Let's imagine that father is about to lead the family in the reading of Leviticus. How perplexing this book will be if Dad hasn't done some study beforehand! How blessed that family will be if he has taken the time to read through Leviticus and perhaps consulted the remarks of Van der Waal in Search the Scriptures.

Obviously, devotional books can also help family worship. Mercies New Every Morning, Lasting Food, and Daylight are examples of volumes which can be used with profit. However, families should not get addicted to these. Nothing can take the place of your own personal study of the Word. In almost every case, a few short remarks and questions by father or mother will have far more impact than reading a paragraph from a book.

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Prayer in Family Worship←⤒🔗

In a growing number of families, there is a lack of regular prayer life. Even around the dinner table, spiritual sloppiness and unfaithfulness prevent daily prayer. In not a few cases, fathers do not know their responsibility in this matter. Therefore, elders will have to teach and encourage especially the men to pray with their families.

If people are not yet able to formulate their words so as to lead the family in prayer, it is possible to use the Form Prayers, #7, 8, 11, 12 as contained in the Book of Praise. There is no shame in this. It may even be necessary for those who are uncertain to write out a variety of prayers for the different situations of family worship. John Calvin once wrote a little pamphlet entitled “Several Godly Prayers,” which even included one entitled “Preparation for Going to School.”²

Family prayer should reflect not only the immediate concerns of the family, but also the broader reaches of the church and world. Matters for regular prayer include: church members who may be sick, lonely, grieving or wayward; office bearers in their work; the church's witness in world (mission, evangelism); enemies of the church (false religions, cults and persecutors); neighbours; teachers, schools; needs of nation; government; world crises; famine, war, and natural disasters; moral issues; abortion, pornography, immorality; the individual needs of the members of the family (children, wife, father), asking for help in their work and their particular situations; broader family; grandparents etc.; return of the Lord; confession of sins; particular reasons for gratitude.

Obviously, it will be asking too much to bring all these needs before the Lord in each and every prayer. Some prayers will be short, others longer. To prevent our prayers from becoming too lengthy and repetitious, it would be a good idea for a father or mother or individual to make a prayer agenda. Simply making a list of the things for which the family must pray and divide it into the days of the week (if you have a very good memory you need not do this) and keeping this list inside the Bible will ensure that all the necessary matters are brought before the Lord.

Singing in Family Worship←⤒🔗

Singing not only gives glory to God, but has the power to refresh and strengthen us in our commitment to God. Singing is a part of family worship which especially small children love and we should not hesitate to delight them with many selections. Today, we can notice that many teenaged young people are ashamed to sing. Maybe this is because they view the singing of Psalms and hymns as a purely “churchy” experience. If singing was an integrated part of family life, they might come to enjoy it more and not feel too self-conscious about it.

In the past, it was not uncommon for family and friends to hold what amounted to private “Psalmody Festivals.” For an hour or more, people would gather around a piano or organ or without accompaniment in order to extol God and His mighty works. Many of us still have fond memories of such holy hours. It may well be asked: where have they gone? Have we lost interest in praising the Almighty? Has the simplicity of the praising soul actually become embarrassing to many?

God calls His people to sing. We should use every opportunity to teach our children the Psalms and Hymns of the Church.

Also parents can use the practice! Congregational singing will be enriched if people are also singing at home. If nobody can hold a tune, the piano can be used or else one of the children may be able to accompany on the recorder!

Recently, I heard a remark that we need a Christian school because some of the children don't know the Psalms very well! This is absurd. Christian schools are not needed in order to teach children the Psalms. This task belongs, instead, to the home and church.

Those who practice regular personal or family worship as described in previous articles will experience a deepening integration of faith and life. The reality of God will become much more concrete in their minds and hearts and in the lives of our children. They will not contribute to the “Sunday Christian” problem.

One writer calls family prayer, Bible reading and singing the “power stations” of the Christian family.³ Through the special times of worship, people are refreshed and encouraged in faith. They grow in love and in hope.

Today, there are many forces attacking families, so many, indeed, that Christians, too, sometimes become afraid. The evil one, however, is afraid when he sees a praying, worshiping family. Such a family grows together instead of apart. “The family that prays together stays together” is a nice saying for a wall plaque and it is true! A certain contentment settles into homes when God is regularly worshipped. It becomes impossible to maintain bitterness and anger when we pray, sing and read the Word together.

Further, individuals and families who continue steadfastly in prayer, will notice the powerful answers of God. The Lord hears the cries of those who come to Him in faith in their personal or family worship. He will mercifully fulfill His promises in the lives of those who claim those promises in faith.

Family worship will also lead to a more meaningful experience of public worship. When we go to church as people who live close to God in daily life, it will be impossible to be bored and un-involved in public worship. The public worship service will then be experienced as a richer form of the regular household worship. In addition, in family worship, we consciously prepare ourselves for worship and pray that the minister of the Word might receive what he needs to preach truthfully and boldly.

Enemies of Family Worship←⤒🔗

There are many potential obstacles and disruptions to family worship. For example, television is often an intruder in our homes. People waste incalculable numbers of hours in front of the tube. Often, these are the same people who say they have no time for devotions!

It is clear, furthermore, that the spiritual tone of most T.V. programs jars blatantly with the spirit of family worship. If you try to move from a 5:00 comedy straight into supper and family worship, you will experience a lot of frustration. Or, if somebody is anxiously awaiting the end of supper in order to get back to the football or hockey game, the Lord will soon be defrauded of His rightful worship. We need to jealously guard the spiritual atmosphere of our homes, so that all of life is in God's service. If we are not striving to serve the Lord in work and leisure, making His Word sovereign in those parts of life, too, then our family worship will be a sham. The joyful worship of God at special times must be joined to the hearty service of God during the rest of life.

Telephones, too, are great machines, but very rude at times. It is a very simple matter to unplug them during family worship! Or else, people could create a special family worship response for the answering machine. The message would say: “We are sorry, we are presently engaged in dialogue with Somebody Else. If you call back in 1/2 an hour, we will be glad to speak with you.”

Babies also can form a threat to family worship! Yes, these lovely creatures of God have the power to totally disrupt family worship. For this reason, if they can't be made quiet, they should be put to bed or into another room for the duration of family worship. Of course, if there is proper discipline in the family, even a 1 1/2-year-old child can be trained to sit quietly for this time. If there are occasional lapses, the toddler will have to be warned and if continuing in his disruptive ways, removed from the room.

Now I will make a statement that sounds, no doubt, irreverent. Christian schools can also be an enemy of family worship. Why? Because parents assume that all necessary instruction in faith and knowledge of the Word is taking place at school.

If people have their children in a school with a good Bible program, they should be thankful. However, there is the danger that this situation will make them lazy! However, instead of abandoning home discussion of the Bible, families can use the school materials as a focus in family worship. For example, older children can be asked to explain certain parts of Scripture on the basis of what they learn at school. Or, if a child is studying the Minor Prophets, why not read through them during family worship?

Even if the Christian school used by your children has an excellent instruction program in Bible, this is no substitute for family worship. Nothing can shape a child so powerfully as the life of the home. And nothing can take away the mandate of Scripture calling parents to instruct their children in the fear of the Lord! Some responsibilities in life we cannot delegate.

It might even be said that a Bible program in a Christian school is not a top priority! Surely each day in the Christian school should begin with devotions and God should be regularly called upon, but a comprehensive Bible program per se is not necessary. Such education easily could and likely should be accomplished largely by parents in partnership with the pulpit. Far more important for the school is to bring a Christian perspective to bear on the other fields of learning.

Perhaps the greatest threat to family worship is the lack of integrity on the part of those who lead it. Children are very adept in reading the hearts of their parents. If there is hypocrisy, the kids will soon understand. Therefore, it is so crucial that parents not only lead in family worship, but also show a good example of committed Christian living. If we go back to Deuteronomy 6, we find that just before the verse where parents are instructed to “diligently teach” their children, they receive this instruction:

And these words which I command you this day shall be upon your heart.

Thus, in order for family worship to have the desired effect, those who are parents must really live out of the Word. If there is no committed Christian living, then family worship is guaranteed to produce a lot of little hypocrites who know the forms of godliness but are ignorant of its power. Better a family which although it is weak in family worship, yet strives to obey the Lord in all of life, than a family which has the right forms of worship but lacks obedience in daily life.

Summary←⤒🔗

A healthy Christian life will contain a balanced rhythm of service and worship of God. The Lord desires His people to set aside their daily service at regular intervals in order to bow their hearts and minds before Him, seeking His face in a special manner. He asks that His people do this in public worship, but also in daily personal or family worship. People who are faithful in corporate and family worship will experience true joy in God and real growth in faith and godliness. Their times of worship will be genuine “power stations” of the Holy Spirit. Through worship, God is glorified and His people are recharged for the ongoing challenges of the Christian life.

O come, let us worship and bow down, let us kneel before the LORD, our Maker! For He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand.Psalm 95:6-7