Some years ago, I read The Gagging of God where D.A. Carson makes the point that if your church members are embarrassed to bring people to your gatherings for reasons other than the scandal of the cross, it is the pastor’s fault. I am a pastor myself and have wrestled with Carson’s statement ever since; the challenge of proclaiming the gospel with winsome clarity is no easy task. The same principle is true in regards to the spiritual formation of our children – that is, the balance of faithfulness to the text, yet all the while doing our part to make the gospel come alive.
Here is an article by Jerry Owen that gives some advice (warning?) for those considering family worship; there are definitely issues to be thought through. I think Owen’s points should also be worked through carefully by family integrated worship folks as well. One statement in particular forces me to pause: “There is a reason kids loved to be around Jesus, and it wasn’t because he was lecturing at length about the Torah or the Five Points of Calvinism (not that we indoctrinate our kids with the latter, but might have failed to bring them joy and delight in their pursuit after Christ).”
HT: Justin Taylor
