Maybe somebody out there has a really easy time getting through the morning insanity of church prep, then their kids sit so nicely and quietly during the service (hands folded, obviously) and afterwards the kids have these insightful conversations about all they learned.
That is not my life. Yet. I’m still hoping.
But we keep going. We practice what we want to become. Some weeks I think we’re almost there and some weeks I nearly cry on the way home with how desperate I am to be able to be fully present during a service and how frustrating it is when that can’t happen. If you’re there too, just know we’re in it together.
Here’s my radio interview about why we’re so committed to being in church every week and how we make it work. I’d love to hear your thoughts about making it through Sunday mornings with your sanity intact. Your survival tips are always appreciated.
Here are some additional thoughts on kids and church:
I Let My Kids Play Tag in the Church Aisles: “I think of the formality of the Old Testament temple– the rules, the harsh consequences for disobedience, the separation from God outside of that temple experience. And I think of how God now makes his dwelling with us. I think of Jesus welcoming the children. I think of the little people I am raising and how I want them to know their worship matters. I think of the children in the congregation who may feel their contributions are more welcomed because they see someone like them up front. I think of the adults like me who sometimes need a reminder that unless we become like little children– helpless, curious, trusting– we won’t enter the kingdom of heaven. Maybe having her peacefully present with me is a blessing even if in some ways it feels humbling to me.”
40 Things I Say at Church Every Week: “During the greeting time, it is not polite to growl at people.”
I Go to a Church Where I Don’t Agree With Everything: “As a church, we are meant to represent the Body of Christ, but too often we self-segregate into clumps of The Body that make us feel the most comfortable. We’ve got hands hanging out in this denomination, eyes over here, and a bunch of feet at that church on the corner. It’s just easier that way, isn’t it? If we only go to church with people who fully agree with us on each point and sub point of our denominational creeds, we create a really pleasant echo chamber. But I don’t think that’s how we were intended to be.”
A Human Chain of Beachgoers and The Church: “The response was overwhelming. I got email after email of people willing to help, to the point that we may need to have a waiting list to serve in our nursery. A WAITING LIST. This is a body of people I have watched again and again link arms to rescue the drowning. The mom working to get her kids back. The addict in recovery. The ones struggling with marriage issues or parenting issues. The family in financial trouble. Those struggling through job loss or homelessness. Me.”
Worship in the Mess: “Maybe it’s hard to find the worshipful moments during the music time at church. That’s okay. God was there when you and your kids were singing His praises in the car on the way to the grocery store. Maybe it’s hard to catch up on your plan to read through the Bible in a year when you’ve gotten a few weeks behind. That’s okay. When you cried while reading to your kids from The Jesus Storybook Bible, God saw your tenderness towards His Word. Maybe it’s hard to string together five quiet minutes in a row to pray without leaving your kids unsafely unsupervised (or let’s be real– without falling asleep). That’s okay. God has heard you cry out to Him during your most frustrated mama moments and He heard you teaching your toddler to thank Him for her food.”