Monday, March 29, 2010

Children Deserve Church

"When Moses finished reciting all these words to all Israel, he said to them, 'Take to heart all the words I have solemnly declared to you this day so that you may command your children to obey carefully all the words of this law. They are not just idle words for you -- they are your life. By them you will live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to possess.'" -- Deuteronomy 32:45-47

The woman was almost apologetic. Her oldest daughter, aged 12, wanted to go to church. She and her husband needed to take their three children to church. She told me so. But somehow she was having trouble crossing over from that "should" to actually "doing."

She spoke of her own childhood spent attending church. Funny, she never mentioned any good memories. She didn't talk about Sunday school or vacation bible school. She didn't express a love for Jesus. She talked about having to dress up on Sunday. She spoke of sitting still in church.

Wow, I thought. No wonder she dreads the idea of taking her children to church. She would have to get three children up, feed them and make sure they're dressed appropriately. Then once they were actually at church, she'd have to stress over making sure they were quiet. I'm exhausted just thinking about it.

Except...when we raise our children to know and love the Lord, they carry that with them their entire lives. And that doesn't even touch on their Salvation. How can any mother who is a Christian not do everything in her power to make sure her children also are headed to heaven and not to hell? And how can she not make certain that they, too, have accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior?

The short answer is that she's probably not really a Christian. Oh, I've no doubt she thinks she is. But thinking and believing aren't really the same thing. She's an adult and she's welcome to her own choices. I even understand her choice. Children who never experience the love of Jesus and the joy that comes from worshipping God, don't grow into adults who actively seek the Lord. That's simply how it is. It's just that now her child wants to attend church and, because of her own experiences, she won't allow her daughter to do so. It kind of reminds me of myself when I was a child.

How are children supposed to know Jesus if we don't teach them? How are they going to know the Ten Commandments and God's other moral laws if we don't tell them? How will they ever understand how much Jesus loves them if we don't show them? We can't expect others to do it for us.

I did invite her to my church. I attend a contemporary service. They offer coffee, juice and donuts before the service begins. Jeans are welcome attire. And kids don't have to be quiet. In fact, everyone is encouraged to participate. She said all the right words but when Sunday came she didn't show. Sadly, I wasn't surprised.