Trinity 21

A Lively Home

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ Jesus,

A friend recently shared the following blurb their church was putting in every pew:

TO THE PARENTS OF YOUNG CHILDREN...We give thanks to God that you are here

with us. And we know there’s going to be wiggles and crying, and even a temper

tantrum or two. Please feel at ease. These are the sounds of a church which is growing!

It would be a sad day if they were gone. If you feel the need to leave, please know that

there’s a nursery at the back left of the sanctuary for you. We encourage you to come

back in when you can though, because there are so many benefits for your children

here. They learn the music of the service. Virtually all of it is verbatim quotes from the

word of God. If you join us often you’ll hear them singing that word of God throughout

the week. Is there anything better than that? We encourage you to pray with them,

explain the service to them, and sit where they can see what’s going on. It’s pretty

boring to look at the backs of heads for an hour! Again we want to say thank you for

being with us. We’re glad you’re here!

Don’t these words just confess and convey love for thy neighbor?

First, the congregation recognizes that children will have ups and downs, just as all

families have ups and downs. No Sunday will be the same!

But then they say, “These are the sounds of a church which is growing! It would be a

sad day if they were gone.”

What a truthful statement to be made.

The sound of children is the precious sound of a congregation growing, not only in

numbers, but as a family of God. And because it’s a family, there is a recognition we are

all in this together. Good Shepherd is our home. 

Of course, there are times when this home will be more lively than others, and the

children have to leave the service momentarily, but it should be our greatest desire for

parents to have the little ones in the service as much as possible, as the liturgy is one of

the greatest teachers of the faith.

As the above text for parents mentions, virtually all of the liturgy is directly quoted from

scripture. In the hymnal, look to the right of anything we speak or sing on any given

Sunday, and you’ll see the scriptural reference. And I can promise you, children are

learning the liturgy, even when we assume they aren’t. Their ears are always listening to

what is happening around them, and as a father, it brings me so much joy to hear even

the youngest of my family singing this Word of God throughout the week. It warms my

heart because God is using all of you to teach this faith to the littlest among us.

This reminds us again that we are a family, striving to support one another, grow with

one another, and, most of all, love one another.

And we learn to do this best when we are together.

Your brother in Christ,

Pastor Rogness