Teaching children a healthy view of worship!

As we dive into the subject of Worshipping with children, it is important that we establish what we mean when we are talking about worship.  Below are some examples of how Kathleen Chapman, author of Teaching Kids Authentic Worship, describes what worship is and isn't.

What is Worship?

1. Worship is focusing on Almighty God and Him alone.  It’s the act of assigning to God his true worth.
2. Worship is one-directional.  Worship is focusing on God and giving all glory to him only, alone, singularly, totally – just Him.  Worship is all about focusing on God. Period
3. Worship takes practice and discipline; it needs to be explained, demonstrated, and taught.

What isn't Worship?

1. Worship is not about us.
2. Worship is not a refueling station.
3. Worship is not a one stop shop for all your spiritual needs.

I have heard it said that in modern times we worship our work, we work at our play, and that we play at our worship.  The truth of the matter is we should be willing to work at our worship and many of the things that keep us from worshipping on Sunday morning don't actually take place on Sunday!  As a follower of Christ we are called to worship.  As parents we are called to impress upon our children what worship is and what it looks like.  Deuteronomy 6:4-9 first highlights a person's responsibility to keep God at the center of their own life and then enlists parents to impress and teach God's commandments to their children.  Parents engage and devote themselves to authentic worship, kids see their parent's engaging in worship and learn that worship is real and pleasing to God and worth the work.  Children need to have opportunities to see their parents engage in worship and be allowed to practice along side them.  Children aren't learning how to worship, but rather they are learning whom to worship.  When children practice worshipping God they are training for eternity.

In Phillipians 1:21, Paul writes, “To live is Christ and to die is gain.”  We must ask ourselves, are we raising our American children to seek a life outside of these two choices?  Is the life that we are living teaching our children to find value in the things of this world?  Are we filling our children’s time with things of this world that are considered ash and dust in light of eternity?  In light of God’s greater purpose there is only one need that is essential for eternity and that is Christ.  Parenting in light of God’s greater purpose is preparing our children to be willing to give up their life to follow Christ.