Church Time vs. Family Time
This article by Al Mohler is an interesting read. It hits on thought-provoking topics such as the over programmed lives of children today, the priority of the church, and the danger of over-segregating the church based on age.
Reading the article made me grateful for the many families in our body who make church involvement a priority and truly enjoy being together as they worship our great God. The joy of being with the body and functioning according to God’s design is effective in extinguishing any regret we might feel in missing out on the many other activities that vie for our time. The gospel of Jesus Christ reorients our priorities as it opens our eyes to what is truly of value- knowing and enjoying God.
Below is an excerpt from the conclusion of Mohler’s article.
When “church time” is seen as a competitor to “family time,” something is wrong at church. When family members hardly see each other at church activities, the congregation needs to take a quick inventory of its concept of ministry.
At the same time, when Christian parents take their kids to Little League games rather than worship on the Lord’s Day, these parents teach their children that team sports are more important than the worship of God.
Every kid has a “thing” going on virtually all the time. That is the condition of life today, it seems. But when that “thing” keeps the child — or the whole family — away from church, we need to name that thing what it is . . . at best a snare, at worst an idol.