BOOK SUMMARY: SING! HOW WORSHIP TRANFORMS YOUR LIFE, FAMILY, AND CHURCH - CHAPTER 5 - SING!...WITH YOUR FAMILY

See Deuteronomy 6:5-7. Loving God with our entire being means having His Word on our hearts and talking about God all throughout the day with our family.  Songs can help accomplish this.

In the days of the Puritans a man would be excluded from communion if he didn't lead his family in worship at home. Not that we should revive this approach, but this shows how serious they took family worship.  

Here are some ideas to help at home where children are still present.

SINGING AND SKIING

Parents in ancient Israel were charged with helping their kids learn their culture and God's Word. The use of songs was helpful in this (Psalm 78:2-4). As Christian parents we have the same responsibility. 

"Songs are a special kind of speech. Lullabies, songs and rhymes of every culture carry the 'signature' melodies and inflections of a mother tongue, preparing a child's ear, voice and brain for language." -- Sally Goddard Blythe

Learning skiing as an adult can be hard. But some children learn it at such a young age that they can't remember a time when they didn't know how to ski. Parents have the opportunity to use music this way with our children from the moment of birth.  Sooner or later, they'll learn to sing unprompted by you. 

MEMORABLE UNDERSTANDING

Songs help us train children in the language of the Christian faith. We have a duty to pass on the Christian faith. See Exodus 12:26-27.  This Scripture shows us that our faith must be active enough for our children to ask questions. And it shows us we need to be prepared to give answers. Singing the gospel prepares little hearts to ask questions and receive answers. We don't need to sing well to accomplish this.

WHAT SHOULD CHILDREN SING?

Sing what YOU like and enjoy singing!  They should be songs that are good for your spiritual well-being.  We should also give children a little more than they can understand so that they can grow with the songs they sing. Be discerning. Not all catchy tunes and lyrics are helpful. 

BUT MY KIDS ARE TEENAGERS...

What do we do if our kids are older and we didn't start our family life like this?  

(1).    Tell and show your teens why this is important.  Be part of a church that practices great congregational singing. 

(2).    Make it fun and attractive as possible. Find contemporary versions of songs that appeal to a teenager's ear.

(3).    Get started! Start playing songs in your home. Let them see you singing.

(4).    Don't be scared of your kids. You have the right and responsibility to parent them.

It's been observed that when fathers don't sing in church, it often leads to older kids following suit. 

THE SOUND OF HOME IN CHURCH

This "at home" worship should be brought into the church on Sunday. It prepares us for our eternal family and home. Some of the children in our care will be the leaders of congregational singing in the future. We can transform the church in a single generation. 

THE PRACTICAL IDEAS

(1).    Use All The Help And Opportunities You Can Get - Sing to yourself at home. Stream songs from Sunday's worship service. If your kids are learning to play instruments, get sheet music for spiritual songs. Ask your kids what worship songs they enjoy. 

(2).    Teach Your Kids Songs You Want Them To Grow Old With - Make a list then play these songs around the house and in the car. 

(3).    Talk about What You're Doing And What The Songs Mean - Take time to explain why you sing to God and for the benefit of others. 

(4).    Prepare For Sunday Services - Help your kids learn your church's song so that they can be ready on Sundays to sing.  

(5).    Model Passionate Participation In The Services - Get to church on time so you don't miss any singing. Sing! Your kids and others are watching. Kids need to see other kids and parents singing so they know it's not a childish thing to do but a Christian and godly thing to do. 

(6).    Be Aware Of All The Music Your Kids Are Into - All music affects us. There are no neutral lyrics. All songs share a message about how one views the world. It's not that we ban everything not explicitly gospel oriented, but we want to equip our kids to be discerning and thoughtful about what is sung.

(7).    If Your Kids Are Into Music... - Encourage them. If they have a gift help them to use it for the benefit of God's people. 

(8).    If Your Church Has A Children's Choir, Support It If You Can - They will learn to be lifelong singers.

(9).    Cultivate High Opinions Of All Types Of Art - Some of the issue in church music today are not that a certain style isn't quite right, but rather that we are often to narrow and maybe too boring in our expression. Teach your kids to be lifelong students of discovery in this gift of music God has given us. 

(10).    Sing Today - Start now. 

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

(1).    If you grew up in a Christian home, what songs do you remember most?  What songs do you want to pass down to your children?

(2).    If you are a parent or grandparent, how do you feel about singing to and with your children or grandchildren? Can you think of ways to make it easy, fun and a natural part of family life?

(3).    What parts of church do children and teenagers currently enjoy? What can we do to make singing in church more engaging and enjoyable for children and teenagers?

(4).    What is holding your family back today from more singing in the home?