Are you from the "get the little rats out as soon as possible" school of thought? Perhaps in the "token gesture brief kids talk" group before shipping them off? Maybe even on the "keep 'em in the main gathering as long as you keep 'em quiet" side?What to do with the ankle biters...
I'm not necessarily advocating any one of these three options;
1. Sunday School (or "kids church" as we call it)2. Brief kids talk in main gathering, then Sunday School3. Remaining in the main gathering
Each of the three have their benefits and challenges. However, a throwaway comment from Peter Kemp yesterday preaching on Ephesians 6:1-4 got me thinking.
Here's the passage;
1Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2"Honor your father and mother"—which is the first commandment with a promise— 3"that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth." 4Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.
Here's Peter's comment;
My main focus today will be on verse four as the children have left us. However, it is interesting to note that the children would be present as the letter was read because Paul addresses them directly.
Food for thought.
Also just a side comment, but do you think that the fact that Paul addresses the children directly implies that they'd necessarily be present at the regular gathering?
ReplyDeleteI dare say that they may have been, but I can't see how the direct address in the letter implies it.
You're right. My argument isn't completely water-tight. But to me it seems there is an assumption of the children being present as the letter is read. It would be interesting to see if groups addressed directly in other places are assumed to be present at the reading of the letter.
ReplyDeleteAgain, you would say this even if they were there it wouldn't mean Sunday isn't a wise option. Ephesians is perhaps being descriptive rather than prescriptive at this point.
I wasn't trying to be picky, really, I just think that this kind of observation isn't where we ought to get our theology of church from.
ReplyDeleteHere, here. It's a real problem which Philip Jensen highlighted at MYC with 1 Cor 12-14. We go to the wrong places to find out what church should be like. Rather than going to writings such as 1 Timothy which is written to the household of God so they'll know what to do.
ReplyDelete