The Necessity of Family Worship in the Home

There is a famine roaring through the land, there is a pandemic with eternal consequences that has infected the entire western world. Society was once directly and intentionally based on Christian principles, the church and the scriptures she taught were given respect even by the general populace; and the world was the better for it. Now, in place of Christian principles secular pluralism and evolutionary naturalism have become the foundational truths influencing the thoughts and actions of the west. Christian truth has been starved out of society. This famine claims not just people’s bodies but their souls.

If this famine was limited just to “the world” then I suppose we could talk about it in a certain way, a strategic way of how do we bring the biblically rich, gospel truths to the world that they may find salvation in Christ. But alas, the famine has struck much closer to home. This famine has robbed the church herself of the precious truths “once handed down to the saints”[1] and conceal the precious doctrines upon which the gospel and the biblical worldview are built on.

Just consider the results of The State of Theology Survey put out by Ligonier and LifeWay ministries. Every two years they “take the theological temperature” of the evangelical church. According to this survey, here are what many who claim to be evangelical Christians believe:

-42% of evangelicals believe that “God accepts the worship of all religions, including Christianity, Judaism, and Islam.” Additionally, 9% answered with “unsure.”
-65% of evangelicals believe that “Jesus is the first and greatest being created by God.” Additionally, 6% were unsure.
-30% of evangelicals believe that “Jesus was a great teacher, but He was not God.”
-46% of evangelicals believe that “The Holy Spirit is a force but is not a personal being.” 10% were not sure.
-46% of evangelicals believe that “everyone sins a little, but most people are good by nature.”
-39% of evangelicals believe “God will always reward true faith with material blessings in this life.”
-39% of evangelicals believe that “worshipping alone or with one’s family is a valid replacement for regularly attending church.”[2]
-26% of evangelicals believe that “churches must provide entertaining worship services if they want to be effective.”
-43% of evangelicals disagreed with the statement “even the smallest sin deserve eternal damnation.” [3]

The results of the survey go on. When I read the survey answers I get a deep sense that something is not well, not just in the world but in the pew. A large portion of “evangelical Christians” are ignorant of essential gospel truths and embrace heretical beliefs. No wonder society has lost the influence of Christian principles when even the Christians don’t know them anymore!

It’s time that we return to the Great commission itself and rediscover anew a passion to “go into all the world and make disciples.” But in so doing we cannot ignore the third part of Jesus’ Great Commission: “teaching them to observe all hat I have commanded you.”[4] This is the model that we see played out in the rest of the New Testament as well. The Apostle Paul himself was intent on delivering the whole truth and nothing but the truth to his audience as we see in his farewell address to the Ephesian elders, “I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of the word of God.”[5]

There is a truth famine and a spiritual pandemic in the world right now, the consequences of which bear eternal ramifications. What is the solution to this? I believe we need a reformation of the church. Anyone who disagrees with that claim has a lot of explaining to do about the results of that survey. We clearly need a reformation of how the church does ministry, how “success” is measured, and what constitutes true preaching and meaningful discipleship. But the thing that I believe to be in most need of a reformation is the Christian family. If there is ever to be a positive reformation of the church or a reclaiming of biblical influence in general society, then it will only come through the reforming of the Christian family which must include a rediscovery of the practice of family worship and catechesis.

The famous puritan author and pastor, Richard Baxter, addressed this same issue in his day and had much to say: “Get masters of families to do their duty… You are not like to see any general reformation till you procure family reformation. Some little religion there may be, here and there; but while it is confined to single persons, and it not promoted in families, it will not prosper, nor promise much future increase.”[6]

A more contemporary author who has written extensively on church leadership and biblical eldership, Alexander Strauch, he remarks similarly on our modern age: “The most important educational institution is not the pulpit or the school, important as these institutions are; but it is the Christian family. And that institution has to a very large extent ceased to do its work.”[7] Speaking in no vague terms, John Calvin stated “believe me… the church of God will never be preserved without catechesis.”[8]

Each of these three pastors held very high views of the church, ministry, and the preaching of the world. Yet, when writing about the essentiality of these things they felt the need to pause and emphasize the need for the Christian family to function as a Christian family. Something that no church ministry or preaching can ever be an adequate substitute for is a functional Christian family.

What does it mean to be a Christian family? If I were a gambling man I would wager that the majority of evangelical Christian’s families bear no observable difference from that of secular or non-Christian families. This is not right. While a secular family may have a more subjective definition, a Christian family is defined by scripture and I would propose the following definition: A Christian family seeks to fill every square inch of the world with the glory of God and is composed of a man and a woman united together in marriage as a one flesh union, operating according to their biblically-prescribed roles, who make more image bearers through childbearing and train them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

Central to the functioning of a Christian family is this thing some call “Family Worship.” What is family worship? Some call it “family devotionals,” others simply refer to it as “nightly readings and prayers.” What you call it does not matter, scripture does not put a title to it. But what scripture does do is instruct parents to teach and train their children and for men specifically to shepherd their families well. These commands and principles, when seen in relationship to each provides a clear picture of what makes a Christian family a Christian family. A central component of the Christian family, then, is a consistent, systematic, and faithful time of learning biblical truth and Christian virtues.

This time of family worship does not need to be made more complicated than it has to be, quite honestly it can be incredibly simple and short and still be highly effective. A lot can be accomplished in the heart of a child when 10 minutes every night is spent reading the Word, praying, and answering a couple catechism questions. That is where the seeds of the gospel will be planted in their hearts and be watered routinely. That is where they will learn the biblical stories and truths. That is where they will obtain a deeply rooted Christian worldview.

In its simplest form, family worship needs only to include the reading of God’s Word and prayer. Considering reading through the New Testament one chapter a night and taking time to answer any questions that may be asked, and then conclude with prayer. Some families find adding songs to the routine is helpful, as good songs help to communicate the truths of scripture to the hearts of the family members. Other families have also benefited from using a good catechism, which is something I highly recommend. I honestly don’t know how children can grow up in the instruction of the Lord without the use of a catechism in the home.[9]

What is a catechism? Most protestants that hear me use that word immediately ask, “isn’t that a catholic thing?” To which I normally give a slight chuckle and then answer the question. Catechisms are not exclusively catholic at all, protestant denominations have used them ever their beginning, but over the last 100 years or so they have decreased in popularity among mainline protestants. This alone, I believe, explains much of the theological ignorance that is revealed in the above-mentioned survey, The State of Theology.

So, to get back to the question, what is a catechism? A catechism is a very simple learning tool that is made up of a list of questions and answers. These catechisms are normally theological in nature, asking questions such as “Who is God?” and “What is the chief end of man?” and “Why must our redeemer be fully God and fully man?” These are rich questions indeed, a large portion of evangelical adults would struggle to answer some of these questions, but doesn’t that show the need for them to be asked and answered in a learning environment, such as a time of family worship? This is what a catechism does, through the process of catechesis (teaching the catechism) the catechized learn these gospel-rich truths and obtain a more biblically informed worldview. Brothers and sisters, this is world-changing!

Dear reader, for the glory of God and the good of your family make a time of family worship and catechesis a priority in your family. There are so many good things vying for your attention and time but few of even the good things have such life-long and eternal ramifications as this. Teach your children the bible and the doctrines it teaches. Introduce and reintroduce yourself and your family to the gospel truths that save and sanctify. Let your belief in the power of prayer be evidenced by the presence of your prayers in your home among your family.

All of this being said, family worship is not just for those who have children in the home. The newlywed or the empty nester alike ought to engage in the practice of family worship. Sure, family worship is going to look different when children are present, but ought those who are spiritual and physically “one flesh” to enjoy a time of spiritual refreshment and unity through daily readings and prayer? Regardless of your family situation, whether you have kids or not, you would be blessed to cultivate a simple routine of family worship to share with your spouse and children if you have any.

I hope and pray that you will take inventory of your family’s spiritual life and then take action. Commit yourself to pray and read the Word with your family regularly. I assure you that the more you study this topic and the more you hone your skills and abilities through practice, the more of a joyous blessing your time in family worship will be for you and your family. The fruits of a regular practice of family worship are infinite, yet the dangers of neglecting this practice are catastrophic.