and schedule, and the casual type that likes variety and finds it difficult to plan two days alike. Most people agree that the former way should be one’s aim, and yet a great many of us, for better or for worse, find ourselves in the second group. Such a family finds it difficult, if not impossible, to follow a routine sort of a family altar or family prayers. However, the important thing is that in our homes our children should become saturated with the won derful law of God — the Word of God (apart from what they may get from church or outside Chris tian influences). If every home in every land had altars Where families worshipped daily and where prayer Was lifted up and God's dear Word held sacred, With Christ, a welcomed Guest, beside them there, The nations would not need to reassemble In further parley over future peace; For enmity and strife would be forgotten, And wars, and their wild rumors, would all cease. The love of God is born at family altars; Peace and goodwill to all mankind is part Of any praying group's sincere devotion. God, God, may every household take to heart The old earth's desperate need and rear its altars Close by its own heartside— and peace, long sought, Will lave the earth because of mankind's heeding The vital lessons that the Master taught. — Grace Noll Crowell To make this practical, I would like to list vari ous methods. Each family can adapt them to its own particular regime, can change from one meth od to another as we do frequently or can find a good method, time and place and follow it for years. 1. Probably the most common type of family altar (used in Eisenhower’s boyhood home) is that of a simple evening worship service. This is usual ly made up of singing, short Bible reading with a word or two of practical application and one or two short prayers. I mention short several times because it is important. Someone noticed that in the Book of Revelation it says that there was quiet in heaven for the space of a half hour. If in heaven even the angels are quiet for only half hour periods, we shouldn’t expect too much of small, wiggling children. Remember, our aim is that our children shall love the Lord their God. 2. Other families read a Psalm or brief pas sage around the breakfast table, before or after the meal.
3. Some families follow certain books such as Vance Havner’s Day By Day or Ken Taylor’s De votions For The Children’s Hour. We visited in one home where there were five husky boys. It was a wonderful experience to see the family of seven go into the living room before breakfast, read the devotional booklet Seek with accompanying Scrip ture passage and then all kneel down for a word of prayer. What a splendid way to prepare one’s boys for the opportunities and dangers of a new day. 4. A few families are strong on memory work. Most of us have heard the little couplet “ Richer than I you can never be, for I had a Mother that read to me.” I’ve often thought that another true version would be “Richer than I you can never be, for I had a Mother who taught Bible verses to me.” What wealth can be compared to a young mind filled with Bible verses. This can be made a thrill ing thing by a bit of competition and prizes. 5. Another type of family altar that is espe cially good for a rainy evening or a dreary Sunday afternoon is the Bible story hour. Every child de serves to have one of the good children's Bible story books read to him from cover to cover. Hurl- burt’s, Vos’s, Moody’s and Egermeier’s are all good, but it isn’t enough to buy them — they must be read! And perhaps not quite so important, but a fine addition, are the many inspiring missionary stories. I’ll never forget when mother read us Mary Slessor of Africa. One of the most helpful things in life is to know what we want so we can “ go after it.” A wonderful mother, a single missionary in India who had a family of over 500 children, once wrote out exactly what she wanted God to do for her children. Perhaps it would be worthwhile for us to make Miss Amy Carmichael’s petitions for her children daily petitions for our own children and then to do all we can to make our prayers come true. “Make them good soldiers of Jesus Christ. “Let them be winners and helpers of souls. “Let them live not to be ministered unto but to minister. “Make them doers, not mere talkers. “ Let them enjoy hard work and choose hard things rather than easy. “Let them pass from dependence upon us to dependence on Thee. “Let them never come under the dominion of earthly things; keep them free. “Let them grow up healthy, happy, friendly, and keen to make others happy. “Give them eyes to see the beauty o f the world and hearts to worship its Creator. Let them be gen tle to beast and bird. May they walk, 0 Lord, in the light of Thy countenance. Let this be the in heritance o f these children.”
17
DECEMBER, 1966
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