dren occasionally mention the subjects for petition and praise not only will the subjects be more appro priate to them there will also be some surprises. They will also give a valued opening into the child’s mind for us to see any special need or progress that he has made.” Also, children can be encouraged to ask questions on what they do not undertand in the passage read. When a short answer can be given, the present is the best time. A more involved answer coulld be given later, but asking questions must never be discour aged. The Tompkins used to receive a sizeable amount of missionary prayer letters and church-related mail. Mary had been in the habit of glancing at pleas for prayer or money, deciding they could do nothing about it and dropping the letters in the waste-basket. One day she hit on the plan of putting Charles and Joan in charge of this kind of mail, each taking a week at a time. The one in charge would read the mail, underline the most important thoughts or prayer requests, and present them to the family at the devo tional time. Someone would pray for this particular organization or missionary. Afterwards the mail was discarded. Apart from the advantage of the children’s being interested in the prayer sessions, vital family devo tions are excellent training for them for starting their own family altars when they marry and leave home. When we have the best family worship services that are possible, they mean so much to each member of the family. They can go out into the world, to school, college or business duly prepared for the spir itual challenges that have to be met. Disappointments and sorrows can be faced more readily when adequate spiritual preparation has been made at the family altar. Youths and young adults can look back on the family altar with joy because its influence has been permanent in character building. These advantages do not come as if by magic. Time and care will be needed by every family before the devotions can become as meaningful as they can be to each person present. Nothing worthwhile is accomplished without self-discipline. To have devo tions every day week in and week out and to keep them fresh is a good test of our powers to see a task through. Often we shall be tempted to put them off or shorten them because we have visitors, or time is urging us on. But the best family altar will be the one where everyone disciplines himself to be present each day and makes his personal contribution to this time of worship and praise. Every family can have vital devotional periods if they will only take the necessary steps. Then there be no fear of boredom reigning, or of children being glad if they miss devotions. Instead they will be disap pointed only if they are unavoidably absent. KB Gordon Chilvers is a free-lance writer whose home is in Norwich, England. 13
around, is good. The leader could introduce part of his own planning into the printed programme. Bill and Dorothy Johnson had eight children who reckoned family devotions to be their delight. Bill commented: “ Especially when children are younger, visual aids are valuable in keeping the devotions from becoming a bore. Often we show a picture. This makes a passage of scripture much clearer than any amount of explanation; there is not time for that any way. When a custom or object is referred to which is d if ferent from that of the twentieth-century Western world, this is especially valuable. For example, a pic ture of an eastern house will tell the children how it was possible for the spies to hide on the roof and not fall off. If the passage refers to a journey, a map which shows its distance or its difficulty will give life to the incident. Of course, we take care that the aid does illustrate and not merely distract attention." Father and mother must be sure to show enthusi asm for the devotions. Not only is enthusiasm contagi ous, but whatever is approached lazily is likely to be dull. When children are present, we seek to get them involved in the devotions. No child can be expected to listen all the time every time. True, there is little a pre-school child can do, but as soon as possible the child should take his share. At first it will be the repe tition of a short text. Then he can tell the story, read the Bible passage or announce the hymn. As he gets older, he can share in the praying. What more can we do to kindle the children’s interest? “ Carefully prepared questions will help,” says Harold Brandt. “ Possibly an incentive will have to be given to get the best answers— an issue which is solved family by family. These questions which are based on the passage read must be geared to the age, mental rather than physical, of the children present. Both language used and depths of knowledge required to answer will have age as its pointer. “ A few questions can be of the type where ‘yes’ or ‘no’ will be sufficient. Better questions are of the type, ‘How would you have acted if you had been there?’ ‘How does this apply to your life at home, at school or at church?’ “ Again, ask the children to select a verse from the Bible, a chorus or a verse from a hymn which fits the devotions. This will give the children an incentive to listen with care. Here one child’s interest can stimulate another to attend. Our earliest attempts were scarcely successful, but we have found that per severance led to some astonishingly appropriate choices. “ Children will become further involved if they are allowed to name subjects for prayer. Public prayer of any sort is designed to cover the requests in the minds of as many people present as possible. Yet the wider the gap in age between the person praying and the person for whom he is praying the more d if ficult it is for him to pray adequately. When the chil- OCTOBER, 1970
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