Has there ever been a time during your family worship where you felt like the entire family was distracted?

I know in my house, this has happened on more than one occasion.  It doesn’t matter how animated I become or how creative I tell the story, sometimes my family seems miles away.

Before I complete this post, may I just say that distraction for my family mostly comes from depravity.  We are a sinful family that often struggles to take pleasure in the deep truth of God.  Even as we sit before his word and cry out in worship, I fear that our hearts can be wrapped up in selfish ambitions.  Thank you Jesus for loving us despite ourselves.

Apart from that, I also believe that distractions in worship can also come from a disorderly environment.  Recently, I read a secular book called ‘The Tipping Point’ by Malcolm Gladwell.  During a dissertation on how the physical environment can effect violent crime, Gladwell speaks of an interesting theory proposed by two criminologists named James Q. Wilson and George Kelling.  In their hypothesis called ‘The Broken Window Theory’, they state that:

“Crime is an inevitable result of disorder.  If a window is broken and left unrepaired, people walking by will conclude that no one cares and no one is in charge.   Soon, more windows will be broken, and the sense of anarchy will spread from the building to the street on which it faces, sending a signal that anything goes. ”

Then as Gladwell correctly points out, “This is an epidemic theory of crime.  It says that crime is contagious – just as a fashion trend is contagious – that it can start with a broken window and spread to an entire community.”

Now, I would argue fiercely that crime is not a result of disorder, but rather of our sin nature.   The natural default mode of a heart that does not know God is destruction.  This is clear.  However, I would agree with these criminologist in the sense that disorderly environments can only contribute to disorderly conduct.

How does this relate to your family worship times? One thing I’ve learned through our short years of doing family worship is that effort should be taken to prepare the environment for God honoring worship.  If your living room is a mess, your kids are hungry, and your wife is ticked off at  you, chances are worship time is gonna be pretty rough.  However, if you’ve taken proper steps throughout the evening to prepare the family for worship time, I believe that God can be honored in your efforts.

Below I’ve made a short list of ideas you can consider during the hours leading up to your worship time.  As always, please know that my list aren’t exhaustive, and there’s a good chance I’ve got something wrong.  I’m a parent just like you, seeking to honor God through the daily successes and failures of child rearing.  May God be glorified through our efforts to worship him!

1.  Make sure the family has it’s physical needs met
2.  Pick up the room in which you plan to have family worship
3.  Ask your kids to use the bathroom before worship begins
4.  If there is any division in the family, resolve it before you worship
5.  Make sure all toys are put away and out of reach
6.  Have your songs and teaching picked out before you sit down

Finally, and most importantly, make a conscious effort to ask God daily to captivate your families heart and mind during family worship!