Family Worship: Redefined...Unrefined...

Disclaimer: This video has the potential to warrant much humiliation and embarrassment on behalf of Matthew and myself!

Want to take a peek into evenings at the Hillis household?  Well, here's your chance - bathrobes, PJs, fuzzy socks and all.  Welcome to the embarrassing beginnings of our family band, affectionately titled "Root Canal" or "Bleeding Ears," mostly because those are the things that come to mind when you actually hear us.  We're not sure how the angels or Jesus Himself reacts to our noise, but everybody's gotta start somewhere.  We like to think we give new meaning to what the Bible talks about when it says we shouldn't try to clean ourselves up before coming to the Lord...

"Family Worship," so to speak, or whatever you want to call it, hasn't been something Matthew and I were very diligent about in the past.  I've come to realize that one of the ways Satan likes to deceive me is by tempting me to idolize perfection.  If I couldn't do something "all the way," I just end up not doing it at all.  Then we asked a family how they worshiped as a family of six.  Their response was simply, "We read the Bible together and then talk about it."  I imagine this scenario as being anything but perfect.  Babies will cry, and toddlers will get into anything within reach of eye level.  People get sick.  Activities are planned in the evening.  Family worship may take on various forms throughout our lives as we enter different stages.  It might not always be with blood-related family.  For singles, it might be in the fellowship of other believers or believing neighbors.  It might not always be still, or quiet, or at home in the peacefulness of the living room, and the daily routine might not always provide a significant amount of time.  But Jesus never taught us to come to Him perfectly or if we have thirty minutes to spare as opposed to five.  That is a lie from the father of all lies (John 8:44).  The question is, though, who/what are we treasuring, and who/what are we teaching our children to treasure? 

Some might ask, "Why family worship?  Why not just worship alone in your own thoughts, prayers, time spent in the word, singing, etc.?"  I admit, I've thought that before myself.  Learning about family worship was a new concept to me just a couple of years ago.  Below are some reasons the Lord has revealed to me through His Word and through the experience of family worship:

1. Homes are spiritual nurseries -
Give ear, O my people, to my teaching; incline your ears to the words of my mouth! I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter dark sayings from of old, things that we have heard and known, that our fathers have told us. We will not hide them from their children, but tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the LORD, and his might, and the wonders that he has done. He established a testimony in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers to teach to their children, that the next generation might know them, the children yet unborn, and arise and tell them to their children, so that they should set their hope in God and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments; and that they should not be like their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation whose heart was not steadfast, whose spirit was not faithful to God. ~Psalm 78:1-8
Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.  ~Deuteronomy 6:4-9

2. The Lord's army doesn't enlist privates (KB quote) -
Without counsel plans fail, but with many advisers they succeed. ~Proverbs 15:22  
 Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another. ~Proverbs 27:17
Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. ~1 Corinthians 12:7
When Peter was imprisoned and set free by an angel of the Lord, he went straight to the house of Mary where "many were gathered together and were praying." ~Acts 12:12
And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.  And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles.  And all who believed were together and had all things in common...And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved. ~Acts 2:42-47
Barnabas and Saul, Peter and John, Jesus and disciples, Father/Son/Holy Spirit...seeing a connection?

3. The Word is our daily bread, OUR sustenance - 

But he answered, “It is written, “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” ~Matthew 4:4

If we only eat food once a week, we'll starve ourselves and our family. ~Jim Suggs, Elder at Grace Church Memphis
For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. ~1 Peter 1:23 
For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. ~Hebrews 4:12

4. Jesus is worthy of our worship - 
Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. ~Philippians 2:11 
...What could be sweeter than inviting Jesus into your fellowship with a neighbor, friend, spouse, 
children, or extended family? 

5. Fire sparks fire - 
Not happy in Jesus?  Get around others who are.  Watch the embers rekindle.

6. Arms need elbows - 

 Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. ~1 Corinthians 12:27

Now Matthew and I don't claim to have this thing down pat.  We are sinners in need of a Savior to constantly tune our hearts to desire Him more than this world.  However, we've seen the fruits of it.  We've witnessed a retuning of the heart just by turning to Him instead of that extra episode of Parks & Rec when it's almost time for bed.  It's my hope that the Lord might in some way use what He is teaching us to perhaps inspire others in their own family worship, whatever that may look like.  Matthew and I have definitely benefited from other families being open and honest with us about what their family worship looks like.

In summary, the goal of family worship is to give glory to God by inviting Him into our daily lives and, in result, lead our families (neighbors, friends, others we invite into the midst) more to Thee.  Jesus should be the centerpiece of our worship, and the Bible should be central to our understanding of Him.  Invite Him in.  However horrible your singing may be or however many dishes might be piled in your sink.  He truly is the treasure that our hearts long for...the treasure in the field that the man found and then went and sold all he had to buy that field.  Invite Him in.  And please, share your own story and embarrassing videos with us!

Typical Hillis family worship:
--Sing a worship song as we practice our instruments (aka make the neighbors' ears bleed)
--Discuss what the Lord taught us in our Bible reading that day... ask questions... discuss some more
(We were reading together and then discussing, but we found that we got more discussion when we read it earlier and had more time to chew on it...this will probably change with kids).

Currently reading from D.A. Carson's For the Love of God reading plan, developed and modified from that of Robert Murray M'Cheyne (Scottish minister long time ago; old dead guy).  You can find this, among a multitude of other great and free resources, at www.monergism.com.