Family Devotionals

Yesterday I had the privilege of reading and participating in the family devotional of one of the pastors out here. It was excellent! Four kids from age 10 to age 2 (I think).

Anyhow, I read about the story of creation. One of the children couldn't make it all the way through (the youngest...and they said it's normal for her age). One was moving almost constantly. Then questions to the three remaining started. It was amazing...the one that was moving constantly was listening. His answer to his dad's question was almost verbatim from the text. The pastor said that if they just had him sit still the entire time he'd spend his thoughts focused on staying still and not listening to the passage being read. In college we talked more about activity as a sign of ADD than we did about kinetic learners...I didn't realize there was such a category. Well folks, there is such a category. It was great to see! It was a pretty good testimony to catechizing your children too. They have a pretty firm idea of our creating God and what He made everything out of (nothing)...and how He did it (speaking)...and why (for His pleasure)!

Also, the pastor shared a little tidbit of a good way to remember the order of creation (I had never heard this description before; it was pretty helpful for me!). It'll help you remember the order of creation pretty well.

Day 1: Light and Dark
Day 2: Air and Sea
Day 3: Ground
Day 4: Sun and Moon
Day 5: Birds and Fish
Day 6: Animals and Vegetation
Day 7: Rest...

The question was, "What did God create on the fourth day?" None of the kids could come up with the correct answer so here's the explanation. Days one through three have a direct connection to days four through six.

So whatever was created on day one was directly related to what was to be created on day four. Whatever was created on day two was directly related to what was to be created on day five. Lastly, whatever was created on day three was directly related to what was to be created on day six.

Hence the couplings/correspondence of the days of creation:

Day 1: Light and Dark
Day 4: The Sun and Moon

Day 2: Air and Sea
Day 5: Birds and Fish

Day 3: Ground
Day 6: Animals and Vegetation

Day 7: Rest...

Another thing that was really a blessing to hear was how he led his kids in prayer. Each prayed a about something they were thankful to God for and a prayer of confession. When I sat through another pastor's devotion about a month ago he called the prayers "thank you" prayers and "I'm sorry" prayers. The pastor's family last night calls this devotional time "story time" and they really get the kids excited for it. They also read a fictional history story called Beric the Briton: A Story of the Roman Invasion by G. A. Henty. It was great! The other family devotions that I've had the blessing to observe were right after dinner time and really only consisted of reading the Bible (a children's Bible) and one of the lay elders' family devotion involved singing hymns as well.

It was really a great time, I hope that I'll have the blessing of helping with more of these devotionals in the future.

This is also of note...when Lindsey was babysitting a few weeks ago for another lay elder one of the kids asked if they could read the Bible together. Lindsey was taken back a bit because I don't think she's ever been asked by a kid she was babysitting to read the Bible with that much enthusiasm before. Lindsey learned the acronym ACTS from that experience. (A adoration C confessionT thanksgiving S supplication).

Just some testimony to the ways that God uses family devotions to display the gospel to people we disciple, to neighbors or kids staying over, babysitters, and beyond!