Children in Corporate Worship

I'm a member of an internet discussion group that focuses on worship and church music in the Canadian Reformed federation.

We've been having a discussion about the place of little ones in the worship services and whether they should instead be in Sunday school, where they would learn more.

I posted the following and thought I'd share it here as well.

------------

But I wonder if that should be the first and primary purpose of Sunday worship... " ... so that they will learn much more." Parents have 7 days a week to teach their little ones about God and Church and Jesus and the Bible and songs. Most little ones come to church only once a Sunday (for 70 or so minutes). And that is where they will learn corporate worship. They don't need to go to Sunday School to learn about the Bible: home is a good place for that; but they need to come to the services to learn corporate worship. That is why we baptize babies: because we say, "they belong".

No, I think that little ones belong in the worshiping covenant assembly (Psalm 8). Let the mothers and fathers appear in the presence of God with their little ones. I don't doubt that the heavenly Father approves. Let the little ones learn awe and reverence, as God's people draw near to him (Hymn 25:1). Let us not do as the disciples did, and shuffle the mothers and little ones away, as if Jesus has no care for them, or that his words and teaching are only meant for grown ups. (Mark 10:13-16). When Jesus saw the little ones excluded, he was indignant with the disciples. (I try to avoid that kind of response from my Lord.)

And moreover, when should Sunday school (as a replacement for corporate worship) end? When should we teach the children that they belong in the worship service? At 9 years old? 14? 18? I see lots of teens who are not engaged in the worship services. Should we keep them out as well?

No, [I think we need to relearn] how to (re)capture a true sense of worship and awe and reverence in the corporate assembly of God's people. More and more I think that we have lost the sense of majesty and greatness of God in our CanRC services. The "stuff" before the sermon is like "a pre-game show" (as J Meyers suggests). The collection is an intermission. The only thing that makes or breaks a service is the sermon. And the service is only good, "if I learned more stuff."

Let us teach each other and the children -- even little ones -- what is going on in corporate worship. I'm sure our heavenly Father would approve.