Hold Fast What Is Good

Justin Taylor post:  Second Thoughts on Family Worship

I found this post by Jerry Owen refreshing and helpful. Most of us have a strange mixture of laziness and legalism in our hearts, and a post like this could fuel either—or both! So . . . “test everything; hold fast what is good” (1 Thess. 5:21).

Here is his outline:

1. Family Worship isn’t required by the Bible.
2. Family Worship, if done, is not the most important spiritual thing you do.
3. Family Worship should be delightful for everyone.

Here is his explanation of the first point:

This might seem impious, but it’s really only impietistic. We simply are not required to have a set, formal, liturgical time of worship as families. I’m glad some people do this and benefit from it, and as far as they do, I’m for it, but no one should feel it is something they ought to do. This is not the same thing as saying parents shouldn’t read the Bible, pray and talk about God with their children. Of course they should. And it’s helpful if this is regular, methodical, and often. But some of the healthiest Christian families I know never had “family worship” formally conducted. They would read and discuss the Bible at meal and other times for particular seasons, sing and pray before going to bed etc, but these things were not done primarily in one sitting, not in what we would typically call family worship. I know there are lazy parents, particularly fathers, who don’t make time to regularly read and teach the Bible to their kids, and I know my point here will be used by them to justify and continue their laziness. This is what gracious biblical standards always do, and in response legalists try to curb sin by adding rules. So no excuses for lazy people, and no excuse for pietists combating laziness with legalism.