I don’t know about how it works where you are, but where I am, “big church” is a big deal! It is something of a rite of passage to get to be old enough and to be well-behaved enough to go to “big church.” When I was growing up, just walking into the sanctuary brought a sense of quiet and awe. It was as if God, himself, was sitting quietly and patiently until the next worship service. I know, now, that God inhabits his people and that a building and a room are just that. I wish, however, that the sense of awe at the sight of the sanctuary were still present.

I have a totally different perspective on big church now that I am a parent. I do find myself thinking about the issues of reverance, awe, and respect for the place of worship and how I want to instill those things into the minds of my children. There are practical aspects, though, that I fear I spend more time thinking about. How do we sit close enough to the front so that the kids can see while still being close enough to a door to be able to make a discreet exit if we need to? What kinds of activities will be appropriate for them to do to entertain themselves and not make noise? How much of the service should we make them pay attention to? Will I sit between and/or beside them? And on and on and on…

Because we are in a church that has a more traditional, formal worship service, there are some things that are specific and appropriate in the service that we attend. I want my children to know those things. I want them to see that those rituals and elements of worship are important to me and my faith. I want them to behave appropriately, just because that is what we do in church!

Yesterday, for the 1st time in our own church, my whole family sat together in big church. I couldn’t have been prouder, not because they behaved nicely and sat relatively still. I’m just proud to have the opportunity and the responsibility to share “big church” with them. May they come to love it as I do and share it with their own families some day!

Antique Mommy also has a post about “big church” today. Check it out!