6 Things Mom Taught Me About Church
Charles
e. Whisnant May 13, 2012
I’m
a preacher’s kid, my dad and mom in Lynchburg and Roanoke Virginia had churches, so growing up, I sat on a church pew every time the doors
were open (and they were hard wooden things back then.) Mom was pretty
strict about attending church, and I’ve sat through about a million worship
services, weddings, funerals, vacation Bible schools, Sunday school classes,
revivals, youth rallies, and more. Along the way, my mom had some pretty
tough rules that have mostly fallen out of fashion since those days. But
after a few decades, I’m wondering if they weren’t so bad after all. Let
me know if you think my mom was nuts or maybe on to something:
1.
Dress Up
My mom felt that church was about honoring God, and looking
right was a big part of that honor. Mom made sure I was dressed up before I left the
house. Today, even pastors preach in jeans and t-shirts, and the truth
is, I no not really love being casual.
But attorneys and other professions have learned that how you dress impacts
your attitude and perception.
As my mom said, it shouldn’t be
about pride, it should be about honor. Looking around the congregation
these days, I just wonder if we could use an occasional dose of my mom’s
advice.
2. Pay Attention
I got slapped a lot in church for not paying
attention. Even as kids, my mom wouldn’t let us lay down on the church
pew, draw in coloring books, or scribble on paper. We had to pay
attention. But looking back, it taught me discipline and a remarkable amount
of Bible teaching.
3.
Send the Babies to the Nursery
Back
in those days, we didn’t have “children’s church.” All we had was a
nursery for the babies, and my mom thought they should go. To her, there
was nothing more rude than parents allowing a screaming baby to interrupt the
worship of the congregation. She knew babies weren’t getting anything out
of the sermon, so get them out where they could have a little fun!
Please, leave us to worship in peace and quiet. I thought about my mom
last Sunday, sitting behind a young couple with a screaming baby Even to this day, I have a hard time with
babies in the services when I am teaching or just visiting a service.
4. If You Show Up Late, Sit in the Back
Mom
thought church wasn’t the same as a movie, concert, or classroom. It was
holy, and we needed to respect that. Although 99% of the time, our family
sat on the front row, Mom played the piano and thus sat on the front row, and
that is where we went when she was finishing playing. but if we showed up late for any reason at
another service, we sat in the back. She would never distract anyone from
my dad’s message by walking down the aisle after the service had started
5. Bring Your Bible
My
mom’s motto was “Buy a Bible, read it, and underline it.” She never
understood how people could come to church without their Bible. To her,
it was like showing up at a baseball game without a bat. While I am
trying to use my Kindle Fire to read the Bible in the morning, I can’t get my
mom’s rule out of my head, so I bring the real thing – marked up and all.
6. Sunday School Matters
Remarkably
few churches have Sunday school programs anymore, and I’m often surprised at
the number of church members who think a weekly sermon is enough. Mom
felt that we needed to go deeper, and Sunday school was that place.
Obviously, that was before many churches started to encourage small groups –
although most small groups I’ve attended are more about “reflection,” “what’s
new in my life,” and “sharing.” My mom would probably puke.
At
the time, I thought I’d been switched at birth, and my mom was an evil witch,
but now, I’m starting to see she might have been pretty smart.
