I heard that church attendance in the U.S. has been declining steadily over the years.
I don’t know why, because when I go to church, I find it really entertaining. Of course, it helps that I have a 6 year old with me who will say or do anything in church.
Last week my family sat in the very last row of our Presbyterian church. My 9-year-old son was ensconced in Diary of A Wimpy Kid book (hey, he’s reading, right?) while my daughter alternated between her sticker book and coloring book.
For 15 minutes.
Which left 45 minutes to hang out with her.
A couple in front of us couldn’t keep their hands off each other. The woman kept running her fingers through her boyfriend’s hair.
Sydney watched. And watched.
Finally, she spoke up.
“Why is that girl doing THAT?” she asked.
“Uh, I don’t know. Shh!”
“Maybe they’re boyfriend and girlfriend?”
“Uh, I think so. Shh!”
“That is WEIRD!”
“Shh!”
Later, communion was served. There were two highlights.
First, my kids starting panting at the thought that the bread was some sort of snack to tide them over til lunch. Hellooooo, Body of Christ, kids!
Second, Sydney got impatient while the wine was passed out.
“What’s taking so long?”
“They’re passing it around so everyone can get a glass,” I replied.
“It’s not glass, Mom. It’s plastic,” she told me holding up her plastic cup of juice. I think she even said, “Pffft.”
So the next time you’re thinking about how boring church can be, remember to sit by my kids. They’ll liven it right up for ya. Hallelujah!
Do you go to church? How do your kids behave there?
Image courtesy of Bill Longshaw / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
We go every Sunday! Summers are the hardest because there isn’t a pull out program for the kids. We sit near the front so the kids have a better view of what is going on. We also sit near the same people, who like us, and don’t mind helping us out. My oldest rarely even sits with us. She sits on the other side of our friends. I don’t know if I should feel offended, but I am just thankful that I have one less kid to distract me. 🙂
Rabia @ TheLiebers recently posted…Dance Recital
We’ve experimented with sitting up front, but inevitably end up back in the back! I agree about summer. There is no kids’ program for us either so we just endure. 🙂
Katy recently posted…Going to Church with my 6 Year Old
We always sought out a church based on what the place had for KIDS. If you can’t keep them engaged, the family won’t be back. We always sat up front too. They could see the priest looking at them, and they did very well. I always had cheerios and matchbox cars in my purse as well. 🙂
Mare recently posted…Containing Myself
Never hurts to be prepared! Our church has a nice enrichment program, where the young kids get pulled out most Sundays to go away and do crafts. But they don’t do that on communion Sundays so the family can partake together. Good idea. Sometimes bad idea!