Sunday Mornings

Our church is family integrated. Simply put, this means our children attend all services with us. A great ideal, but sometimes not so great in reality. Don't get me wrong- I'm committed to the idea and see great benefit from it, both for the parents and the children. However, the thought occurred to me last Sunday morning, that most people have no idea what it is like to sit through a 1 1/2 hour church service with a 8 month old baby and a rambunctious 3 year old boy, while keeping an eye on the 9 and 12 year old in the pew with you. It goes something like this: (keep in mind that because Paul is the pastor, he does not sit with us -duh- and therefore, does not help with the little ones)

(singing) On a hill, far away, stood....
(whispers to Samuel)- "Stand up"
(singing) an old rugged.....
(pat and rock baby, who is tired and cranky)
(singing) cross, the emblem of....
(whispers to Samuel) - "No Sam, stand up. It's not time to sit yet"
(singing) suffering...
(pat baby harder so he'll settle down and quiet down)
(whispers to Samuel)- "Do not take your shoes off" -note to self: next time Sam needs Sunday shoes, buy shoes that tie. Velcro makes such a LOUD noise in a quiet church!
(singing) and shame; and I love that old...
(whispers to Sam)- "put that offering envelope back in the holder"
(singing) cross, where the dearest and best, for a...
(keep patting and rocking baby, praying he fall asleep)
(whispers to Sam)- "no, it's not time for lunch yet."
(singing) world of lost....
(increase intensity of rocking and patting as baby is getting more and more upset)
(whispers to Sam) "you have to what? We JUST went to the bathroom!"
(whispers to Anna) "can you take Sam to the bathroom?
(singing) sinners was slain.

And that is just one verse of one song. I'm tired just recounting that- and that is about how it is the whole service. On "easy" Sundays, Benjamin falls asleep for the preaching and I'm able to listen, providing Samuel is having a good Sunday. Last Sunday, we brought 2 neighbor girls with us, so I had to pay extra attention to the far end of the pew where my girls and the new girls sat, to make sure everyone was doing what they were supposed to. Some days I leave church exhausted!

But somehow, most Sundays I am able to get the gist of the message. Some Sundays, I miss the entire service. But Samuel is able to sit pretty quiet through a Sunday morning worship service, and while he doesn't yet understand most of what he is hearing, he is learning how important worship is, and that God deserves our best behavior.