My boys collapsed on the floor with laughter. The kids were telling me just this evening how special our morning worship is. They value it, not only because it is sometimes humorous, but because it is the glue that holds us together, the stimulus for some our best discussions, and the real strength of our lives Its the heart, in fact, of our family reformation. The Puritans, long misunderstood, had an exceptional view of the family. We can learn from them even though we might not accept all they had to say.
Family worship is the natural outcome of such a view.
First, family worship is critical because the placing of the Word of God in the hearts of our family members is indispensable to their conversion. The Puritans believed this with a passion. This was the rationale for their long sermons, the catechizing of children, the morning messages in those cold church buildings prior to the work day, the daily meditating on the Word in private, and especially the practice of family worship. Richard Baxter, one of the most famous of the Puritans, saw his village of Kidderminster, England transformed through this method. Second, it is critical because the Word alone enables your family to withstand the prevailing currents of an evil culture.