When you think of
Sunday, what comes to mind? Is it primarily restrictions? Seriously, God
commands us to take a day off and spend it with Him, and we turn it into a list
of things we can't do? God has given us the Sabbath as a day for rest, for
relaxation, for connection with God, with family, with Christian friends. No
wonder God wants us to delight in the Sabbath.
But what do your
children think of Sunday? It's easy for children to focus on the restrictions.
Hopefully you've learned to see the blessing in Sunday, but how do you teach
your children to see it?
I have some
suggestions. Well, to be fair, these are definitely not all mine - a few are
mine, several come from Phil Brown and others from my pastor Pat Davis.
I know we've heard
this many times, but start Saturday night. Late nights = crabby kids. Shut it
down early and have family time, or a time of prayer, stories, or music to
prepare them for their day with God.
On Sunday itself,
explain why we do what we do and don't do on Sunday. If you take a nap, explain
to the kids that God rested on the Sabbath, and so do we. OK, it's unlikely to
make them excited about taking a nap, but it does reinforce that Sunday is a day
dedicated to God and that everything we do that day revolves around Him.
Instead of just saying, "Jesus doesn't want us to buy or sell on
Sunday," explain that if we go to the store, that forces someone to be
there to serve us and so they have to miss church and their special day with
God. If you have friends over for Sunday dinner, explain to the children that
fellowship is part of being God's family. Make the whole day about God.
Whether or not you
have a large Sunday dinner, make the meal special. I recall as a child asking
my mother why, if we weren't supposed to work on Sunday, we always had a big
meal that day that involved more work than usual. Her response was that just
like God gave Israel feasts, so Sunday is a day of celebration for Christians.
Great answer! So make Sunday a celebration - kid-style. Maybe let the kids make table
decorations that focus on Jesus. Maybe have a "Thank You, God" cake
(like a birthday cake). Use good china - or use paper plates with Christian
decorations on them. Be inventive. Keep it fun, and keep it focused on God.
You can keep
specific things just for Sunday. Have stories that the kids only listen to on
Sunday. Some great resources for this include Lamplighter Theatre, Adventures
in Odyssey, Moody Radio's Just for Kids section, Ranger Bill (an old-time
Christian radio show), Jim Hodges audio books, and Kid Answers (Answers in
Genesis' kids section). Keep certain music just for Sunday, such as Sunday
School sing-along, Aanderud's Children, or Hymns for the Home. Kid Answers also
has a large selection of Christian children's videos and other activities. The
Visual Bible is a series of films that give a verbatim portrayal of the Gospels
of Matthew and John and the Book of Acts.
Children learn of
God from their interaction with their parents. Time spent with your children
should be a part of your usual Sunday routine. I learned this in grad school,
when time was at a premium. Feeling convicted at spending little time with my
children and trying to find ways to make Sunday special to them, I decided to
intentionally take some time with them after dinner each Sunday. We usually
play a game, but sometimes we take a walk or do an impromptu object lesson.
It's the time together that's important. Sunday needs to be a family day.
Bottom line: a day
when we "just go to church and take a nap" is not very special to
kids. As parents, we need to find ways of helping our children look forward to
their weekly "day with God." What are some ways that you have found
to make Sunday special to your children?
