In 1647, the Assembly at Edinburgh issued a decree called "The Directory for Family-Worship." This guide was to help Christian fathers understand what was expected of them regarding private worship in their homes. Not only were fathers expected to regularly lead their homes in family worship, they also were reproved by the church if they failed to do so.

...the Assembly doth further require and appoint ministers and ruling elders to make diligent search and enquiry, in the congregations committed to their charge respectively, whether there be among them any family or families which use to neglect this necessary duty; and if any such family be found, the head of the family is to be first admonished privately to amend his fault; and, in case of his continuing therein, he is to be gravely and sadly reproved by the session; after which reproof, if he be found still to neglect Family-worship, let him be, for his obstinacy in such an offence, suspended and debarred from the Lord's supper, as being justly esteemed unworthy to communicate therein, till he amend.

Did you catch that? If it became known that a father was not leading family worship at home, he would be talked to privately by the elders. If he still refused to lead his family, he then would be reproved by the session and debarred from the Lord's supper until he began fulfilling his duty. Wow.

This weekend, I heard a speaker give a great lecture on the history of the United States. He spoke on 17th century Puritans who committed to lead their families in worship TWICE A DAY. These fathers took the responsibility of training their families very seriously and they raised a generation of young men who went on to write the majority of declarations upon which our country was founded. Pretty impressive.

I'm not doing a really good job in leading our family in private worship. I have plenty of room to improve and I plan to do so. Still, I'm amazed at what our kids are learning.

Today at lunch, we were talking about what our kids were going to recite at their year-end recitation. It was pretty amazing to hear them talk through which scriptures and creeds they wanted to say. Our six-year-old decided to recite a scripture and a story and our three-year-old wants to say the Apostles Creed. They also decided to sing "Great Is Thy Faithfulness" instead of "A Mighty Fortress."

Just think what would happen if I took family worship as serious as they did in 1647.