Subject: Babies and young children a distraction? |
Bible Note: Customs and opinions vary on the issue of allowing infants and young children to be present in the worship service. Perhaps infants should be provided for in a separate nursery, but I believe that children should, at the earliest possible age, be placed alongside their parents, and older siblings if there are any. It affords an excellent opportunity for parents to teach discipline and for the small fry to learn it. It is easy to under-estimate the potential of the young child to absorb what is being said and sung during the worship service. I can still recall experiences that I had in the worship service when I was very young. Of course, I didn't get it all (who does?), but I was led to believe that Jesus was the Son of God and that Paul must have been an important guy. In song, I learned about "bringing in the sheep" -- later amended to "bringing in the sheaves." Eventually I learned what sheaves were and why they were brought in. ...... In short, who is to say what basic foundation was being laid in my life by those worship services of my tender years? --Hank |