Paedo-Noises

My Christian life began as a Baptist. I grew up Baptist and went to a Baptist college. Graduated with an MDiv from a Baptist seminary, served as a Baptist youth and music minister, and finally as a Baptist pastor. That was quite a chunk of my life. While children are important to Baptists, baptistic theology views children as “outsiders” until they come to their crisis conversion experience … which probably happens from 6-8 and then again, maybe several times after puberty (because they realize that they weren’t “really” saved when they were younger). Children are to be evangelized in the most basic sense; you know, like we would do the man on the street. So, we have classes and even children’s church aimed at getting them to “ask Jesus into their hearts.”

Baptistic theology doesn’t incorporate children in the way that Reformed theology does. That’s not a slam on my Baptist brothers. It is just a fact.

Then it happened. I became Reformed. Paedo-everything. Paedobaptism. Paedocommunion. Paedoworship. PaedoSundaySchool. Paedo, paedo, paedo. My general story is somewhat common (that is, moving from credo-baptism only to credo + paedobaptism). Covenantal theology, while not child-centered, is child-saturated. Having and rearing godly children become an intense focus. Our children are part of the people of God, baptized like the children of Israel and, therefore, part of the “one loaf” that is the body of Christ (cf. e.g., 1Cor 10). Consequently, when God calls his people to gather, children, being members of his people, are to gather with the people of God of every age. They are part of the armies/hosts of the Lord called to participate in the worship of God’s people. They can’t do everything that everyone else does because they are not as mature as others. But being around more mature believers teaches them how and what it means to worship.

Paedo-people become so excited about their paedos being in worship, that, at times, everything their paedos do is “precious.” When they coo, it is precious. When they scream, it is precious. Because they are a part of God’s people and commanded to worship, they should not only be in worship, but they should also be allowed to do anything they want in worship. I have seen some of these sentiments through the years not only in gathered worship but also floating around the internet.

This is not the right approach. Yes, our children ought to be in worship, but part of our responsibility is to disciple–discipline–them in how to worship with their entire selves (Rom 12.1). Paul tells us in 1Corinthians 14 that gathered worship is to be conducted “decently and in order.” Yes, he is dealing with speaking in tongues, prophets, and forbidding women to speak (lead) in worship, but the principle that underlies all of these issues is that there is a proper order.

Worship is a dialogue between Christ (represented by the pastor) and his bride, the church. We are talking to one another. When the church speaks to glorify God, we speak with one voice (e.g., Rom 15.6). This means that there needs to be unity among the congregation. If everyone began expressing himself in whatever way he wanted–singing the songs he wanted, praying out loud while others were talking, testifying at his personal whim, there would be chaos. We must discipline ourselves to submit to the pastor and one another to move as a unit. Trying to stand out unduly is immodest (cf. e.g.., 1Tm 2). This is distracting from the overall mission of the army.

This goes to how our children must behave in worship. They must learn not to “stand out” but to join the rest of the unit. They are paedo-warriors (Ps 8), and warriors must be disciplined to work with their fellow soldiers. They are going to stumble along and mess up at times. They will miss words and notes as they seek to participate. That can be trained. That is immaturity.

What can’t be tolerated is rebellion, a refusal to act with the rest of the army. Drawing undue attention to themselves through actions such as screaming in worship is something that must be corrected. They should be removed, corrected, and then brought back in … and this should be done as many times as needed. They need to learn to be quiet when everyone else is quiet and to speak when everyone else is speaking. This doesn’t come innately. Foolishness (sinfulness) is bound up in their hearts and they are immature.

Taking them out of the worship service for a time of … instruction is not just so that the “old people can hear the sermon” (though that is a part of it). It is to teach them that they are a part of a larger body with a unified mission. If the army is marching in lockstep with one another, then they need to fall in.

This training can’t be only on Sunday mornings. There must be general and specific training at home. As parents we have the responsibility to teach our children to distinguish between situations; they need to know when it is appropriate to say certain things and when not to, when to run like a wild man and when to sit still for supper. They need to learn context, and that takes time and consistent discipline. You discipline your children for Sunday worship in every area of discipline but having set times for family worship in which they have to conduct themselves in a controlled fashion is special ops training. This is the time to teach them the prayers and other recitations so that they learn to participate more fully.

This discipline begins with the parents, not the parents imposing discipline on the children, but the parents themselves being disciplined. Your children need to see you involved and focused. Being distracted scrolling through your phone will tell your children that this activity isn’t important. If it isn’t important to you, why should it be to them? Some discipline is caught more than taught. Show them that it is the joy of your life to be able to enthusiastically participate in worship. There will be times that they don’t want to. They are sinners just like you. But if they see you joyfully worshiping, they will want to be a part.

Churches ought to be paedo-friendly because God is paedo-friendly. God’s friendship calls us up to maturity. Train your children toward worship maturity.