Dripping Springs Weekly Bulletins

Preparing Children for "Church" I have said it publicly, and I repeat it now in writing: the sweet sound of small children in the church building is a welcome sound. I commend those mothers and dads whose patience and love for their children is seen in their care for those children. Their responsibility is great. Some consider it the ultimate embarrassment to take a crying, screaming child out of the auditorium during the assembly. Yes, I can recall such feelings, and I remember wishing someone else would take care of my children during that time so I could worship in a more spiritual manner. But it was a wise woman who gently told us that we needed to teach our children how to behave in the assembly. I thought she must have forgotten how it was to care for toddlers, but because of our respect for her, and with considerable effort we were challenged to do just that. We learned that our children did not need to be kept in a nursery far away from the worship assembly. They needed to sit near Mom and Dad, hear us sing, see our heads bowed in prayer and read from our Bibles. They needed to see that we have respect for God and His time of worship. They needed to watch us as we listened attentively to the Bible as it was read and preached. They needed to see us follow the preacher with our own Bibles, even taking notes. How grateful I am for that sweet lady’s interest in us and in our children. She was right. Children, even infants, are able to learn more—and earlier—than we may think. They observe, they watch, and some of those images will remain in their minds for a long time. Students of child growth and behavior have known this to be true for many years, but as a process it is slow and gradual. During this time some parents are looking for ways—food, games, toys, coloring books—to “keep the kids quiet” instead of training them. Some may think these exhortations are from one who has forgotten what it is like to have an infant on his knee. Forgotten how tiring it is, how frustrating it is to keep your child from disturbing those around you. I do know that your children will soon—very soon—pass this stage, and how you teach them today can bear precious fruit tomorrow. Some adults may object to children in the assembly because they are a “disturbance;” that they prevent adults from “getting anything out of the service.” But I don’t buy that. Some responsibility rests on those of us who are older not to be so easily disturbed. Our children and grandchildren need to be present with us in our worship assemblies. Do some adults spend more time playing with their children—even the infant in the pew in front of them—than listening to the sermon or singing or praying? Unfortunately, some do. Are children sometimes a distraction? Of course, but that’s true at the store, at the football game or a restaurant. Mothers often apologize for the “racket” their children make, asking if I am distracted by it. No, when I am preaching I seldom even notice it. But even if I did, our children still need to learn to sit and be reverent in the presence of God. Who else is going to teach them? Is it easy to do? Most assuredly it is not, but what is easy in rearing children these days? Parents, please consider the following suggestions: Talk to your children (even little ones) about worship, and what it is, and why you go to the church building. They need to know that worship is important. Take care not to leave the wrong impression that you go only because you “have to.” That kind of negative impression will linger with them. Impress upon them the purpose of the assembly, that of honoring and worshiping God, thanking Him for His abundant blessings. Make sure they are prepared for Bible class. Talk about the material discussed in their class the previous week. Encourage them to get acquainted with other children their age. When they are old enough, invite their friends over socially. Give them their own Bible and insist that they treat it with respect. Make sure trips for water and to the restroom are attended to before the worship assembly begins. When little ones distract others, take them to the “nursery” for instruction, not for play. Then bring them back so they have no motivation to misbehave. If you have an infant, find a place near the back of the auditorium so you can take care of the previous suggestion without undue distraction. Encourage your older children to take notes, or list the times a word (Bible, God, etc.) is used. These provide a way by which their attention can be maintained. Will these suggestions take time? Yes, they will. Will they often be met with resistance? Probably. Will they all work? Instantly? No, probably not. But eventually they will work if you keep at it. Besides, aren’t our children worth it? Isn’t their spiritual welfare important enough to take the needed time? If you fail to do so now, they may well lose interest, refuse to go to worship, later make excuses for their negligence as adults, and finally abandon the faith. That is too high a price to pay for your neglect now. “Jesus said, Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them: for of such is the kingdom of heaven,” Matthew 19:14. Our children are our most precious possession. We must make every effort to teach them. Take the time now to train your children! Carl B. Garner

“Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them,” Psalms 127:3-5

The Law of Silence - Is It Valid? Advocates of the “new hermeneutic” are contending these days that the “law of silence,” which has been such a vital part of the “restoration” concept, is without merit. They suggest that it is a humanly-imposed rule that has no biblical foundation. First Chronicles 15 contains an interesting account that speaks to this matter. It has to do with the induction of the sacred ark of the covenant during the reign of King David. The record has its background in 2 Samuel 6. David was transporting the ark from Kirjath-jearim to Jerusalem (1-5). The means of conveyance was on a cart, which, of course, was without divine authority. The law had authorized the transportation of the ark only on the shoulders of the priests, by means of rods which passed through rings on the side of the chest (Exodus 25:12-14). Uzzah, who apparently was driving the oxen, touched the ark to steady it when the beasts stumbled. Immediately, he was stricken dead by the Lord, a judgment which did not please David (2 Samuel 6:6-8). The king must have felt some sense of guilt since he was the one who had initiated this new mode of transportation. Later, David acknowledged that he had not obeyed the Lord in this matter (1 Chronicles 15:13). In connection with this incident there is a very important point that relates to the concept known as the “law of silence.” According to the law of Moses, “Jehovah set aside the tribe of Levi to bear the ark of the covenant,” (Deuteronomy 10:8). Now it is a fact that there was no ordinance that specifically forbade the other tribes to transport the ark. The question is, therefore, can one conclude that the silence of Deuteronomy 10:8, with reference to other tribes, was prohibitive? As indicated above, some today strongly allege that silence is no prohibitive. Compare, however, Deuteronomy 10:8 with 1 Chronicles 15:3. David said, “None ought to carry the ark of God but the Levites, for them has Jehovah chosen to carry the ark…” When the law appointed Levites to transport the ark, it implied that only Levites were to be involved in this work. In light of David’s subsequent commentary, the silence of Deuteronomy 10:8 was clearly prohibitive. Again, see David’s comment about this disobedience in 1 Chronicles 15;13, “…we sought him not according to the ordinance.” The king learned the truth about the law of silence. Many in our age need to acknowledge the same. Wayne Jackson Note: Our visitors may notice the absence in our worship service of any special “Easter” celebration on this day that the religious world observes as “Easter Sunday.” We hope the above article might explain why we do not set aside just one day a year to remember the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ when the Bible says early Christians did so on the “first day of the week,” Acts 20:7, 1 Corinthians 11:20ff. That is what we mean when we say that we “Speak where the Bible speaks, and are silent where the Bible is silent.” If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask any of us.