By James L. Evans

Home worship is not a new idea. Centuries before either the temple or the synagogue appeared in Hebrew history, faithful families worshiped God in their homes. The people of Israel understood the importance of home prayer and instruction. In fact, Hebrew parents assumed the primary role for teaching and leading their children in worship.

Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might. Keep these words that I am commanding you today in your heart. Recite them to your children and talk about them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you rise. Bind them as a sign on your hand, fix them as an emblem on your forehead, and write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. (Deut 6:4-9)

The successful results of this early family worship is preserved for all time in the stories and poetry that make up the canon of the Hebrew Bible. These family efforts made it possible for an important religious heritage to pass from parent to child along with all the other family treasures. Even when more institutional forms of worship began to dominate Hebrew spiritual life, the emphasis on prayer and instruction in the home remained. This fact accounts for the close connection between home worship and the early progress of Christianity.

As the early church struggled for existence and identity, in the homes of faithful men and women the gospel story was told and retold. The apostle Paul contends that he preached his message from house to house (Acts 20:20). This emphasis on home worship became a pattern even away from Jewish influence. Churches throughout the Greek world were firmly established in homes (Acts 2:2, 46; Rom 16:5; 1 Cor 16:9)

In our day, worship is more formal and mainly institutional in nature. When people think of a service of worship, they probably envision a building specifically set aside and equipped for that purpose. Our time is also marked by a reliance upon professionals. We depend on people specially trained to perform worship functions on our behalf. The net result is a sad reduction in the practice of home worship.

The consequences of this reduction are serious. The home has a crucial role to play in the lives of local congregations. Clark Hemsley, a family enrichment leader for Baptists in Mississippi, says that “the temperature in local churches is controlled by thermostats in the home.” This is not to say that we should abandon our church buildings and worship in our own backyards. That sort of isolation has its own problems. On the contrary, an emphasis on home worship strengthens the work of the local church. Both settings for worship are essential. One undergirds the other.

First, home worship helps everyone, and especially children, to learn how to worship.

Certain aspects of worship may be innate. All people seem to have a longing for the divine presence, but the practice of worship is a discipline that must be learned and therefore taught. The most natural setting for this to occur is in the home. Furthermore, by means of regular home worship, children and adults learn the importance of active involvement in worship. Modern experiences of worship tend toward the character of spectator events. This cannot be. Worship calls for the best of our hearts, minds, and souls. Worship is a participatory activity. We cannot simply watch it happen; we must be actively involved.

Home worship serves to illustrate the centrality of worship in our lives as God’s people.

One of the greatest mistakes we make as Christians is separating our spiritual lives from the rest of our lives. If our Christianity only has application on Sunday, then it simply becomes one more obligation tacked onto our busy lives. If our faith is something central in our lives, however, something that makes our lives complete, then worship takes on a profound dimension. When our children see us worship not only on Sunday, but also daily, they will gain the distinct impression that loving and serving God is something we take seriously.

For families with children, the teaching function of home worship becomes critical. When we take time to read the Bible and teach its truth using creative and authentic methods, the home becomes the perfect setting for passing along our religious heritage. Children will do what they see us doing. Why not let them see us worshiping and living out the meaning of our faith? Jesus made it clear that life is best lived when focused around a central truth: “Love God with all your hearts and love your neighbor as yourself” (Mark 12:30). The first step toward making this central truth a priority in our own lives begins in the act of worship in the home.

What is the best way to accomplish home worship? Who in the modern world has time to come up with daily or weekly worship activities that will be interesting and helpful? How can we address the developmental needs of children and teenagers while at the same time maintaining integrity with the message of the Scriptures? These questions are vital, but not insurmountable.

Churches in the liturgical tradition already possess many resources for meeting the challenges of home worship.

The lectionary, a collection of readings or selections from the Scriptures arranged for proclamation and worship, is the centerpiece of these resources. Lectionaries have been in use for centuries. They provide an orderly and systematic presentation of the salient elements of our faith story and connect the Old and New Testaments. Lectionaries are not intended to limit or control what the church may hear. On the contrary, churches that follow the cycle of readings will ultimately hear more of the canon of Scripture than those churches that rely on the personal preference of local leaders.

Since the mid-1960s, many churches have shared a commitment to the Common Lectionary. Among them are: churches of the Anglican tradition, the Disciples of Christ, the Episcopal church, the Lutheran Church in America, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and Canada, the Free Methodist Church in Canada, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, Polish National Catholic Church, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), the Presbyterian Church in Canada, Reformed Church in America, Roman Catholic Church in the United States and Canada, The United Church of Canada, United Church of Christ, the United Methodist Church, and many Baptist congregations.

The Common Lectionary follows the pattern of ancient lectionaries. The cycle of readings is based on the life of Jesus and follows the seasons and celebrations of the Christian year. Because of this, the Gospel reading almost always establishes the theme for the selection of texts. The Scripture readings are divided into three-year cycles: Year A, Year B, and Year C. Year A features the Gospel of Matthew. Year B features the Gospel of Mark. Year C features the Gospel of Luke. The Gospel of John is interspersed into the cycle of readings throughout the three-year cycle. As churches or families follow the lectionary readings, they discover they are following Jesus as he made his way toward the cross. His life, death, and resurrection, along with the heart of his teaching, provide a map for us to follow through time with our own lives.

In the introduction to the Revised Common Lectionary (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1992), the Consultation on Common Texts explains some of the intended uses of a common lectionary. In addition to providing churches and denominations with a uniform and common pattern of biblical proclamation, the Common Lectionary also serves as a guide for church leaders in the development of Bible study curriculum, and as a guide to individuals and groups who wish to read and study the Bible in tune with the church’s prayer and preaching. Some local churches print the references of the following Sunday’s reading in their bulletins and encourage people to come prepared for the next week’s celebration.

One of the goals of all Christian parents is to help their children develop an authentic faith.

We know that authentic faith cannot be forced or coerced; it is a choice. As parents, however, we are in a unique teaching position. We have opportunities to guide our children so that they at least understand their choices. Families who worship together and practice a discipline of study and reflection are not guaranteed success or immunity from the ills that plague our world, but they are provided with an opportunity to consider a life much deeper and satisfying than empty alternatives promoted by advertisers. Along the way, they will enjoy the rich and enjoyable pleasure of celebrating God’s presence in their homes. If there is hope for our world and for our children, this may be where it begins.

—From Bringing God Home: Family Devotions for the Christian Year by James L. Evans