Begging indulgence for those of us for whom the above slogan is true of more than just abortion: consider the difference between someone who would write an article like this one, and someone who shrugs and says, "You're the one who had all those kids" when a mother beset by her long isolation from greater human society is turned away from yet another door with her children. (Those who believe all children of the non-celibate are choices also hold a rather fantastic belief in the power of contraception.)
HT: Debbie S. Thanks!
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*sigh* I am blessed to be in a congregation which lacks young families. It's been years since they saw an infant baptism, so my small brood and my uterus are held in high regard. I am glad that we no longer have a staffed nursery, as ousting the kids there during worship only serves to break up the Body of Christ. (If you want to see my husband angry, bring up "Children's Church.")
I just came from our Thursday morning Bible study where my 15-mo-old fussed until I finally nursed her there in front of God and everybody--a repeat of last Thursday. I only get positive comments on how sweet she is and how glad they are that I don't use her as an excuse not to come.
After reading that article, I'm feeling extra grateful!
"Lifestyle option." Sigh. Great article.
At one time I was slightly jealous of my non-LCMS friends that had a Bible study for each age group at their churches. I thought at the time that it would be wonderful to be in a Bible study with people my age. Looking back, at my big LCMS church, none of my good friends were my age. I think the ideas in this article start when we have segregated Bible study groups.
The end of the article scares me even more than the children in church-I agree with the author that it won't be long until the elderly are also asked to leave.
It was not lost when Elizabeth squawked in Ash Wednesday worship during the reading that mentioned nursing babies...
in our tiny congregation, we have members of all ages...and all are welcome,a and all an integral part of the worship life of Holy Cross.
I've actually had people comment that they LIKE to hear all of the kids in church,,,which is a good thing...on any given Sunday there are 20 members under the age of 18, and 18 over the age of 18...we've got some BIG families!
Children are important in the life of the church. This past Sunday we finally got to sign our constitution..., legally children cannot...but they got to sign their own symbolic page...and they were ever so proud to be charter members of Holy Cross!
PArdon my typos...I'm learning the hard way that BOTH girls are sensitive to cinnamon...after having a LOT of cinnamon bread this morning...two babes on my lap!
Long, long ago in a galaxy far far away we visited a church that had an announcement in the bulletin. "God made little children, noisy and squirmy; if you don't like how they behave in His house take it up with him." : ) Debbie S.
I can sympathize with this lady and how she must have felt. When we were at Sem. we attended a church for field work. The Pastor (no longer there) one Sunday morning during announcements at the end of church singled me out and said, "Debbie would you please take your noisy child out of church they are disturbing others who are trying to hear the announcements!" The big clincher was that it was NOT my children who were making the noise it was a person's child sitting in front of me. Boy was I embarrassed, and MAD. The fact is the people sitting around us knew it was not our children. My husband and the people sitting around us even informed the Pastor of his mistake and he never acknowledged his mistake nor apologized to me. I wanted to never go back to that church again. But I did and by the grace of God I forgave that Pastor - some people just do not like children - guess they forget they were little once too. On the other hand my husband has always embraced the little ones noise - show's that there is life in the congregation. Debbie S
One thing that I love about our church and our lovely lovely congregation is that they're the ones reassuring ME that my baby is NOT making too much noise and telling me to keep her in there. :) It probably helps that our Pastor and his wife have 4 smallish children of their own. I think that we have a staffed nursery, but I don't even know where it is.
Funny sort of related story, about the very child-friendly church that I grew up in:
We went to church with my parents last week because all of my sisters were in town and we're up to three grandbabies on the outside and one gestating and grandmas like to show off...
My niece was climbing across the laps and fell out of the pew into the aisle during the sermon.
"I FELL!"
the congregation snickers
(crawling back across the laps to get to her mom)
"I GOT TO TELL MY MOM THAT I FELL!"
the congregation giggles
(gets to her mom)
"MAMA! I FELL!"
(the congregation guffaws)
Priest (from the pulpit, mid-sermon): "Haley, are you okay back there? Did you fall?"
Haley: "I OKAY, BUT YOU'RE SPOSED TO WHISPER IN CHURCH!"
(the congregation falls over, laughing)
MooreMama, you made my day!
Oh, that's priceless! God love that priest.
Thanks, it made my day, too. :) She's two and more hilarious every. single. day.
The priest is a keeper, that's for sure. My parents' church loves him and he them - you can see it all over everyone's faces. If he'd been there when the MooreDaddy and I got married, we may be Episcopal and not LCMS, but then I wouldn't know any of you. :)
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