Teaching Children the Liturgy
What age is best to start teaching the Liturgy? From the very beginning I would say... but saying something and practical application are two different things. It has been too easy to fall into the trap of letting your kids read books, color, or do anything else but pay attention to what's happening in church. That is my own fault, my own most grievous fault. It was helpful when the kids were very young and could not pay attention but I think it has outgrown its usefulness. So now I'm re-evaluating some things and factoring in other new things. One thing to consider is that the White Church has gotten the new hymnal and the whole congregation is learning to use it - good time to involve the kids in learning it too. Another factor - my children's personalities and abilities, and they are not the same between the two of them. Another thing to consider is my expectation for them, that is, whether I am being realistic or not. In my perfect scenario, they would keep their hands folded and all the while standing, sitting, ect. in the proper order and they would be devoutly silent when not speaking their parts in the liturgy. That is not realistic for my children. Instead my aim is to... well, I'm not sure just yet.
But that is me trying to make my kids do something. I read somewhere this advice - talk to your children less about God and talk to God more about your children. What a sweet relief! Even if my kids did fit the " perfect" scenario, it still would not be perfect because what I desire is not so much that they would be liturgical robots but that the Holy Spirit and the love of God would so fill their hearts that prayer in the Church would be their desire, their nature. I can only pray. I can only cling to my Lord Jesus and pray that He would show the mercy He has promised, that He would bring to completion the good work He has begun in my children, and that He would ever lead us in the one, true faith.
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
So while we still want to teach our children how to pray the Liturgy (and I thank God that He has blessed us to do so) perhaps the best thing to do is to just pray the Liturgy. Some part of me, perhaps the orderly Germanic part, would still like a practical A plus B formula, but I am much more relieved to throw that sort of thinking away.
But that is me trying to make my kids do something. I read somewhere this advice - talk to your children less about God and talk to God more about your children. What a sweet relief! Even if my kids did fit the " perfect" scenario, it still would not be perfect because what I desire is not so much that they would be liturgical robots but that the Holy Spirit and the love of God would so fill their hearts that prayer in the Church would be their desire, their nature. I can only pray. I can only cling to my Lord Jesus and pray that He would show the mercy He has promised, that He would bring to completion the good work He has begun in my children, and that He would ever lead us in the one, true faith.
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
So while we still want to teach our children how to pray the Liturgy (and I thank God that He has blessed us to do so) perhaps the best thing to do is to just pray the Liturgy. Some part of me, perhaps the orderly Germanic part, would still like a practical A plus B formula, but I am much more relieved to throw that sort of thinking away.
Comments
My two cents:
I can't tell you what works on Sunday, as I'm presiding and my wife is playing organ and my kids are on their own or with other members, but I have always told them I expect them to pray when we are praying. At home that means until age 2-4 or so, it's just an announced expectation with little follow-through: "Jack, we're going to pray now," while he walks around goo-gooing. But as they're growing, that's changing and they're expected to be more quiet and attentive.
As far as the liturgy, my kids just do it. At home Vespers, they not only are singing "their parts" but my part too, and that's okay with me. They'll learn that Dad/Pastor's part is his own soon enough, and I'd rather have them sing "Da Lowd be wid youooo" than nothing at all :)
Evelyn (five years old) is a whole other issue. She doesn't like to sing - at all. She can read and I've been wanting her to read along with us at least. She is a perfectionist, so if she thinks she can't do something the right way the first time, she is more apt to not try at all (not in all things, but usually when she doesn't want to do something). I can't force her of course but the trick is to find some way for her to be involved that she will enjoy. She likes to help out, so maybe something as simple as "will you turn the page for me?" might be enough to get her interested. Actually, that might work!! I will have to try it and see. And keep praying.
The image I have heard of how one is to pray in Liturgy, more generally, is "like a candle": standing straight and tall, on fire. I love standing in the Orthodox Church, because at least I can do this - standing in the Presence of the King.