I hadn't thought about the rhythms of call and response in our home until a sweet friend of mine posted these thoughts to her blog.
Growing up in a tradition that for the most part didn't have much formal liturgy in worship, it hasn't been until recently that a call and response has been a part of our rhythm at church.
Each week we take part in several call and responses as a time of worship. And I've loved it. The rich words. Hearing the good news that Jesus saves sinners. That He is my only hope. And when I say them out loud they go down deep from my lips to my heart. Rehearsing the gospel is so good for my soul.
So I've been thinking about the things we say in our home. Over and over. Without even realizing what we're saying.
If you spent a day in my home, you would hear things like:
"Keep your hands on your own body!"
"Find something positive to do."
"That's an outside ball."
"We use kind words on our home."
Over and over and over. Sometime in grace. Sometimes in anger.
Often in frustration.
But I do know of one thing that's repeated several times a day,
over and over, that I want spoken continually over our children and their
hearts. It's a sort of call and response that Isabelle and Jackson have heard
for years now.
Mommy or Daddy:
How do we
obey?
Bella or Jackson:
All the
way. Right away. In a happy way.
I didn't come up with this one. Over coffee at a party the sweet
Therese Engle shared this part of her parenting with me years ago and it
stuck.
It's easy for my kids to
remember. It's helpful for parenting and shepherding my kids hearts. They know
that they haven't fully obeyed unless it is done all the way, right away, and
in a happy way. That I'm more concerned about the attitude of their
heart than if they go through the motions of obedience.
But it stuck with me because I need to learn this same lesson from
my Father.
Child,
how do I want you to you obey?
All
the way, right away, and in a happy way.
Do we answer all of his call? Are we quick to follow his directions? And are our hearts delighting in obedience?
He doesn't want my
half-hearted devotion.
He doesn't want my
sluggish obedience.
He doesn't want my
begrudging service.
God doesn't just care
about if we do what he commands. He cares more about the how and why of our
obedience.
He cares about my heart posture when I obey.
I'm glad this is part of
our call and response in our home. My heart needs to hear it just as much as my
children. I need to say it out loud so it goes down deep from my lips to my
heart.
Yes, rehearsing the
gospel in my home is good for my soul.
How do we obey? I want to obey all the
way. Right away. And in a happy way.
When I shared this call & response with Jake he LIT up. We are starting this, most likely, tomorrow.
ReplyDelete