We were informed on Friday that this Sunday we would have a "individual family worship" we could go to town for church, walk to a village church, stay on center and have church... whatever we chose.
So we came up with the idea to let our two kids run church. I thought "it'll be interesting, and it won't be too long." We had no idea when we presented them with the idea how much they would enjoy it!
That friday they began meeting together in secret and planning it. Then on Saturday they spent the day rehearsing it. Come Sunday morning we're awoken at 7am by my son in a button down collared shirt with his hair wetted and combed.
"is it time for church?"
We cooked breakfast first then headed over.
The kids ushered us into their location of choosing which was a grass hut (haus win) built over the side of the hill, a very nice location. They rang a bell of sorts, and there was a stump for the "preacher" to sit on.
My word of advice days before was "make this the kind of church you'll enjoy, so we know what you guys think church should be like."
Behind the stump was 4 books, and on the wall was an orange "program" written in kid handwriting.
The service lasted nearly one and a half hours as we sat on the floor of this hut.
Here is the Program:
1. singsing : sydney
First Pray
2. Story Buk Bibel : calvin
3. Bible : sydney
4. Hero tales : sydney
bathroom break
5. Pray: calvin
6. Bible: sydney
7. Buk Baibel: calvin
8. Pray : calvin
they had borrowed tok pisin worship books (four of them) from the school to hand out, and collect when the songs were over.
The first prayer was in tok pisin, my son led that. I was amazed.
then he read Genesis day 1-7 in tok pisin and my daughter read it in english afterwards
Then Sydney read a biography of Mary Slesser and told a few stories about this female missionary's life. She read about 10 large pages. (I asked later, so the perfect church for you is long... she replied ' i like long INTERESTING stuff like this'.)
Then we had a bathroom break as we'd been doing this for about 40 minutes now.
It was nice of them to consider that need.
Then my son prayed in English a prayer of thanks... a good one too!
And then they read for us Chronicles (the story of God giving Nathan the vision that David would be king).
During one moment I saw the beauty of the organization of this service in my daughter. She even planned at the end what my son in tok pisin should say
'Lotu i pinis, yupela go wokabout long haus bilong yu"
(church is over... go home)
I was amazed by it, by them, by their teamwork.
Another moment I almost was worked up to tears as I saw my son on the stump reading in Tok Pisin, the Baibel. If the only thing I ever do in life, is see my kids glorify God, that's more than I deserve. It's my aim as a parent and today we saw it, unfettered by our demands on them, or any other such bondage, they put together what I consider the best time of worship we've had in a few weeks, together as a family, taught by children. And until today I'd never heard of Mary Slesser so I can honestly say my children TAUGHT me today as well as led me into worship.
We never anticipated that God would bless us in this way, it was an off the cuff thought that I didn't think they'd run with, but they definitely ran with it, were excited about it, and spent 2 days on it. And they did a great job! I gotta figure God popped that idea into our heads so that He could bless us and bring the family together, which is an answer to a prayer we regularly have.
