Nodak, I completely get what you're saying. It's easy for us to "do" church instead of "be" the church.
Years ago before my dh got ordained, our oldest was in pre-school and our youngest was an infant. My Sunday schedule went like this:
8 am--orchestra practice
9:15 am--church nursery (feed my baby and work nursery for Sunday School)
10:15 am--get together choir music and get in choir loft or orchestra area while my baby cries in the nursery, needing a nap but unable to take one
10:30-12:15--Morning worship
After this we'd go home and have lunch, clean up the dishes, let the kids nap, etc.
4:30--choir practice while kids are in nursery, trying to eat a snack in place of dinner
6 to 7:30 pm--Evening service. If there are any after church meetings, we are there longer. By the time we get home, everyone is starving and cranky and tired.
Don't get me wrong, our pastor was a good man, but he constantly expected the church to stay "BUSY" for the Lord. We were so busy, we didn't have time for our marriage or our children. When I finally gave up choir, I got a big guilt trip for being a "slacker."
Now our kids are teens and I regret them spending so much time in the church nursery instead of with their family.
Years ago before my dh got ordained, our oldest was in pre-school and our youngest was an infant. My Sunday schedule went like this:
8 am--orchestra practice
9:15 am--church nursery (feed my baby and work nursery for Sunday School)
10:15 am--get together choir music and get in choir loft or orchestra area while my baby cries in the nursery, needing a nap but unable to take one
10:30-12:15--Morning worship
After this we'd go home and have lunch, clean up the dishes, let the kids nap, etc.
4:30--choir practice while kids are in nursery, trying to eat a snack in place of dinner
6 to 7:30 pm--Evening service. If there are any after church meetings, we are there longer. By the time we get home, everyone is starving and cranky and tired.
Don't get me wrong, our pastor was a good man, but he constantly expected the church to stay "BUSY" for the Lord. We were so busy, we didn't have time for our marriage or our children. When I finally gave up choir, I got a big guilt trip for being a "slacker."
Now our kids are teens and I regret them spending so much time in the church nursery instead of with their family.
