May 10, 2023

Family Worship: What It Really Is

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by Katie Rapp

Our 6-year-old daughter showed us how to worship God on a recent beautiful spring afternoon.  We stopped by my dad’s business and he wasn’t feeling well. 

Mae was concerned for her Grandpa, so she immediately prayed… “God, you made everything and everyone.  Please help Pop with what he’s going through.  We love you.  Amen.”  She stated that God was all-powerful and asked that God would use that power to help her Grandpa.  

Worship = giving worth. 

We worship when we give someone or something worth by way of our time, attention, heart, and resources.  While our world is constantly tempting us to worship temporary things, the Bible tells us that, “The grass withers and the flowers fade, but the word of our God stands forever” (Isaiah 40:8). 

God gave Jesus to save us and is the only one truly worthy of our worship.  

What does that look like in the midst of a full family life? 

Is it possible to focus on God while we’re running late to the soccer game?  How do we praise God for his provision when the bills are due and we need to buy gifts for seventeen of our kids’ friends that were all born in the same month? 

Can parents worship God when we doubt or when we’re afraid?  Is there time for worshiping God when there are lunches to be packed, dogs to be walked, social media to be checked, dirty dishes to be ignored, laundry, baseball, karate, gymnastics, work, friends, exercise, Netflix? 

How do we worship God when it feels like each day takes everything we’ve got?  

One way to worship together as a family is right in the middle of busy, messy lives. 

See a beautiful sunset coming home from the crazy baseball game?  Thank God for it together. 

Did the lion at the zoo come close to the window?  Remind your family that the strength and muscles of the lion point us to God’s power. 

Do your kids have a favorite teacher, coach, or Grace K!DS volunteer?  Thank God together that they’re in your lives.  

Another way to worship as a family is to show our kids that we’re dependent on God. 

When we struggle, are hurt, or fearful, it’s an opportunity to show our family that God can be trusted.  Praise God for his goodness and faithfulness, ask him to help, and let your kids see that we can give our concerns to him.  

Worshiping during the rhythms of life leads to one more way we can worship as a family: at the worship gathering with our church family. 

We don’t need to pretend that we’ve got it all together, that everyone brushed their teeth, or that no one yelled during the car ride to church.  But, we do need to be with other believers, encourage each other, and rest in the hope we have in Jesus.  

Life happens.  It’s a full, confusing, sad, joyful, and beautiful adventure.  God is in it with us, so a great way to worship him as a family is to be aware of his presence and include him in the journey. 

Looking for a community or someone to grab coffee with who is in a similar life season? We’d love to connect with you and get to know you better! Below you will find a few people that can’t wait to meet you, shoot us an email so we can make a plan!

Tyler OJ Campus

Teresa Ator: teresaa@gcc.org

Bethanie Tayler: bethaniet@gcc.org

Tyler UB Campus

Max Heller: maxh@gcc.org

Chrisleigh Heller: chrisleighh@gcc.org

Lindale Campus

Molly Pontius: mollyp@gcc.org

Debra Kirby: debra@gcc.org

Kyle Smith is the Worship Director at the Lindale Campus of Grace Community Church.  Kyle and his wife Kristy have two children, Wyatt and Mae, as well as Tex the dog and Whiskers the cat. In his free time, Kyle enjoys doing anything with family and running dangerously close to Lindale traffic. He wants to encourage readers to hang in there!