Check Your Children at the Door

A gentleman named Gary Lamb has posted an update on his blog explaining his church's new "no-children" rule. You may read the whole thing here, but it's not difficult to explain: No young children allowed in the service.

Generally I am of two minds about this though I disagree with Lamb's policy and his rationale is terrible.

Churchgoers are human beings. Attending worship has not made us above being distracted and annoyed. We don't have a "right" to listen to a sermon without interruption, but common courtesy dictates removing a noisy child from the service. Unfortunately common courtesy is scarce and indulgence frequently trumps responsibility.

I also have to wonder, at what point does it defeat the purpose of attending worship if you miss the service because you are in the hallway with your child?

On the other hand, as Ms. Neidlinger (who is on a roll) points out, "suffer the little children to come unto Me" can hardly mean forbidding them to attend worship with their parents because they have a propensity to squirm. Or because you have a vision to be a church that turns away families in the sanctuary.

And let's be honest. There are a fair number of teenagers that can't sit through church without two visits to the bathroom. I doubt a "no teenagers" rule will surface at Mr. Lamb's church anytime soon.

Isn't there a compromise? Perhaps the conscientious parent who has a child that absolutely will not sit through service can consider the nursery from time to time. Conversely the indulgent parent should consider whether or not their children's ability to sit through service is due in part to their unwillingness to try it.

And maybe, if God will help us, we will all "in honor, give preference to one another." Even the kiddos.