Family Worship on the Beatitudes

We have recently just finished learning about the Beatitudes with the kids during family worship. I thought I would share a few things that we did. This is probably more for my information so that I can go back at a later date and see what we have done. Some of the words were hard for the kids to understand as well as the concepts. However, I hope our attempts at making them more understandable will impact their hearts and attitudes.

We introduced the topic by heading to Mt. Hesston (a hill used for sledding in our town) one evening. You can see a previous blog post about some of the details from the night. However, Bethany reminded me that I forgot to post how Molly did not hesitate to go up the hill "for worship" instead of playing on the playground. We sat together on the hill and I read Matthew 5:1-12. We talked about how the Beatitudes are attitudes that we should show in our lives.

For those new to my blog, here is what we do for family worship: one of the kids will start our time by playing a song on the piano, we then read Scripture and talk about it and try and have a creative way to teach it such as act it out, draw a picture, an object lesson, dance, or song, then Molly always picks a song and a different kids picks a song to sing as well, the third child who has not played piano or picked the song will then ask for prayer requests and pray, and we close with one of the kids playing piano again. This is what works most of the time at our house. It is sometimes chaotic and sometimes does not go as planned, but we continue on.

During the study on the Beatitudes, we would look at one or two verses each evening. Here are some of the things we did:

• Poor in spirit-Bethany had a box of brownies on the table unopened. When it was time to talk about being poor in spirit, we had Megan pick up the box and open it. It was empty! Bethany then explained that is what we are like without God in our life. We are empty and only God can fill us.
• Mourn-We talked about the most recent funeral we had attended which was Great Aunt Onie's. We talked about the sadness people have when someone dies. We then explained that God is the comfort we need during those times of sadness.
• Meek or Gentle-We asked the kids what meek meant and they had no idea. I then had them go to their rooms and get a stuffed animal that they thought was meek. While they were gone, Bethany went and got a lamb which we hid from sight. The kids brought dogs and cats. I then explained that meek or gentle is like a lamb and then showed them the animal. We talked about the characteristics of a lamb and how we can be like that in our lives too.
• Righteousness or Justice-We talked about the image of a courtroom. I asked how does a judge determine if someone is innocent or guilty. The kids offered their ideas. I then explained that the judge looks at what the law says and what the person does. We talked about how many of our laws are based on Scripture. I explained that God's Word should be our guideline as to what is right and wrong. We also talked about how we should "speak up" for those who are not receiving justice in our world like people who are homeless or children that are mistreated. On a side note: the girls and I went on a walk after this time and they had some great questions clarifying what justice and righteousness was. It was great to help them understand it better.
• Mercy-We talked about mercy is loving others when they don't deserve it. I asked what an example would be. This one was hard for them too. I explained that showing mercy would be loving Molly even though she came into your room and messed up your favorite thing (for Mitchell-it would be legos; for the girls-it was her dropping various objects in the fish tank). Instead of yelling at her, we could calmly tell her no and show love. I explained that the ultimate picture of mercy is Jesus dying on the cross for us. We deserve death, but Jesus loved us and paid the price for us and offers us life.
• Pure in heart-To start this discussion, I had two clear glasses of water. I also had Mackenzie get me some dirt from outside. We talked about things that make our heads, eyes, and hearts not pure. Each example such as: anger, watching a scary or bad show, being unkind, believing a lie about God, etc., I added a pinch of dirt into one glass. At the end, I held up the glass and showed them that I could not see through the glass any more because of the dirt. Then I explained that through Jesus death on the cross, we can be forgiven and pure in heart. I held up the glass of water that was clear. It is only through Jesus that it is possible. We talked about repentance and asking to be forgiven to allow us to clearly be able "to see God."
• Peacemakers-I told the kids at lunch to draw a picture of peace or of a peacemaker. Then during our family time, they shared their pictures. Megan drew a picture of "peaceful" things such as rain, trees and grass. Mitchell drew a "peace factory" where they manufacture peace. Mackenzie drew a picture of a girl in her room listening to peaceful music and being quiet. We then talked about what peace means such as the absence of war, but also that it is an inner peace that is given by God. We asked how we can be about peace in our family and world.
• Persecuted-We usually meet in our living room for family worship, but on this night we grabbed a flashlight and went into a closet in our basement. I read Scripture, we sang, and prayed in the dark. We talked about Christians throughout the world who are persecuted for their faith in Jesus. We explained how they have to worship in secret and do not have the opportunities we have to freely worship in public, go to a Christian bookstore or concert. We talked about what would happen if the government found out about their faith or if they shared Jesus with others that they could be beaten, imprisoned, or even killed. Bethany closed our time by reading a little excerpt from Safely Home by Randy Alcorn.

I really enjoyed our times together. At times, the concepts seemed to be above their heads, but I think with our activities they have a better understanding of the Beatitudes. I hope by sharing these things it will encourage you to try something like this in your home. It does not have to be long-we are usually done in 15 minutes. It does not have to be complicated. It does not have to be every day. However, I do know it must be planned and intentional. If you are interested, please let me know and I can share some resources with you.