What a theological education will do to your parenting
As we took the “walk of shame” home from church (early) my mind is not only going to the parenting questions, but beating myself up over the theology of taking the 6 year old out of church and home before communion after repeated warnings to cut out the temper tantrum she started when she got back from Sunday School and the sermon had been a hair long and she had to wait through the prayers and offertory for the feast. I am now sitting on the floor in my bedroom. (I went to my room since she wouldn’t stay in hers…I hope she hasn’t destroyed the house.)
I’m a huge proponent of welcoming children at the table as soon as they are baptized. They’re covenantal children; this is the covenantal meal. My kids are huge fans of communion at this point.
So, what I essentially did was bar my child from the table by taking her home early. In dramatic fashion. I took her out the center aisle and she ran back in from the narthex down the side aisle. I had to catch her. In my heels. Then we walked home, her kicking and screaming the entire block long walk, I should note.
Did I do the right thing? I tried the right things to calm the tantrum (redirection, I stayed calm, warnings with natural consequences). But it didn’t work.
Maybe I should have leather loose it until we could get up the aisle for a little bread. God seems OK with desperation and, to be fair, this lovely little church is very gracious about children in worship (I’m actually more worried the sweet old ladies will judge me for being too strict).
Jesus would totally know what to have done. But I’m not Jesus.
I’m glad sweet Jesus is forgiving because we both need it.
Maybe Erik will sneak a little bread home in his pocket.
Lord, have mercy.
That sucks. I know exactly what you are going through. ;)(inside joke. sorry.)
What I have had to remind myself while watching my young ‘uns behavior from behind the table is that this is their opportunity to learn about worship and worshiping behavior. There is appropriate behavior and inappropriate behavior. When something like this happened with my oldest once, the way I thought about it at that time was that she was clearly not in a place where she was able to receive communion, and that there would be other opportunities for her to be able to.
But it doesn’t make it any easier in the moment. Blech.
4 November 2012 at 2:23 pm