R. G. MCKENZIE, B.A., graduated from the Federal College of the Bible in 1950 and secured his B.A. Degree at Melbourne University in 1953. Mr. McKenzie has served the churches at Newmarket and North Richmond, Vic., and has been at Toowoomba, Qld., since March, 1956.

      "God enters by a secret stair into every individual."--ALISTAIR MACLEAN.

      These words are thought-provoking. I would venture to say that for many people, their first thoughts of God came from their parents. For many people, the home was the first place where they came to know about the Bible and prayer.

      The "family altar" (i. e. family worship) was a very real part of family life in many homes in years gone by. However, it seems that in the last 20 years or so the custom has ceased in many homes. It is not very prevalent today. In many homes the big family Bible (with its fascinating pictures, illustrations and "family tree") was opened every day, and the family read and prayed together. In my own home experience this was not so. But I well remember spending some months in a home where family worship was a regular part of the daily routine. It made a deep impression upon me. I think family worship has at least four very definite values.

      When family worship become a natural part of the daily family life it is helping to counteract the idea that religion is "just for Sundays." It helps each member of the family (and possibly others who visit the home or know of it) to realise that religion should be taken into every phase of life Family worship will help children particularly, to grow up with the New Testament concept that God is vitally interested in all the daily activities of their lives. It will help them to see that Christianity is a way of living--seven days a week--and not something that takes place on Sundays, weddings, funerals and baptisms.

      Part of family worship is the saying of "grace" before meals. In many homes this has disappeared or is kept for special occasions. It should be a natural part of home life, too. If God has been good to you, then pause before you partake of a meal and thank Him. Sometimes with children it is helpful to sing "grace."

      (Some suggestions will be found at the end of this pamphlet.)

      This, in turn, will help to keep the home united. The slogan (oft-used by Roman Catholics), "The family that prays together stays together" is true and proven by experience.

      By nature of the subject, this pamphlet will not be very provocative. But I want to make a statement on this point which some may challenge. I do not know of a single case of delinquency or divorce in a family where family worship is held regularly (and entered into by both parents and children), and where both parents and family regularly attend Church. I do know of cases of divorce and delinquency where both parents (or sometimes only one) attend Church and the children used to

go until they became teenagers, therefore it would seem that family worship is most important. Church attendance is necessary, but to ensure happy family life, and thus help to prevent divorce or delinquency, family worship is essential.

      In a recent edition of a religious periodical, the front page carried a picture of a family of nine gathered together as a unit around a meal table. Underneath were these challenging words, "Is this not rather too rare in our day, when each has to keep his or her separate appointment and rush away in order not to be late? But this picture shows more: it shows the family together at worship (father is leading in prayer). The fact that this is an even more rare sight cannot but bear tragic fruit in the life of our Church and of our country. God grant us a return to family worship!" In the same journal the Editor wrote: "If parents only stopped to reflect on what is the greatest boon they could bestow on themselves and on their children, we have no hesitation in saying that the only answer would be: family devotions, the establishment of the family altar. To deny the basic and beautiful experience of family worship to children is to deprive them of their Christian birthright. How can responsible parents shift this responsibility elsewhere? Every boy believes in his father, but if a father never prays, never reads the Bible or talks about Christ it is only natural that the boy will not do it either. The way to build a strong spiritual family is through the family altar"

      A third value is quite obvious.

      If as Christians, we need to feed on the Word of God to grow, then spiritual malnutrition and stunted growth must be very widespread. An American preacher recently conducted a Bible literacy test on Sunday morning among his congregation. The results were staggering. Nearly one-quarter of the adult members of that Sunday's congregation (which was 300) could not identify "Calvary" as the place of Jesus' death. "Gethsemane" rang no bell for 43 per cent, and "Pentecost" had no significance for 75 per cent.

      The percentage of 300 with an excellent score (90-100) was 5%, good (70-85) was 12%, sketchy knowledge (50-65) was 20%, and Biblically illiterate (0-45) was 63%.

      Some answers were:

      Amos: "The husband of Mary whom he brought back to life."

      Pentecost: "Where Jesus went alone to overcome his temptations."

      Gethsemane: "A city of Egypt."

      Bible knowledge among Christian people (not to mention non-Christians) is often very limited. Family worship helps each member of the family to become familiar with the Word of God, which is the sword of the Spirit. Our study of the Bible should not be limited to family worship. If you want help and guidance in Bible study, you may like to attend extension lectures at the College of the Bible, or do the Correspondence Course. Unfortunately, some of our members have taken on Bible lessons supplied free by groups like Seventh Day Adventists. Per medium of the radio the Adventists and other groups offer these free Bible courses and many people write in. Let us be careful in our choice of Bible studies. Our plea is that the Bible should be read in the home as an act of family worship.

      A fourth value, though while not as important as the first three, is still worth mentioning.

      Daily Bible reading enables the family to become familiar with names of towns, coins, governors, districts, etc. It teaches the reader to read in such a manner that the rest of the family can hear. In fact I know some eight-year-olds who read better than some of the men I have heard read in Churches of Christ morning services!

      Undoubtedly family worship has very definite values and ought to be part of the daily routine in every Christian home. One man put it this way, "He who is not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ will cultivate the Gospel in the family circle."

      It is pertinent to ask how much time, if any, is devoted to this cultivation. Is family worship conducted regularly in many Christian homes? Unfortunately I think the answer is in the negative. Confining our remarks to our own Movement, in an average congregation I doubt if 50% of the homes represented have regular family worship. In some congregations less than 40% would regularly engage in family worship.

      The values from family worship are values which we cannot afford to lose, and parents must provide the time for family worship. Some of the so-called "heathen" people of the world put us to shame in the matters of personal and family devotions.

      As regards the pattern or form to be followed in family worship, there are different ways, and many aids to help.

      It is commonly held after the morning or evening meal, when all the family (excluding shift-workers) is usually together. Some families read together from their own Bibles, others take it in turns to read. Some use the Daily Bible Reading booklet (supplied through Austral and other church book-rooms). In conjunction with this, some families read the notes on the readings as supplied in "The Australian Christian." We would commend the practice of some Churches in supplying free, to each church family annually, the Daily Bible Reading booklet. Others follow the readings set out in "Skyways", while others prefer the "Upper Room" or Scripture Union publications. Where there are only adults in a home, some prefer Barclay's Daily Bible Readings. One book published last year by Concordia Publishing House (America) and entitled "New Frontiers for Spiritual Living", is a book of devotions "for people who are growing spiritually with the years." This is a helpful book for "senior citizens." I think it is helpful to use different translations of the Bible occasionally. The Basic English New Testament is very good where there are young children in the family. I know some people prefer the Authorised Version, but translations such as J. B. Phillips (and you can now obtain the whole New Testament in one volume) are extremely interesting and help make the message of the Bible really live in the modern idiom.

      Bible readings should not be too long when there are very young children present. An excellent book of devotions for families with young children is "Little Visits With God" by Jahsmann & Simon. The book was first published in March 1957, and the fifth printing in June, 1958, brought the total copies in print to 90,000. It is a book of 200 simple readings. You may prefer to use it for bed-time devotions, but it would be admirably suited for family table devotions where there are young children resent. (Children of pre-school age [when it comes

their turn to read] can repeat a short Bible reading after the mother or father.)

      Following the Bible reading, there may be a short explanation or discussion of the passage.

      This will be followed by prayer (one or more taking part). Where children are present, prayers should be kept at the level of the child.

      Some families use prepared prayers, while others pray extempore. I think it is good to vary these two methods.

      Another part of family worship may be the suggestion of a suitable text for the day (or week) to be memorised. In secular education today there is not so much emphasis on memorising (word for word) as there was in the past. It has, however, definite values in relation to Bible texts and passages To have God's Word stored in the memory is often the only anchor in the storms of life.

      Family worship should not be an "extra" or a "burden." It should be a natural, regular part of family life in the home. It should be an appointment with God for the whole family. And when guests are present, it can be a witness. Don't drop family worship just because you have visitors. It is your home and you have the right and privilege of asking your guests to join with you in worship.

      In Deuteronomy 6:6-7 we have these words: "And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up."

      Let us all "hide God's Word in our hearts."

      There are some excellent sound films available on the subject of Family Worship. The films "Bible on the Table" and "Does Christ Live in Your Home?" are both very excellent (obtainable through the Australian Religious Film Society). "Faith of Our Families" is a more recent film, which gives an excellent coverage of the different methods that may be used.

      Readers of this pamphlet can be divided into two groups--

      (i) Those who live in homes where family worship is a regular part of home life, and

      (ii) Those who live in homes where family worship is rare or has never been started.

      Those in group (i) know the value of family worship. Don't neglect this important part of your home life.

      To those in group (ii) we would say--try to start family worship in your home today. If you are a parent, and in your own home, there is no reason why you should not start right away. If you live in a home where mother and/or father are not interested very much in spiritual things, it may be a little more difficult to convince them of the value of family worship. But try. Pray about it. Offer to conduct it. Show them this pamphlet.

      Let us seek to set up the Family Altar in every church home at least. For the sake of our families, our witness as a Movement, our nation, and because Christ has done so much for us, let family worship be part of our daily life.

      Here are some carefully selected "graces" that have proved their worth to a multitude of families. Maybe they could help you.

BEFORE ANY MEAL

      Accept our thanks, our Father, for all the blessings that are ours. We thank thee for this food, and for those whose toil has made it possible. We pray that this food may give us strength that we may give thee our best. Amen.

      Give us grateful hearts, our Father, for all thy mercies, and make us mindful of the needs of others; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

      Be present at our table, Lord. Be here and everywhere adored. These mercies bless, and grant that we may feast in fellowship with thee. Amen.

AT THE MORNING HOUR

AT NOON

IN THE EVENING

      For the day with its opportunities we return thanks, our Father. Accept our thanks for this food and for all the blessings which have come to surround our lives. Bless those who are less fortunate than we. And give us strength to serve thee better, we pray, in Jesus name. Amen.

PRAYER FOR THE HUNGRY

      Father, we thank thee for this food.
      For all thy love so great and good;
      Feed all the hungry ones today,
      Bless all the world with us, we pray. Amen.

FOR SUNDAY

      We thank thee, our Father, for all the blessings that are ours. We give thee thanks for friends, for fellowship, and for a great purpose. We thank thee for our home and for one another. Bless the church this day and may churches everywhere succeed in their great purposes. We thank thee for this food. May it give us strength to give thee our best.

Amen.