Taking the Kids to Church

In Acts 16, we can encounter the story of the apostle Paul and his associate Silas, who had been imprisoned for their faith.  One night, they worshiped God in prison and the prison doors were opened and their chains removed.  The jailer, seeing what had happened, wanted to take his own life, but Paul restrained him.  We pick up the story in verse 30:
30 And he brought them out and said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"
31 So they said, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household."
32 Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house.
33 And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes. And immediately he and all his family were baptized.

The instance of worship involving Paul and Silas had a profound impact on not only the jailer, but his family as well.  They were able to preach to the jailer's family, and they were all saved and baptized.  On this Mother's Day, we can remember the importance of a godly mom, and how sometimes it's just one member of a family standing with Christ who can have a powerful effect on the entire family.  We can be faithful to follow the Spirit and to walk in the opportunities God provides.

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In Joshua 24, we see the Israelite leader's bold declaration about families serving the Lord together.  We can read:
14 "Now therefore, fear the Lord, serve Him in sincerity and in truth, and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the River and in Egypt. Serve the Lord!
15 And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."

The image of Hollywood stars taking their children to church can really cause us to think about the state of our culture, and sadly, in some cases, the absence of fathers in spiritual development. I have two cases in point.

First of all, it's hard to pinpoint what flavor of religion Nicole Kidman practices.  She was married to a Scientologist, Tom Cruise, and she says that her current husband, singer Keith Urban essentially does his own thing, religiously speaking.  That's according to a Faithwire article, which says:

Actor Nicole Kidman admitted during a recent interview with Vanity Fair that her friends often “tease” her for believing in God and choosing to raise her children in church.

The Oscar-winning celebrity, married to country singer Keith Urban, told the magazine faith has played a pivotal role in her life, but said she has “a lot” of friends who poke fun at her religious convictions. She revealed she and Urban often take their kids — 10-year-old Sunday Rose and 8-year-old Faith Margaret — to church.

“That’s how we are raising our children,” Kidman said. “Keith has his own beliefs, but he comes, too. I had a very Catholic grandmother, and I was raised praying, so that had a massive impact.”

The article points out the the two children that Cruise and Kidman had together are believers in Scientology, but mom is apparently out to change that.  But, to change it to what?  Who knows?  In fact, as Faithwire points out, she explains, "I wouldn’t say it’s absolutism; there’s
constant questioning,” adding, “I’m a willful, feisty girl. For me, it’s very important that I don’t have judgment. My dad would always say, ‘Tolerance is the most important thing.’” But, last year, according to the article, "she told Allure she’s 'spiritual in the sense that I absolutely believe in God."

Seemingly less opaque about matters of faith is actor Jennifer Garner.  She, like Kidman appears to, takes the lead in taking her children to church.  Do a Google search, and you'll find instances where Garner and ex-husband Ben Affleck take their children to church.  The Daily Mail reported:

Heading to Church is a Sunday ritual for the Garner/Affleck family.

So it was no surprise that both Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner, 47, were spotted on Sunday heading to the Easter service with their three children.

Ahead of the session, the 46-year-old actor was spotted picking up some coffee with his youngest child, son Samuel, seven.

But, this may be a more recent development.  In late 2017, the International Business Times had spotlighted Garner's church attendance with the kids, without Ben.  But, he had spent some time in rehab for addiction to alcohol.

Garner apparently experienced a faith re-awakening in her life through her involvement with the film, Miracles from Heaven, in which she played Christy Beam, the mother of a little girl who had survived a fall in a hollow tree and who had recounted a heavenly visit immediately after she fell.  A USA Today story states:

Faith has long played a role in Garner's life: She and estranged husband Ben Affleck had their three children baptized at the same United Methodist church she attended while growing up in West Virginia. "My parents and little sister and her family still go there," Garner says.

But "I think I had become complacent in raising my children, almost as though (I thought) they were going to receive the ground beneath their feet that heaven had given me through osmosis," she says. Returning home after filming, Garner raised the subject with her kids, "and they said, 'Well, we want to go to church.' "

Garner "was floored, and I immediately looked up the local United Methodist church. We went there next Sunday, and it turned out to be the perfect environment. We've gotten so much from it; it's like a gift Christy gave me."

It is encouraging to see high-profile entertainment types who are seeking God.  Not always an accurate picture of Christianity, but there are still some takeaways for us.  For one thing, remember the image of mothers or a set of parents who are taking their children to church. This communicates powerfully about parents' God-given role in the spiritual nurture of children - the primary responsibility does not belong to the Church, but local churches and ministries can be powerful means of support for Christ-honoring parents.  And, for kids who are not in homes where the word of God is at the center, organizations can become key and even help to get parents involved in a local church.  The family has been ordained by God as a place where His truth can be taught and modeled.

And, as the stories of these two moms can remind us, that is an image that is seemingly less popular these days - there may be criticism for pursuing God or even participating in religious practice.  Unfortunately, with so many who are not practicing faith, we can be seen as countercultural, and that's OK.  Because our children - and our culture - need the example of people who are practicing God's Word, not a cultural interpretation of His truth, but the accurate declaration of His principles.