I value the liturgy greatly in the public worship of the church. But I must admit when considering what to do with my family at home, I thought things like the orders for Daily Prayer found in Lutheran Service book on pages 294-298 would just be all too formal for my crew. And so when we did devotions it was an unordered mess. When Lutheran Service Book came out, I decided to try the orders. I truly thought the children would protest against such an ordered approach.
But much to my surprise, they loved it and continue to enjoy it. Why? Because immediately they became part of it. They had their own parts which they quickly learned (better than their dad often). Oh yes, sometimes, they squirmed and yelled the words instead of reciting them with reverence. But amazingly even the youngest of my children quickly began to learn their parts.  Things like making the sign of the cross only added to their participation. And throughout the service they were learning the texts of the faith. And that meant that when they got to church, they could participate in the liturgy there as well.
I do not write this post to brag. Far from it. Our devotions as a family are not daily as they should be. When they occur, they sometimes are quite chaotic or otherwise uninspired to the outside eyes (thank goodness there are none.) I write it to encourage more parents and especially dads to use these resources in their homes. They are easy to use and lead the family through the important texts of the faith each day, not to mention giving opportunity to teaching and answering of questions. Think they are not right for your family? I challenge you. Try it anyways.
