Family Worship by Donald S. Whitney
If parenting seems hard; family worship seems harder.
That was my initial thought before I picked up Family Worship by Donald S. Whitney. This little book is less than one hundred pages but certainly doesn’t lack any value for being a quick read. After reading it, I felt encouraged and empowered to embrace the biblical idea that fathers should “bring up their children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4) with a little more zeal.
Donald Whitney opens the book by laying out the biblical precedent for husbands and fathers leading the home in family worship. Shortly thereafter, Whitney shares a lot of stories about various pastors and famous Christians in church history that have kept a healthy rhythm of family worship and makes reference to Charles Spurgeon, John Piper, and others. The brief stories about these figures are helpful and challenging while never presented in a condescending or legalistic tone.
Family worship is essentially defined by Whitney as creating and cultivating an environment in the home where God is worshipped in all of life but especially through three specific rhythms: reading, singing, and praying.
The book goes on to elaborate on each of those three rhythms with very practical advice and guidance that will help each reader determine what specific approach may fit their family dynamic best. Whitney does a great job of sharing personal stories of success as well as some failure while also pointing out that the discipline of family worship over the long haul is far more important than the daily “mountain experiences”.
I really like that Whitney included a chapter on what to do if there isn’t a husband in the home or the husband isn’t a believer or even if a man is single. He provides some timeless wisdom in these areas that readers will find helpful and encouraging.
Lastly, at the end of the book, there are discussion questions for each chapter which makes this book an even more valuable resource for small groups, churches, or other groups that are interested in learning and studying this topic together.
Overall, this book is a quick read, very valuable, and immediately applicable. I give it a high recommendation to anyone looking into leading their family to read Scripture, pray together and sing together.