Question:
My neighbors are
Church of Christ members. Every Sunday, I observe
that their little children are dressed in formal attire and attend to what they
call Pagsamba ng Kabataan (Children Worship Service-CWS). Unlike the
children in my religion, this children attend such Sunday activity such Sunday
activity regularly and on time prescribed by your Church. Is this Pagsamba ng Kabataan really necessary? I’ve
heard from a friend who is also a member of your church that all your doctrines
are anchored and based on the Bible. What is your biblical basis for having
this worship service for children?
Answer:
Concerning
little children, the Bible commands us to train them in the right way:
“Train children
in the right way, and when old, they will not stray. (Prov. 22:6, New Revised Standard Version)
“O Lord, you
alone are my hope; I’ve trusted you from childhood.” (Ps. 71:5, Living Bible)
“Remember now
thy Creator in days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years
draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them.” (Eccl. 12:1, King James Version)
As part of their
training or upbringing, the primary values we need to teach and instill in the
children in the Church are recognizing and valuing their primary obligation to
worship God, as part of His nation (Ps. 95:6-7); recognizing and trusting the
Lord as their only hope (Ps. 71:5); and remembering God in the days of their
youth (Eccl. 12:1).
Bear in mind
that Christ has commandment to feed His lambs or young sheep:
“So when they
had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon, son of Jonah, do you
love Me more than these’? He said to Him, ‘Yes, Lord; You know that I love
You’. He said to him, ‘Feed My lambs’.
“He said to him
again a second time, ‘Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these’? He
said to Him, ‘Tend My sheep’.” (Jn. 21:15-16, New King James Version)
By the term
“sheep”, the Lord means those in the flock:
“I have other
sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will
listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.” (Jn. 10:16,
New International Version)
Apostle Paul
expounds that the flock is the Church
of Christ which was
purchased by Christ through His blood.
“Take heed
therefore to yourselves and to all the flock over which the Holy Spirit has
appointed you overseers, to feed the church
of Christ which he has
purchased with his blood.” (Act 20:28, Lamsa
Translation).
The “sheep”
mentioned by Christ therefore refers to the members of the Church of Christ,
and by the terms “lambs”, the Lord thus refers to the young or little members
of the Church.
To feed the
“lambs” is to teach them the word of God, for God’s words are the foods of our
soul (Ps. 107:9; Jer. 15:16; Mt. 4:4). In the Pagsamba ng Kabataan (Children’s Worship Service), the children in
the Church are taught of the words of God, for part of his holy occasion is
studying God’s will (I Cor. 14:26, 15). They are dressed in formal attire
because the occasion is holy as the Bible teaches:
“Thy decrees are
very sure; holiness befits thy house, O Lord, for evermore.” (Ps. 93:5, Revised Standard Version)
“Worship the Lord in holy array; tremble before him,
all the earth!” (Is. 96:9, Ibid.)
Children in the
Church are trained and guided to attend the worship service regularly for the
apostles admonish the true worshippers not to neglect such gathering (He.
10:25).
One of the
characteristics of the true congregational worship is its orderliness (I Cor.
14:26, 40). To observe orderliness, there is a scheduled time when the
worshippers must convene themselves to praise the Lord. The setting of the
schedule of this kind of worship is done by the Church administration, for they
are given the authority to decide on matters concerning service to God (Mt.
18:19). This is why parents or guardians in the Church are rearing their
children not only to value their attendance in worship service, but also to
observe punctuality in performing such duty.