The Directory for Private (Family) Worship #4

In recent weeks we have been working our way through the Directory for Private (Family) Worship. Today we are continuing our look at the Directory for Private (Family) Worship with a brief look at the fourth point.

IV. The head of the family is to take care that none of the family withdraw himself from any part of family-worship: and, seeing the ordinary performance of all the parts of family-worship belongeth properly to the head of the family, the minister is to stir up such as are lazy, and train up such as are weak, to a fitness to these exercises; it being always free to persons of quality to entertain one approved by the presbytery for performing family-exercise. And in other families, where the head of the family is unfit, that another, constantly residing in the family, approved by the minister and session, may be employed in that service, wherein the minister and session are to be countable to the presbytery. And if a minister, by divine Providence, be brought to any family, it is requisite that at no time he convene a part of the family for worship, secluding the rest, except in singular cases especially concerning these parties, which (in Christian prudence) need not, or ought not, to be imparted to others.

In more contemporary English we might put it this way. The head of the family is responsible for ensuring that everyone in the family participates in family worship. To that end, the pastor of his church ought to be encouraging and training heads of households for this duty. In some cases, a head of household might not feel the most qualified in his household to lead in this duty, or he might be unfit for this duty. In this case, the pastor of his church and the elders there may approve another in his place. Finally, if pastor is in a household, he should ensure that he leads family worship with everyone present except in special cases.

There is certainly some wisdom in this part of the directory. It does seem Scriptural that the head of the family ensure all of the family are involved in family worship. Additionally, it seems part of the duties of a pastor and his eldership team to encourage and train the household leaders of their congregations to perform this duty well. This would seem to be part of what it means to shepherd the flock. Thus when Paul writes to fathers, he reminds them of their duties in bringing up their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

Once again I am not comfortable with this point in its entirety. This may be a result of the cultural blind spots of individualism, but it seems odd to me that this rule assumes that a pastor should lead family worship when he comes into the home of a family in his church. I may be reading this direction incorrectly, but that’s what it seems to imply to me. My understanding (which may be wrong), would be that a pastor is coming into the home of a household leader. That would mean he is entering into the sphere of another man’s authority. While he has spiritual oversight of the flock in his care, and can and should correct error, he should also show respect for a man’s leadership in his own family. Slavishly following this approach potentially undermines the good work this directory is trying to achieve, by elevating the role of the ‘priestly’ class of Christians as if they have more direct access to God than lay Christians. On the other hand, one would hope that the minister is more equipped to teach and lead family worship than most of his congregation given that he inevitably will have spent more time studying the Scriptures. A household leader with a pastor present in his time of family worship will no doubt be blessed by his insight.