8.  Give reasons for and against “grace.”

     9.  Criticize the proposed plan of evening family prayers.

     10.  Describe any plans which have been tried.

     11.  Why is it desirable to maintain family worship?

FOOTNOTES: 

[24] For a study of children’s worship see H.H.  Hartshorne, Worship in the Sunday School; “Report of Commission on Graded Worship,” Religious Education, October, 1914.

[25] “Parents who give up such a practice as family prayers mainly because they know of many other people who have done the same are just as much the slaves of public opinion and ignorant cant as the narrowest Lowlander who forbids his children secular history on Sunday.”—­Lyttleton, Corner-Stone of Education, pp. 207-8.

[26] Quoted by W.S.  Athearn, The Church School.

[27] A number of good poems are given in A.R.  Wells, Grace before Meat.

[28] W.B.  Forbush gives a number of poetic forms of prayer for children in The Religious Nurture of a Little Child, pp. 12, 13.

[29] By Samuel Walter Foss.

[30] One handy form is The Heart of the Bible, prepared by E.A.  Broadus; another, The Children’s Bible.

CHAPTER XIII

SUNDAY IN THE HOME

Almost every family finds Sunday a problem.  Other days are well occupied with full programs; this one has a program for only part of its time.  Other days are rich with the liberty of happy action, but this one is frequently marked by inaction, repression, and limitations.  As soon as the evanescent pleasure of Sunday clothes has passed, for those for whom it existed at all, the children settle down to endure the day.

Sec. 1.  THE MEANING OF THE DAY

Fathers and mothers who vent a sigh of relief when Sunday is over must marvel at the strains of “O day of joy and gladness.”  Yet this day defeats its purpose when it is of any other character.  We have no right to rob it of its joy and its healing balm.  On the day made for man, sacred to his highest good, whatever hinders the real happiness of the child ought to be set aside.

Instead of accepting traditions regarding the method of observing the Sunday, would it not be worth while to ask ourselves, For what use of the day can we properly be held responsible?  Here are so many—­fifty-two a year—­days of special opportunity.  To us who complain that business interferes with the personal education of our children through the week, what ought this day to mean?  To us who lament the little time we can spend with our families, what ought this day to mean?  And what ought we to try to make it mean to children?

We call this God’s day; what must some children think of a God who robs his day of all pleasure?  If this is the kind of day he makes, then how unattractive would be his years and eternity!  It is the day when we have our best opportunity to show them what God is like, to interpret his world and his works in terms of beauty, kindness, riches of thought, and love.