Educating the Future Church

Riding in the car yesterday my eldest (age 13) began an impassioned case for a family visit to his grandparents’ next spring.  I’d like to go, too, I explained, but traveling to Hawaii is expensive and if we do it we should do it for more than a few days.  There are no chunks of time we all have free in the Spring, I said.

“What about Spring Break?,” he asked.

Well, I explained, Spring Break always falls during Holy Week, and since Holy Week is the biggest work week of the year in church circles, well, I couldn’t possibly get away.

“Why don’t you ask your boss if you can go?,” he asked.  Then, puzzled, he continued: “Wait a minute.  Who is your boss anyway?”

And this, my friends, was how a great parental teaching moment was born. 

I explained to Hayden that, being Baptists, we govern ourselves.  In other words, the entire congregation is my boss, in a way.

Long pause.

“Are you saying that I’m your boss?,” he asked.

“Well, yes, I guess so,” I answered.

Long pause.

“Well, in that case, I’ll need you to stop the car and get me a Coke.”