"The writer was one of a large family of children and well remembers the Sunday afternoons spent in his village home. 'Playing church,' was one of its features. The chairs were placed in regular fashion, imitating the seating arrangements of a church, every one of us took his or her turn as preacher, hymns were sung, a real collection was taken and one of us, as preacher, took his text and preached the sermon. There wasn't a dull moment in those good, old Sunday afternoons in our home. Occasionally, the preacher would provoke a smile by his original way of handling the text and of emphasizing some point in his discourse.
"We have all grown up since those happy days; some of us attained to a degree of efficiency as public speakers, and we attribute much of our efficiency and character in life to those profitable Sunday afternoon hours."
From the experiences of the children as narrated above, the suggestion occurs, why not use these object talks in like manner? "Play church" Sunday afternoons, read an "object sermon," show the illustrations, ask the questions at the end of each chapter and then follow it up with a discussion from the children, giving their ideas and experiences.
You will find that you will get as much benefit and entertainment from these Sunday afternoons "playing church" service as the children will. You will be surprised at their interest and the originality that they will display in these discussions. You will be quickening their faculty of observation and stirring their imaginations, in a manner that will surely make observant, thoughtful and considerate men and women of the children, and consequently, affect their entire destinies in the years to come. Then, too, you yourself will be helped mentally and spiritually, because it is absolutely true that in the devotion that we exhibit and the time and attention that we give to our children in this companionship, we will ourselves be receiving large blessings in the development of our own character and the finer characteristics that make for good people.
PLAYING CHURCH.
The following suggestions will be helpful, to which original ideas may always be added.
1. Make the "Afternoon Church" a real, not frivolous, occasion. The time it requires to make careful, pains-taking preparation on the part of the parent, is always profitably employed.
2. The afternoon church should always be a regular, fixed engagement. It adds to its importance.
3. Do not postpone nor omit it for any trivial reason. Treat it as any other important engagement.
4. When visitors are in the home, invite them to be present and to participate. It will help them as well as the juniors.