"It's spring break, so I am sure attendance will be down this morning," my wife commented on our way to church yesterday. I dropped her off at our church in Colleyville and headed to Fort Worth where I was scheduled to speak to an adult Bible class. "I am sure our attendance will be off this morning," my friend remarked when he greeted me at his church. "It is spring break," he noted.
In both cases they were right. But then, I remember how I looked forward to spring break when I was working at Lutheran High of Dallas. The kids looked forward to it too. It was difficult to get them to focus on the days prior to. Many of them would be off to Colorado to ski or Florida to bask in the sun. Trips to Europe were also popular. I am ok with taking a spring break. God rested on the 7th day, remember. Although I don't think he flew to Cancun to relax.
I would hope that Spring break is a time of family renewal. The tendency for many adults is one of two extremes: to either refuel the personal tank by doing nothing or to fill the time with endless activities and come home needing rest.
I would hope the time away allows for a more relaxed atmosphere where the walls come down, allowing open and honest communication. Try to schedule some time for that. Meals are a good time, especially if you are eating out because there is no responsibility to prepare the meal and serve it. Look for other opportunities as well, like when you're waiting in the line at Disney World, or traveling in the car.
Make worship a part of your vacation as well. It's a great time to let the kids lead. Allow them to plan the family devotions, perhaps using Scripture verses that are important to them. It gives them the opportunity to talk about what they like and don't like about their normal worship experience and for you to focus on what true worship is.
Spring breaks are great, just don't take a break from God.
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