You know, it’s interesting to see and hear the different levels of respect for God’s house in 2011. I was talking to a friend Sunday morning before he walked into the sanctuary. He had a travel mug in his hand and was drinking coffee from home. As he stood there and talked to me, he said “I’ve got to finish this before I go in there.” WHY?? RESPECT. Bryan and I both grow un in a age where we were taught to REALIZE we were in God’s house and respect it. I know that was an act of devotion to God, as simple as it might seem.
When I lived in New Orleans, things were different. It was nothing for a kid to get up and move around … and maybe RUN around … during worship. People would drink coffee in the sanctuary. BUT THERE WAS STILL A REVERENCE.
Reverence … RESPECT … for God’s house is an attitude of the HEART. I really do think it extends to EVERY SPECK of His property. In the Youth Assembly Building. In Young Hall. In the Family Life Center. It ALL belongs to God and we should respect and revere it.
But, if we really believe He owns the cattle on a thousand hills … that HE created it all and there is NOTHING that is not subject to Him … then shouldn’t we live our lives EVERYDAY in respect and reverence to Him?? Shouldn’t we behave with a reverence to God NO MATTER WHERE WE ARE??
It really is all a state of the heart! And, what if respect for His House extended to EVERY NOOK AND CRANNY of this planet?? I think maybe it does ….
The Random Thinker 
Proverbs 22:6 has been on my mind all week.
Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.
I think we as a church have a strong responsibility to train up the children who are left in our care during Missions, Music, Youth, Children’s Church, Disciples, VBS, etc. on this very topic. Church is GOD’S house. The people leading the children are doing GOD’S work. Reverence and respect should be expected and, if not demonstrated (or quickly demonstrated when the child is reminded of acceptable behavior), should be taught.
If we do not teach the children to respect God’s house and God’s people when they are young, how will they learn that they are supposed to be respectful? What kind of adults would we be responsible for then?