Great observations from Michael Horton on an old practice less common in our day. An excerpt:
Pastors today aren’t as busy as Luther. Yet Luther said that it was the pastor’s duty to teach the catechism to the people, and he did so. He did it for the young people. And he taught them on personal visits.
This view of the pastor was carried over into Reformed practice also. Right down to today, pastors and elders make it a point to visit every family in the congregation—at least once a year.
This is church discipline at the most concrete level. We’re all under discipline. I love it when our elders come to our home to ask us how we’re doing in our Christian walk as a family. In every instance, I see areas where I need to improve as a father and husband. I need it. My wife needs it. They encourage me as they read the Scriptures and pray. Our children speak up about how they are growing in the faith—and what they wish to improve. “Seriously?” I think to myself. “Why didn’t you tell me that?” But they told their church officers. That’s great. And I learned something in the process. It’s simply a part of the shepherding that we all need in this present age that seeks to distract us from the story of Christ.
Read the whole thing.