Your comments in the WSJ remind me of when we converted from a certain traditional church of the West to the Orthodox Church. By sharing, I wish to encourage you. Children do belong in church… all will the better educated, more spiritually engaged. The child learns that prayer is an essential part of living as the parent’s model and teach by doing.

Our services are relatively long by western standards, a normal Sunday service running from anywhere from 1.5 to 2.5+ hours, depending upon how a particular jurisdiction handles the rite.

These are not simple services. Largely unchanged since the 9th Century, the ritual actions are far more complicated than the pre-Vatican II or even pre-Trent rites. Far from dummded-down, the services are very complex theological expressions, with many complicated Biblical references, polysyllabic theological terms, and, often an older style of English and, in many parishes, healthy amounts of the service may be in Arabic, Greek, or Slavonic…with little actually spoken, all parts (priest, deacon, and choir) being chanted even for simple services. Then there is the additional challenge of standing. Orthodox Christians stand to pray. So even though many parishes do provide seating for the numerous, sometime lengthy litanies, the more traditional parishes do not, one can easily count on standing for some very long streches.

Yet, children are never excluded from any of the services; indeed, it is considered an error to do so. From baptism, children participate and receive the administration of the sacrament (mysteries). This is the traditional practice in the Christian West as well as the East. The East never had reason to change. The change in the West is a very late development but rooted in the placing of the emphasis on the homily and preaching during the Reformation period, which is when pews were introduced.

Coming from a western church parish that was very fussy and clear about children being not wanted in services (to say the least), yet myself having two small, very active boys, I expected problems.

Shockingly, happily, we experienced the opposite; everyone was quiet clam about it and my children acquired taste for the services and have grown to love and know them.

What we also observed was that parents, especially newer mothers, were not actually burdened with babies… not because there were none, but babies are movable! They were shared out! Other mothers and fathers literally go over and take them …while many teenage girls seem unable to allow a baby go unheld..by them. The babies seem to think they are in heaven with all the attention, while mothers and fathers were able to actually pray. What a relief; it is not possible to raise children and not pray… a lot… Children need to see/experience it, just as they need to see parents going to confession and really change behavior as a result.

Recently we moved to a very traditional cathedral parish where services can run long (three hours or more of a bishop comes). There are a few benches on the sides for elderly but, in practice, most everyone stands the entire time. Yet, there are many small children.

Again, I expected problems; again, I was wrong! Without pews, it is easier for the children to move, to sit on the floor, or for parents to take a rare fussy child out. And the moveable baby phenomenon….well, it flourishes, and just which baby will be brought to communion by whom is always interesting. Far from tedium, the level of engagement by everyone is very high. The entire community of the faithful its self is more complete and, obviously, without any compromise in the rites or services or the Church.

As with any other type of nutrition and education, children actually do crave to “taste and see that the Lord is good,” what the adult way to live really is, and that none are able to stand, except by and through an active faith in God.

I hope my account is edifying and not cause vilification.

My husband is hearing-impaired and wears hearing aids. The amplified sounds of children fussing, squealing, whimpering, whatever. . . are very unpleasant for him, almost to the point of discomfort. We had been attending a church where most of adults thought children’s noises in the the worship service were just great. We stopped attending.