Growing up in a Christian home was not something I considered advantageous at the time. In hindsight, the benefits were many, but as a child I resented the imposition of church and faith on my life by my parents. I also hated the fact that my father was a preacher. You have to have been a preacher’s kid (PK) to understand the special bond between PKs!
Being a PK often provides a wonderful insight into the good, the bad, and the downright ugly of the church. Seeing the effect of so-called Christians on my father in one church made me feel like I didn’t want to be one. In fact, I wanted to smash their faces. I might not have respected my father much at the time (I was a teenager) but mess with my family and you mess with me!
At Spring Harvest (an annual Christian event in the UK) this year I listened to a young woman called Miriam Swaffield speak powerfully about the passion of Jesus as He took ‘a don’t mess with my family’ attitude when He turned over the tables in the Temple. She imagined Jesus saying; “This is My Dad’s house. That’s My family. Nobody hurts My family.”
Miriam compared the misuse of the Temple Courts with the church, stating; “When I bad mouth the church I am committing self-harm, because I am the church.” You could have heard a pin drop as everyone present stopped to think about the times that they had bad-mouthed the church and fellow believers. Then Miriam asked about tables in our lives and gave a challenge:
“What tables are you going to turn over?”
She also asked; “What stops you from being consumed with passion for Jesus?”
So … what tables are you going to turn over in your life, and what stops you from being consumed with passion for Jesus?
Passion for your house has consumed me, and the insults of those who insult you have fallen on me. (Psalm 69:9 NLT)
(Guest post contributed by David Welford)
The Recovering Legalist 
I know what you mean about being a preachers kid. Me and my sister have responded to this differently, but neither of us think that ‘Christians’ are automatically ‘nice’. I never quite understand when there are arguments in church and people say ‘but they’re Christians!’ as if they think that means they’re some kind of saints. I actually get a lot from the church now. My opinion is that the church is full of people but many of whom are trying to be better people (even if they don’t always manage it). I think that’s more than you get in many organisations. In addition these people are being supported to be better people by God, which makes them more likely to succeed.
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I left home at sixteen to escape from it Rachel, and like Jonah went to sea. Like Jonah God refused to let me keep on running (although I didn’t get thrown over the side!). I was surprised at the number of other PKs (and missionary kids) that I came across on ships.
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That’s God for you; never leaves you alone.
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Pray for our youngest, Haley. She has been talking for a while about how difficult it is to relate to other kids who aren’t PK’s. She says, “They say they understand, but they don’t!” The whole family lives in a glass house when one is in the ministry.
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I understand Anthony, but I don’t have any solutions. At school in my day we were treated the same as teacher’s kids and police officer’s kids. At church everyone expected us to be perfect (fat chance!). The glass house is even worse when you live next to the church as we did from 1968-73. In the winter anyone in the church hall could see into our dining room and lounge! Tell Haley that PKs are special. God knows about us and he keeps a special watch over us. He certainly did with me!
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EXCELLENT observations. Glad you shared this. I’m not a PK but just being His kid makes me feel like the world doesn’t get it. Oh yes, it doesn’t.
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Thank you Heather. I love what you wrote in your comment – I had completely missed the point about being His kid. I think you just planted the seed of another blog …
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🙂
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As I said in an earlier comment, I was blessed with a double dose as I was not only a PK, but was also a MK(Missionaries kid) I understand! Thank you for this!
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My best friend at sea was an MK! He grew up in Kenya and at boarding school in the UK. He eventually surrendered his life to God while working in the Middle East of all places!
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awesome. I have so many fond memories of being a MK I would not change it for the world, even in the midst of pain, God has used each situation as a blessing in disguise!
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