Why Pastor’s Kid Refused to go to Church, by Grace Zuzo, is a delightful and heartwarming story about a child’s naiveté and the ensuing miracle that affirms her belief. The child in the story is none other than Grace Zuzo herself. The author’s purpose in writing this book is to share a memorable piece of her childhood that she has yet to share with anyone—until now.
Why Pastor’s Kid Refused to go to Church relates the author’s story, in a step-by-step manner, to today’s youth—with the message that miracles can and do occur through faith and prayer.
The story revolves around Chuaro, a nine-year-old Pastor’s daughter who pieces together two opposing teachings—one from her English teacher and one from her father, and comes to the conclusion that if she worships on Sunday, she is not following her duty and is going against the teachings of the commandments. As is often the case, what children are taught at school is not always in line with what they have been taught at home and at church. Chuaro’s English teacher tells her that Sunday is the first day of the week, while Saturday is the last day. On the same note, Chuaro’s father, the minister of their African Methodist Episcopal Church in South Africa, tells Chuaro that the last day of the week is the day of the true Sabbath.
In this easy-to-read text geared for young churchgoers, Grace Zuzo emphasizes the power of communicating with God. One of the more powerful sequences in the story has Chuaro confronting her father, and ultimately rejecting to go to his church:
“Chuaro, what happened?” asked her father. “I did not see you in church this morning,” he commented the first Sunday she was not in church. “So sorry, Dad, I am looking for a church where I can keep God’s Sabbath holy. My teacher told us that the seventh day of the week was Saturday and not Sunday and mom confirmed it.” “Wow, this child is going to obey God and not me,” said her dad.
Chuaro’s wish to worship on the true Sabbath comes true when she asks for it during a New Year’s midnight prayer. Though several years had passed and Chuaro was now sixteen, her prayer was answered. The narrator states, “Chuaro spent a sleepless night thanking God for answering her New Year’s midnight prayer. She thanked God for sending her to a school where all Ten Commandments were kept, especially the Sabbath day commandment. Chuaro went through her school years not telling her story to anybody. She was used to having a private relationship with God.”
Overall, Zuzo’s story is about a child’s relationship with God, and the miracle of prayer. Why Pastor’s Kid Refused to go to Church is a light-hearted tale that celebrates the persistence of children in search of the truth.
