How to Celebrate the Resurrection of our Savior

Forty days of Lent is drawing to a close; we are walking through Holy Week and are about to arrive at the biggest celebration of the Church Year, Easter Sunday! But Easter isn't just one lone day at the end of weeks of fasting, prayer, and reflection. Easter Sunday kicks off the season of Easter, which lasts 50 days until Pentecost Sunday.

In the cycle of the Church Year, seasons of fasting are followed by seasons of feasting. So how can we press into a season of feasting and celebrating our Savior's resurrection for the next 50 days? Here are several ideas; hopefully you can find a couple that will work for you and your family this year!

Easter Sunday

It's a celebration, so let's party! A party looks different depending on the person, house and family you come from, but a party usually incorporates the five senses. There might be music, some fun activities, almost always good food, and maybe even some decorations. Think about how you want to celebrate Christ's resurrection tomorrow; maybe it's a playlist of Easter worship and hymns that you put on first thing in the morning, or your grandma's famous coffee cake for breakfast. It might be a special meal for dinner, or a banner that says "He is Risen!" You might want to fill your house with Easter lilies, yellow daffodils and pink tulips. Of all the days to go all out on a celebration, Resurrection Sunday is the day!

Even though we will be in our homes for worship services this year, we can still continue the sense of celebration by dressing up in our Easter best. If you have something white, you might want to wear it to remind yourself of your baptism and the new life we have in Christ! 

The Week Following Easter

We can keep following Jesus' footsteps even beyond Holy Week. Here are two recommendations for you to try sometime during the week after Easter Sunday:

1. Fish for Breakfast

Read the beautiful story in John 21, where Jesus appears to the disciples and makes them fish and bread for breakfast. Yes, the resurrected Christ cooks breakfast for a bunch of fishermen! After you read this passage, go ahead and eat some fish for breakfast! Baked white fish with eggs and toast could be a place to start, but if you have a fire pit, wrap some fish in foil and make it really authentic. Or if fish for breakfast just isn't your thing, try going fishing after reading this passage. 

2. Take an "Emmaus Walk"

Read Luke 24:13-35, and then take a walk with a neighbor, friend or your family and discuss a topic from Scripture, or talk about what it would have been like to be these followers of Jesus having this conversation on the road.

The Season of Easter

Here are some ideas for keeping the joy and celebration of the resurrection before us in the 50 days of Eastertide:

1. Listen to Easter music. 

Use a playlist like this one or pick a different Easter hymn/song to learn each week during this season. You could sing this song every morning after breakfast or each night after dinner.

2. Keep your Easter decor up until Pentecost. 

If you have a cross you could drape it with a white cloth, or maybe you want to make or purchase a special sign or banner that says," He Lives!" or "He is Risen!" to keep out during the season of Easter.

3. Party every week!

Pick a certain day of the week and plan a party on that day every week of Eastertide! It doesn't have to be complicated-you could have a Blue Bell ice cream party, a water balloon party, an Easter music jam session (if you're the musical type!), a game of hide and seek (read John 20:19 and talk about how the disciples went into hiding after Jesus' crucifixion), or a movie night (Maybe something like Ben Hur (1959) or Jesus of Nazareth (1977), or another family favorite. Be sure to preview before showing to your kids!).

4. Make or buy a special candle to remind you of the resurrection, and light it at breakfast or dinner each day during the season of Easter. Try this DIY idea. 

5. Join Natalie every Monday of Eastertide for an Easter themed children's book read aloud on our YouTube channel:

The Feast of Epiphany

Epipha-what?

Epiphany, January 6, is the official end of the 12 days of Christmas. Many Christians celebrate this day by remembering the journey of the Magi who found their way to Jesus by following a bright heavenly body, usually represented by a star. 

Epiphany means "revealing" or "manifestation" and historically was one of the three great feasts of the Church (Epiphany, Easter, and Pentacost). Originally, Epiphany (Jan 6th) was what Christmas (Dec 25th) is for us today, the celebration of the birth of Jesus. Today we retain both celebrations, with Christmas focusing on the birth of Jesus, and Epiphany focusing on the work of Jesus as the Light of the world. As with Christmas which is celebrated on a single day but also has a "season" following it (12 Days of Christmas), so Epiphany is celebrated on January 6th and has a season following it that runs until Lent begins, usually 5-9 weeks depending upon where Easter falls.

The major texts we tend to meditate upon during this season are the visitation of the magi, the baptism of Jesus, and the first miracle of Jesus turning water into wine. All of these events reveal who Jesus is as King of Kings, Son of God, and all-powerful. Each year as we read these events from Scripture, we are invited to experience anew the epiphany of Christ’ identity.

2 Timothy 1:9-10, “Who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, and which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel,”

Epiphany is a time of great celebration and rejoicing. During Advent we spent four weeks waiting and anticipating the coming King, Christmas we celebrated his arrival and birth, and Epiphany we continue that rejoicing as we see Him manifest Himself as God and Savior.

Here are a few ways you can celebrate Epiphany with your family:

1) Chalk your Front Door with an Epiphany house blessing.

2. Have your kids make King crowns from craft paper

3) Bake a Kings Cake (Many bake a small figurine/toy baby into the cake to be discovered just as the magi discovered Jesus)

4. Save one Christmas gift for each child to be opened on Epiphany.

5. Break out the telescope for stargazing or visit an observatory.

6. Listen to some Epiphany music.

Prayer for Epiphany 
O God, by the leading of a star You made known Your only-begotten Son to the peoples of the earth: Lead us, who know you now by faith, to your presence, where we may see your glory face to face; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

A blessed Epiphany to you and your family!

Observing Advent - Part II

As promised, here is the second installment of our Advent recommendations for you and your family! These are some extras to help you find ways to make this season of Advent a meaningful one. Book recommendations, ornaments with the names of God, and saints days are covered here; and scroll to the bottom for our Spotify Advent playlist!

Picture Book Recommendations

Books to read the day you put out Advent calendars and decorate your Christmas tree:

Waiting for Christmas: A Story about the Advent Calendar

The Legend of the Christmas Tree

Some beautiful picture books that are based on the biblical story of Christmas:

The Story of Christmas (Golden Book)

The Story of Christmas

A Baby Born in Bethlehem

The Christmas Story According to Luke

The Very First Christmas

Song of the Stars

Three great choices for telling the real story behind Santa Claus:

Saint Nicholas and the Nine Gold Coins

Saint Nicholas: The Real Story of the Christmas Legend

The Legend of the Christmas Stocking

Picture books based on the history of a Christmas carol, or containing the lyrics:

Silent Night

The First Noel

The Friendly Beasts

Silent Night, Holy Night (Traditions of Faith series)

Go Tell It On The Mountain

A good book to read on Saint Lucia Day:

Lucia Saint of Light

And some additional favorites:

The Legend of the Candy Cane

Annika's Secret Wish

Mortimer's Christmas Manger

The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey

The Gift of the Magi

The Wonder of Christmas

Christmas Around the World

Great Joy

Apple Tree Christmas

The Tale of Three Trees

Christmas Day in the Morning

The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree

Reading Recommendations for Adults (or kids ready to listen to/independently read longer books and poetry)

A Christmas Carol

Waiting on the Word: A Poem a Day for Advent, Christmas and Epiphany

I Saw Three Ships

The Christmas Stories and Poems of George MacDonald

Jotham's Journey

This last book is actually a children's chapter book. The story follows an adventurous journey of a boy during the time of Christ's birth, and his journey intersects with the Christmas story throughout the book. Great family read aloud, although be aware you may need to edit out some of the scary scenes for younger listeners!

Ever Thine Home Ornaments

Ever Thine Home, a part of FamilyLife ministry, sells a variety of sets of different ornaments that focus on the names of God. One of these sets, His Eternal Names, includes a family devotional and activity that can be done throughout the month of December leading up to Christmas. You can find the details here.

Celebrate Special Saint's Days

1) St. Nicholas Day, December 6th

Did you know Saint Nicholas was a real person? He lived in Asia Minor in the third century, and was a Christian bishop. Legend has it that he was known for his generosity to those in need. One story tells of a poor family with three daughters who could never be married because their father didn't have the dowry money needed to arrange marriages for them. Nicholas secretly gave three bags of coins to this family by throwing them down their chimney; according to the legend, these bags landed in the daughter's stockings which were hanging up to dry.

On this day we like to read a book about St. Nicholas (see three good choices above) and discuss ways we can show generosity to others just as St. Nicholas did. This would be a great day to plan an act of service as a family! We also like to hang up our stockings on this day, and sometimes leave chocolate coins in the kid's shoes as well.

2) St. Lucia Day, December 13th

This is a day to remember Lucia, an early Christian martyr. This wealthy young woman used her dowry to help those in need. As legend has it, Lucia would travel into the catacombs where persecuted Christians were hiding, with candles on her head to free up her hands for the food she carried to them.

St. Lucia Day became particularly popular in Sweden, and is celebrated by having the oldest daughter in the family wear a crown of candles and deliver saffron buns and gingersnaps to her parents first thing in the morning on December 13th. We love to deliver these to friends and neighbors later in the day as well! See above list for a picture book biography to read on this day.

Our favorite recipes for this day:

Saffron Buns

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup milk

• 1/2 teaspoon saffron threads

• 1 teaspoon plus 1/4 cup sugar

• One 1/4-ounce packet active dry yeast

• 3 1/2 to 4 cups all purpose flour

• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1/4 cup butter, softened

• 1/4 cup of sour cream

• 2 large eggs

• Raisins

• 1 egg, beaten
  

1. In a small pot, heat the milk, saffron, and 1 teaspoon of sugar together until the milk is steamy. Remove from heat and let cool until about 115°.

2. Sprinkle the yeast over the milk and let sit for 5 to 10 minutes until foamy.

3. Whisk together 3 1/2 cups of the flour, remaining 1/4 cup of sugar, salt.

4. Make a well in the center of the flour and add the yeast milk saffron mixture, the eggs, the butter, and the sour cream. Mix the ingredients until well incorporated.

5. Use a dough hook on a stand mixer (or mix by hand) on low speed. Slowly add additional flour, a tablespoon at a time, kneading to incorporate after each addition. Do this until the dough is still a little sticky to the touch, but does not completely stick to your hands when you handle it.

6. Shape the dough into a ball and place in a large bowl. Cover with plastic wrap. (Note at this point you can refrigerate overnight and bake in the morning.)

7. Let sit in a warm place for 1 to 2 hours, until the dough has doubled in size. 

8. When the dough has doubled in size, gently press it down and knead it a couple of times. Break off a piece and form it into a ball about 2 inches wide. Roll the ball out into a snake, about 14 inches long.

9. Then curl the ends in opposite directions, forming an "S" with spirals at each end. Place on a lined baking sheet and repeat with the rest of the dough.

10. Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm spot until the dough shapes double, 30 minutes to an hour.

11. Preheat oven to 400°F. Using a pastry brush, brush some beaten egg over the tops and sides of the uncooked buns. Place raisins in the centers of the "S" spirals.

12. Place in the oven and bake at 400°F for about 10 to 11 minutes (turning halfway through cooking to ensure even browning), until the buns are golden brown.

13. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes before eating.

Gingersnaps

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup butter

• 1 cup white sugar

• 1 egg

• 1/4 cup molasses

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 tablespoon ground ginger

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 2 teaspoons baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 cup white sugar for decoration

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

2. In a medium bowl, cream together the butter and 1 cup white sugar until smooth. Beat in the egg and molasses until well blended. Combine the flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda and salt; stir into the molasses mixture to form a dough. Roll dough into 1 inch balls and roll the balls in the remaining sugar. Place cookies 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets.

3. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Last but not least we have an Advent Spotify playlist for you! This playlist includes classic Christmas carols, but also some beautiful lesser known Advent hymns. Happy listening, and may this season be a blessed one for you and your family!

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