How to Teach Your Kids to Pray

Prayer is speaking to God and providing Him the space to speak to us through His Word and by His Holy Spirit. In prayer we share our concerns, joys, and thanksgiving with Him and allow Him to convict, guide, and encourage us.

Prayer is not complicated, but it can be difficult. I believe this is true for everyone but it can be especially true of parents with young kids that wake up at the break of dawn and have boundless energy until they are put to bed at night. How is anyone to find time to pray when you have Sonic the Hedgehog in your house?

A lot of helpful advice could be given here but I want to focus on one simple principle - pray with your children. That’s right. While personal time to pray is important, don’t miss the opportunity to pray with your children. Not only does this help you grow in your prayer life, but it also is teaching your kids how to pray. Here are some ideas of times you can stop to pray:

• Before breakfast (take 30 seconds to pray in public and at home)

• In the car on the way to school or work or running errands

• At lunch

• When you pull into your driveway take 60 seconds to thank God for the day and help you invest in your family this evening.

• At dinner

• Before bed

• Anytime!

Now you might be thinking, “I’ve tried that and it’s just too challenging. They don’t focus and I have to get on them every 15 seconds to stop pushing and pinching each other.” I get it. I really do. Here is a secret that has really helped our family prayer times - make use of written prayers.

But aren’t written prayers less spiritual? Some might feel as if written prayers are less spiritual than free form praying, but here is the truth, while they can be prayed in a mindless and rote way, they don’t have to be. In fact this applies to anything in life we do on a repetitive basis. Just because we sometimes fall into reading the Bible mindlessly doesn’t mean we stop reading the Bible altogether. Rather, it means we seek to read it with engaged hearts and minds, asking the Holy Spirit to enflame our hearts with His love. The same goes for written prayers.

Below are four written prayers that you can print and pray together as a family. At first you’ll have to read it but eventually your whole family (even the youngest!) will know them by heart. We don’t do the same prayer every single night but like to mix them up. So a few nights a week we’ll do the Lord’s Prayer and a few nights the Evening prayer. We almost always include extemporaneous prayers as well, I like to give each child a chance to pray using their own words.

The Lord’s Prayer

Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.

Morning Prayer

In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

I thank You, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, Your dear Son, that You have kept me this night from all harm and danger; and I pray that You would keep me this day also from sin and every evil, that all my doings and life may please You. For into Your hands I commend myself, my body and soul, and all things. Let Your holy angel be with me, that the evil foe may have no power over me. Amen.

Evening Prayer

In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

I thank You, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, Your dear Son, that You have graciously kept me this day; and I pray that You would forgive me all my sins where I have done wrong, and graciously keep me this night. For into Your hands I commend myself, my body and soul, and all things. Let Your holy angel be with me, that the evil foe may have no power over me. Amen.

Prayer Before a Meal

In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Lord God, heavenly Father, bless us and these Your gifts which we receive from Your bountiful goodness, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

I encourage every family to pick up the Lutheran Prayer Book which has written prayers for morning and evening of every day.

Five things parents can do to help prepare their children to celebrate Holy Communion

Here are five key things that parents can do to help their child prepare to receive the Holy Communion for the first time.

1. Participate in the Divine Service weekly.

The most powerful way we disciple our children is through example. By our example we demonstrate and teach our children what our faith means to us, who God is, and how we have a relationship with Him. The number one determinative factor in children staying in the faith is whether it was genuinely lived out in their parents lives. By faithfully attending and participating in the Divine Service we are discipling our children in how beautiful, important and special it is to receive Jesus’ body and blood in the Eucharist.

2. Talk about the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist with your child.

The real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist is our belief that Jesus Christ is truly and fully present in the bread and wine. The Eucharist is far more than just a symbol or a sign, but Jesus making himself truly present for us. We cannot fully understand how this happens but we believe the words of Scripture. Take opportunity before and after church to joyfully talk with your children about the real presence of Christ in the Lord’s Supper. Rather than using the language of “getting some bread and wine” instead talk about “receiving the precious body and precious blood.” Children have an affinity for the sacred. Though they may lack the theological language to articulate it, they sense the “mystery of Christ” in the celebration of the Eucharist. A wonderful way to help them grow in their understanding is by asking them questions about Holy Communion: In what way is Christ present in Holy Communion? Why do we open our hands to receive Christ? Why might we cross ourselves with the sign of the cross after receiving? Why do you want to receive Holy Communion?

3. Model reverence and focus on the sacrament during the liturgy of Holy Communion.

Receiving our Savior in the Eucharist is the high point of the Divine Service. It should be a time we are focused on worshipping Jesus and expressing our thankfulness to God our Father. It should be marked with a joyful reverence. Joyful in that we receive the precious gift of forgiveness and strengthening, reverent in that this is the same one angels cover their face and feet before crying out “Holy, Holy, Holy,” and whom prophets fall on their face before. We should not act casually but with deep reverence. During this time we make Jesus and His once and for all sacrifice on your behalf the focus of our attention.

4. Receive Communion with joyful reverence

Both as a model for your children and a good practice is to show reverence not only during the liturgy but also as you come up to receive the body and blood. We come forward in an orderly manner, not chatting with those around us but focused on what the miracle and gift of what is taking place. We step forward with hands open to receive Christ, participate, and then if you like cross ourself with the sign of the cross to remind yourself that you are marked and redeem by Christ himself. Walk back to your seat where you can continue in worship through song or in silent prayer.

5. Praise and thank God for the great gift of Communion.

Give thanks got God in your heart, in prayer, and verbally before your children for being given the gift of this holy and sacred mystery.

Catechesis of Cyril of Jerusalem (376-444)

Fifth Lecture on the Mysteries: Of the Sacred Liturgy and Communion

Wherefore putting away all filthiness, and all guile, and evil speaking, etc.

1. By the loving-kindness of God you have heard sufficiently at our former meetings concerning Baptism, and Chrism, and partaking of the Body and Blood of Christ; and now it is necessary to pass on to what is next in order, meaning today to set the crown on the spiritual building of your edification.

2. You have seen then the Deacon who gives to the Priest water to wash, and to the Presbyters who stand round God’s altar. He gave it not at all because of bodily defilement; it is not that; for we did not enter the Church at first with defiled bodies. But the washing of hands is a symbol that you ought to be pure from all sinful and unlawful deeds; for since the hands are a symbol of action, by washing them, it is evident, we represent the purity and blamelessness of our conduct. Did you not hear the blessed David opening this very mystery, and saying, I will wash my hands in innocency, and so will compass Your Altar, O Lord? The washing therefore of hands is a symbol of immunity from sin.

3. Then the Deacon cries aloud, Receive ye one another; and let us kiss one another.  Think not that this kiss is of the same character with those given in public by common friends. It is not such: but this kiss blends souls one with another, and courts entire forgiveness for them. The kiss therefore is the sign that our souls are mingled together, and banish all remembrance of wrongs. For this cause Christ said, If you are offering your gift at the altar, and there rememberest that your brother has anything against time, leave there your gift upon the altar, and go your way; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. The kiss therefore is reconciliation, and for this reason holy: as the blessed Paul somewhere cried, saying, Greet ye one another with a holy kiss; and Peter, with a kiss of charity.

4. After this the Priest cries aloud, Lift up your hearts.  For truly ought we in that most awful hour to have our heart on high with God, and not below, thinking of earth and earthly things. In effect therefore the Priest bids all in that hour to dismiss all cares of this life, or household anxieties, and to have their heart in heaven with the merciful God. Then ye answer, We lift them up unto the Lord: assenting to it, by your avowal. But let no one come here, who could say with his mouth, We lift up our hearts unto the Lord, but in his thoughts have his mind concerned with the cares of this life. At all times, rather, God should be in our memory but if this is impossible by reason of human infirmity, in that hour above all this should be our earnest endeavour.

5. Then the Priest says, Let us give thanks unto the Lord. For verily we are bound to give thanks, that He called us, unworthy as we were, to so great grace; that He reconciled us when we were His foes; that He vouchsafed to us the Spirit of adoption. Then ye say, It is meet and right: for in giving thanks we do a meet thing and a right; but He did not right, but more than right, in doing us good, and counting us meet for such great benefits.

6. After this, we make mention of heaven, and earth, and sea ; of sun and moon; of stars and all the creation, rational and irrational, visible and invisible; of Angels, Archangels, Virtues, Dominions, Principalities, Powers, Thrones; of the Cherubim with many faces: in effect repeating that call of David’s Magnify the Lord with me. We make mention also of the Seraphim, whom Esaias in the Holy Spirit saw standing around the throne of God, and with two of their wings veiling their face, and with two their feet, while with two they did fly, crying Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of Sabaoth. For the reason of our reciting this confession of God, delivered down to us from the Seraphim, is this, that so we may be partakers with the hosts of the world above in their Hymn of praise.

7. Then having sanctified ourselves by these spiritual Hymns, we beseech the merciful God to send forth His Holy Spirit upon the gifts lying before Him; that He may make the Bread the Body of Christ, and the Wine the Blood of Christ; for whatsoever the Holy Ghost has touched, is surely sanctified and changed.

8. Then, after the spiritual sacrifice, the bloodless service, is completed, over that sacrifice of propitiation we entreat God for the common peace of the Churches, for the welfare of the world; for kings; for soldiers and allies; for the sick; for the afflicted; and, in a word, for all who stand in need of succour we all pray and offer this sacrifice.

9. Then we commemorate also those who have fallen asleep before us, first Patriarchs, Prophets, Apostles, Martyrs, that at their prayers and intercessions God would receive our petition. Then on behalf also of the Holy Fathers and Bishops who have fallen asleep before us, and in a word of all who in past years have fallen asleep among us, believing that it will be a very great benefit to the souls , for whom the supplication is put up, while that holy and most awful sacrifice is set forth.

10. And I wish to persuade you by an illustration. For I know that many say, what is a soul profited, which departs from this world either with sins, or without sins, if it be commemorated in the prayer? For if a king were to banish certain who had given him offense, and then those who belong to them should weave a crown and offer it to him on behalf of those under punishment, would he not grant a remission of their penalties? In the same way we, when we offer to Him our supplications for those who have fallen asleep, though they be sinners, weave no crown, but offer up Christ sacrificed for our sins, propitiating our merciful God for them as well as for ourselves.

11. Then, after these things, we say that Prayer which the Saviour delivered to His own disciples, with a pure conscience entitling God our Father, and saying, Our Father, which art in heaven. O most surpassing loving-kindness of God! On them who revolted from Him and were in the very extreme of misery has He bestowed such a complete forgiveness of evil deeds, and so great participation of grace, as that they should even call Him Father. Our Father, which art in heaven; and they also are a heaven who bear the image of the heavenly, in whom is God, dwelling and walking in them.

12. Hallowed be Your Name. The Name of God is in its nature holy, whether we say so or not; but since it is sometimes profaned among sinners, according to the words, Through you My Name is continually blasphemed among the Gentiles, we pray that in us God’s Name may be hallowed; not that it comes to be holy from not being holy, but because it becomes holy in us, when we are made holy, and do things worthy of holiness.

13. Your kingdom come. A pure soul can say with boldness, Your kingdom come; for he who has heard Paul saying, Let not therefore sin reign in your mortal body, and has cleansed himself in deed, and thought, and word, will say to God, Your kingdom come.

14. Your will be done as in heaven so on earth. God’s divine and blessed Angels do the will of God, as David said in the Psalm, Bless the Lord, all you Angels of His, mighty in strength, that do His pleasure. So then in effect you mean this by your prayer, as in the Angels Your will is done, so likewise be it done on earth in me, O Lord.

15. Give us this day our substantial bread. This common bread is not substantial bread, but this Holy Bread is substantial, that is, appointed for the substance of the soul. For this Bread goes not into the belly and is cast out into the draught, but is distributed into your whole system for the benefit of body and soul. But by this day, he means, each day, as also Paul said, While it is called today.

16. And forgive us our debts as we also forgive our debtors. For we have many sins. For we offend both in word and in thought, and very many things we do worthy of condemnation; and if we say that we have no sin, we lie, as John says. And we make a covenant with God, entreating Him to forgive us our sins, as we also forgive our neighbours their debts. Considering then what we receive and in return for what, let us not put off nor delay to forgive one another. The offenses committed against us are slight and trivial, and easily settled; but those which we have committed against God are great, and need such mercy as His only is. Take heed therefore, lest for the slight and trivial sins against you, you shut out for yourself forgiveness from God for your very grievous sins.

17. And lead us not into temptation, O Lord. Is this then what the Lord teaches us to pray, that we may not be tempted at all? How then is it said elsewhere, a man untempted, is a man unproved; and again, My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various temptations? But does perchance the entering into temptation mean the being overwhelmed by the temptation? For temptation is, as it were, like a winter torrent difficult to cross. Those therefore who are not overwhelmed in temptations, pass through, showing themselves excellent swimmers, and not being swept away by them at all; while those who are not such, enter into them and are overwhelmed. As for example, Judas having entered into the temptation of the love of money, swam not through it, but was overwhelmed and was strangled both in body and spirit. Peter entered into the temptation of the denial; but having entered, he was not overwhelmed by it, but manfully swam through it, and was delivered from the temptation. Listen again, in another place, to a company of unscathed saints, giving thanks for deliverance from temptation, You, O God hast proved us; You have tried us by fire like as silver is tried. You brought us into the net; You laid afflictions upon our loins. You have caused men to ride over our heads; we went through fire and water; and you brought us out into a place of rest. You see them speaking boldly in regard to their having passed through and not been pierced. But You brought us out into a place of rest; now their coming into a place of rest is their being delivered from temptation.

18. But deliver us from the evil. If Lead us not into temptation implied the not being tempted at all, He would not have said, But deliver us from the evil. Now evil is our adversary the devil, from whom we pray to be delivered. Then after completing the prayer you say Amen; by this Amen, which means So be it, setting your seal to the petitions of the divinely-taught prayer.

19. After this the Priest says, Holy things to holy men. Holy are the gifts presented, having received the visitation of the Holy Ghost; holy are you also, having been deemed worthy of the Holy Ghost; the holy things therefore correspond to the holy persons. Then ye say, One is Holy, One is the Lord, Jesus Christ.  For One is truly holy, by nature holy; we too are holy, but not by nature, only by participation, and discipline, and prayer.

20. After this ye hear the chanter inviting you with a sacred melody to the communion of the Holy Mysteries, and saying, O taste and see that the Lord is good. Trust not the judgment to your bodily palate no, but to faith unfaltering; for they who taste are bidden to taste, not bread and wine, but the anti-typical Body and Blood of Christ.

21. In approaching therefore, come not with your wrists extended, or your fingers spread; but make your left hand a throne for the right, as for that which is to receive a King. And having hollowed your palm, receive the Body of Christ, saying over it, Amen. So then after having carefully hallowed your eyes by the touch of the Holy Body, partake of it; giving heed lest you lose any portion thereof; for whatever you lose, is evidently a loss to you as it were from one of your own members. For tell me, if any one gave you grains of gold, would you not hold them with all carefulness, being on your guard against losing any of them, and suffering loss? Will you not then much more carefully keep watch, that not a crumb fall from you of what is more precious than gold and precious stones?

22. Then after you have partaken of the Body of Christ, draw near also to the Cup of His Blood; not stretching forth your hands, but bending, and saying with an air of worship and reverence, Amen, hallow yourself by partaking also of the Blood of Christ. And while the moisture is still upon your lips, touch it with your hands, and hallow your eyes and brow and the other organs of sense. Then wait for the prayer, and give thanks unto God, who has accounted you worthy of so great mysteries.

23. Hold fast these traditions undefiled and, keep yourselves free from offense. Sever not yourselves from the Communion; deprive not yourselves, through the pollution of sins, of these Holy and Spiritual Mysteries. And the God of peace sanctify you wholly; and may your spirit, and soul, and body be preserved entire without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ:— To whom be glory and honour and might, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and world without end. Amen.

Lord Sabaoth

One of the theologically rich hymn we sing is "A Mighty Fortress is our God." There is one phrase in this hymn which is often sung but not understood, that is Lord Sabaoth. Here is the second verse of the hymn where it is found:

Did we in our own strength confide, our striving would be losing,

were not the right Man on our side, the Man of God's own choosing.

You ask who that may be? Christ Jesus, it is he;

Lord Sabaoth his name, from age to age the same;

and he must win the battle.

What does Lord Sabaoth mean?

The Hebrew word sabaoth means “of hosts" or "of armies” and when used in conjunction with the personal name of God (Yahweh/LORD) is translated as “Lord of Hosts.” He is Lord of the hosts of the angels, the multitude of the heavenly host, that do His good pleasure, fighting under His direction, and for His purposes. The idea behind Sabaoth describes His sovereignty over all spiritual and physical armies. One commentator described it like this:

“Yahweh of hosts conveys the concept of glorious king. Yahweh is king of the world (Zechariah 14:16) and over all the kingdoms of the earth (Isaiah 37:16) […]. Although the title [Sabaoth] has military overtones, it points directly to Yahweh’s rulership over the entire universe. He continually rules, but at times he directly intervenes to secure his own victory and insure the direction of history for the salvation of his people. In Amos 4:13 [Sabaoth] is associated with his creating the mountains and wind and his ability to control nature. He is master over every force; he alone secures peace.”
– R. Laird Harris, c. 1980

You may remember in 1 Samuel a woman named Hannah greatly desired to have a child but was barren. Her battle was not a physical one, but rather a biological obstacle. Hannah committed her struggles to the Lord of Hosts who answered her with the birth of Samuel, who would later become one of Israel’s greatest prophets.

1 Samuel 1:11 – “She made a vow and said, ‘O Lord of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a son, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and a razor shall never come on his head.'”

Isaiah also helps us understand the the LORD of hosts:

Isaiah 6:3 – “Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord (Yahweh) of hosts, the whole earth is full of His glory.”

A.W Tozer commenting on this verse said, “A person who has sensed what Isaiah sensed will never be able to joke about ‘the Man upstairs’ or the ‘Someone up there who likes me.’ My brother or sister, there is something about our God that is different, that is beyond us, that is above us—transcendent. We must be humbly willing to throw our hearts open and to plead, ‘God, shine Thyself into my understanding for I will never find Thee otherwise.'” – A.W. Tozer, “Whatever Happened to Worship”

The Lord of Host is our God. He is the one we worship, make our petitions to, adore, and proclaim!

Johann Gerhard on Fortifying Your Mind Against Pride

Johann Gerhard is considered one of the greatest Lutheran theologian of the 16th and 17th century. He wrote the following on how we might fortify our mind against pride.

The mind should be fortified against pride by meditating on:

(1) The humility of Christ, who for our sakes humbled Himself to death on the cross. Augustine (Sermon 39 de verb. Dom.): “Deign to be humbled for God, for God designed to be humbled for you.”

(2) Our unworthiness. We are dust and ash. Death will humble us whether we like it or not, making us food for the vermin.

(3) Our need. The greatest thing we know is the least of the things we do not. Whatever we have comes down to us from the hand of God. Thus the treasure belongs to Another.

(4) Our fragility. In testing we can easily succumb if God’s grace does not preserve us. But now, “God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble” (1 Pet. 5:5).

(5) The superiority of others. One must recognize the gifts of God in others, lest we insult the Giver Himself. It does you no harm to subject yourself to all others. It hurts a lot if you put yourself before even one person.

Method of Theology Study, Appendix, Concordia Publishing House, 2017, pg 241

Seven Gifts of the Historic Liturgy

1. Liturgy tells a story - Liturgy is a re-enactment of the divine drama. It reminds us of the redemptive story of God and invites us to find our place within His narrative of redemption. By living into the divine story, it frees us from having to create our own story from our limited perspective and experience and from being slaves to the story our respective cultures are stuck in. The liturgy jars us from the liturgy of this world and tells us of God’s kingdom which we have been made apart of as Christians.  

2. Liturgy frees us from ourselves - Liturgy helps us relinquish our desires to serve ourselves and invites us to surrender by selflessly serving God and others. How? By immersing our lives in God-centered worship on a regular basis. Liturgy is formative, retelling a story again and again that is holistically God-centered. It inoculates us from a man-centered experience of worship. Liturgy is designed to free us from the worship of self in order to focus our hearts on the Triune God.

3. Liturgy forms us - As we come together week after week, we are slowly formed by the words, prayers, and sacred rhythms of the liturgy. The beauty of these rhythms is that they form us passively, almost without our knowledge. This formation is not contingent upon our mood or temperament when we enter the service. Simply by agreeing to participate and join with the existing structure and rhythms, liturgy has the power to change us. The church has always recognized that formation takes place both communally and individually, and how we pray and worship corporately influences how we pray and worship individually.

4. Liturgy sanctifies time - Liturgy sanctifies our time. What does this mean? Most of us live our lives according to a secular calendar and work week, but liturgy reminds us that we belong to another timed place - the kingdom of God. Liturgy brings order and rhythm to our lives through the patterns of the liturgical year (sometimes referred to as the Christian calendar or church calendar). In submitting to these seasons, we acknowledge God’s lordship in both the high and the low times of our lives. 

5. Liturgy is Biblical - The historic liturgy is saturated with Scripture. One is hard pressed to find language in the historic liturgy that isn’t found in the Holy Scriptures. God has spoken to us in His Word and the Church uses His words to speak back to Him. We listen to His Word, respond with His Word, pray His Word, sing His Word, and eat His Word flesh.

6. Liturgy is participatory - Deep down we don’t want to be entertained but rather we long to participate. The historic liturgy invites us to stand, sit, kneel, respond in prayer and singing, to cross ourselves, and engage our hearts and minds. Unless the whole congregation participates the service doesn’t happen, it’s a whole church endeavor not just a few professionals. But not only does it engage adults, but children of all ages are growing up learning to pray the Lord’s Prayer, confess their sin, and declare their faith in Jesus Christ. There is no sitting on the sidelines in liturgical worship.

7. The Liturgy points us to Christ - When people decide to get married they often spend months planning and preparing every detail of their wedding. From what color flowers, to who’s bringing food, who’s in the wedding, and even what gifts to get the wedding party - it’s all thoughtfully prepared. The historic liturgy is like a weekly wedding service where the Bride of Christ comes to encounter and be enraptured by the Grooms love for her. They talk and listen, sing and pray, eat and praise. It’s all been thoughtfully prepared and planned in order to make it beautiful and most importantly focused on Christ Jesus. The historic liturgy is radically Christ focused.

What is the Sanctus?

What is the Sanctus? 

Here is the liturgy (listen here): 

Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and singing:    

Holy, holy, holy Lord, 

God of power and might!

Heaven and earth, are full of Your glory!

Hosanna in the highest!

Blessed is He, who comes in the name, the name of the Lord! 

Where do these words come from and why would we say them before receiving the gift of the Lord’s Supper?

The words are not only directly from Scripture but also words sung by the angelic host known as seraphim (seraphim means burning). We see a description of their presence before the throne of God in Isaiah 6:1-2,  

In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 

The Lord God is sitting upon His throne and above Him stand seraphim who are described as having six wings! The reverence and honor they show to our holy God is seen in that they use their wings to cover their face and feet. Verse 3 goes on to describe an anthem they declare back and forth among themselves. 

3 And one called to another and said:

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;
the whole earth is full of his glory!”

The word holy in Hebrew is Qodesh and means to be set apart. The triple use of the word amplifies it’s meaning to declare that you can’t get anymore set apart than God! To describe the purest form of gold they would say, "gold, gold, gold” and that would mean it is the purest of purest. To say that God is “holy, holy, holy” is to say He is set apart from anything else. This is why they response with such reverent worship to cover their face and feet. 

We see the same worship and words being used to worship God in Revelation 4:8,

8 And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within, and day and night they never cease to say,

“Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty,
    who was and is and is to come!”

Every Sunday we join our voices with the angelic host (seraphim) and all saints who have gone before us with this anthem - Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Power and Might!

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The Purifying Fire of the Eucharist

Before moving on the to second half of the Sanctus, notice that one of the seraphs carries out an act of ritual purification for the prophet Isaiah by touching his lips with a live coal from the altar (verses 6–7):

6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.”

The placement of the Sanctus is very intentional in that we also recognize that as we receive Christ’s body and blood we receive forgiveness, cleanings and healing, not from a burning coal but from Christ himself! 

St. Cyril of Alexandria, a brilliant theologian and Egyptian archbishop who died about A.D. 444. Discoursing on the spiritual meaning of the call of Isaiah, says:

One of the seraphim is sent to Isaiah with a burning coal which he took from the altar with tongs. This is clearly a symbol of Christ, who, on our behalf, offered himself up to God the Father as a pure and unblemished spiritual sacrifice with a most pleasing fragrance. In the same way, Christ is received from the altar. We must, however, explain why Christ is like a burning coal. It is customary in Holy Scripture for the divine nature to be likened to fire. God appeared in this way to the people of Israel as they stood before the Lord at Horeb, which is Mount Sinai. 

A similar interpretation of the call of Isaiah is offered by St. John of Damascus, a priest and monk from Syria who lived at the Mar Saba monastery in Palestine until his death in A.D. 749. Insisting upon the actual presence of Christ’s body and blood in Holy Communion, he exhorts communicants:

Wherefore, in all fear and with a pure conscience and undoubting faith let us approach . . . let us receive the body of the Crucified One. With eyes, lips, and faces turned toward it, let us receive the divine burning coal, so that the fire of the coal may be added to the desire within us to consume our sins and enlighten our hearts, and so that by this communion of the divine fire we may be set afire and deified. 

Every Sunday in the Divine Service we enter into God’s presence before the altar and receive a cleansing and purifying gift from God in the Holy Eucharist! Next time you receive the body and blood of our Lord reflect upon the imagery here of the cleansing burning coal.

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Hosanna

But that only explains half of the Sanctus we say, what about the other half?  

Hosanna in the highest!

Blessed is He, who comes in the name, the name of the Lord! 

The phrase hosanna in the highest appears only twice in the Bible, once in Matthew and again in Mark, during the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. The people were crowded around the gate watching Jesus enter the city, and they were celebrating and calling out, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” (Matthew 21:9). 

The word hosanna comes from a Hebrew word meaning “save now” or “save us, we pray.” The first word of Psalm 118:25 is translated “Save us!” and the crowd’s use of this word at the triumphal entry was significant—especially as they waved palm branches (Psalm 118 was associated with the Feast of Tabernacles). By saying “hosanna” as Jesus passed through the gates of Jerusalem and referring to David and David’s kingdom, the Jews were acknowledging Jesus as their Messiah. Unknowingly they were also welcoming the “tabernacling” of God with and among His people.

In the Highest 

By saying “in the highest,” the crowd was invoking heaven’s blessing on them and the salvation that the Messiah was bringing. The phrase also echoes the song of the angels in Luke 2:14: “Glory to God in the highest.” To paraphrase the shouts of the crowd: “Save us, our Messiah, who comes to fulfill God’s mission! Save us, we beseech you, as you take your rightful throne and extend heaven’s salvation to us!”

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord

Psalm 118 is one of the Hallel psalms, also called the “Egyptian Hallel,” a short series of psalms (Psalm 113—118) incorporated in the celebration of the Passover. The final psalm is sung in the festive processional as the people enter the temple gates to worship. In Psalm 118:26, the congregation welcomes the vindicated king, singing, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD. From the house of the LORD we bless you.”

Originally, this psalm depicted Israel’s exodus journey from Egypt to their eventual arrival at Mount Zion. But its celebratory welcoming of the king was ultimately fulfilled in Jesus Christ’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. All four gospels quote Psalm 118:26: “Jesus was in the center of the procession, and the people all around him were shouting, ‘Praise God for the Son of David! Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the LORD! Praise God in highest heaven!’”

As we come to the altar we say these words because we welcome Christ in our midst! 

• We declare Hosanna in the highest because we look to Jesus alone to save us who comes to us through his incarnation and ongoing presence through the Lord’s Supper.

• We declare Blessed is He (Christ) because is the long awaited King that would bring and has brought deliverance to His people.

We sing this song - the Sanctus - out of deep reverence and heartfelt worship to God making Himself sacramentally present in our midst in the Body and Blood of the Lord’s Supper. Like the seraphim, we declare Holy, holy, holy is the Lord, and Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! 

The Lamb of God (Agnus Dei)

After humanity actively chose to turn from God and the flourishing life He desired for them, like a cancer, sin infested everything. They knew it and they hid from God. But God in His great mercy would not leave them in that place of shame and guilt but instead provided a covering for that shame. The first sacrifice (death of an animal) was made by God for Adam and Eve. Genesis 3:21 says, “And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them.” An animal died, blood was shed, in order that they their shame and guilt would be covered.

Throughout the Old Testament we see the sacrifice of a lamb and the shedding of its blood as the picture of how sin would be attained for, that is how it would be washed and cleansed. God tells us in Hebrews 9:22, “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.” Along with Abel, Noah, Abraham, David, and Solomon all God’s people would make a sacrifices to God for the atonement of sin. 

One especially powerful story is that of the Passover where death “passed over” each household that had blood on its door post (Exodus 12). The Hebrew people were in bondage in Egypt, slaves to Pharaoh with no hope of escape. God commanded that they sacrifice a spotless lamb, spread the blood on the lintels of their doors, and then eat the lamb with unleavened bread. When the angel of the Lord came to the house and saw the blood, he would pass over the house. But every house that did not have the blood on the door, the first born male was put to death. 

Fast forward to Isaiah 53:7 and we read, “He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth.”  Who is the prophet Isaiah talking about? Roughly 700 years later John the baptist would point to Jesus and declare to the crowds, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29). Jesus was to be that lamb led to the slaughter, Jesus was to be the lamb who’s blood would be applied to the households of faith, Jesus was the one who would be the one who would take away the sins of the world. 

Before Christ’s sacrificial offering of himself he would tell his disciples exactly why his blood was being shed and that he was shedding it for them, “Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” 27 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, 28 for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.”(Matt 26:26-28). Jesus is the lamb of God (Agnus Dei) who came to take away the sins of the world!

As God, a being outside of time itself, Christ continues to graciously give us the benefits of his sacrifice in the Lord’s Supper. It is for this reason that the prerequisite for rightly coming to the Supper is faith in the gospel. All receive but only those who receive in faith receive the benefits. Luke 24:30 we read an account of Jesus making himself known to his disciples after his resurrection in the breaking of bread, “When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. 31 And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight.” Jesus chose to make himself known in that breaking of bread and he continues to make himself known to us in the breaking of bread of the Lord’s Supper! 

When we enter the restoration of all things, it will be celebrated with a great feast called the marriage supper of the lamb. We see this picture in Revelation 19:6-9, “Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out, “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns. 7 Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; 8 it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure”— for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints. 9 And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are the true words of God.” These the same words we hear every Sunday during the Eucharistic liturgy.

The the first animal sacrifice cover the shame of Adam and Eve and the many sacrifices of lambs throughout the Old testament to make atonement for the sins of the people of Israel are all pointing towards the ultimate Lamb who alone could take the sins of the world upon himself, be crushed by their darkness and weight, and yet then rise victoriously over sin, death, and the devil! 

Praise be to the Lamb of God! 

THE MARVEL OF THE EUCHARIST

Excerpt from St. John Chrysostom, sermon on John 6 (Homily 46:3-4), adapted from the NPNF translation by John Sehorn.

We need to understand the marvel of the Eucharist—what it is, why it was given, and what is the profit of its celebration: we become one Body, and members of His flesh and of His bones. Let those initiated into the Sacraments follow what I say. 

In order then that we may become one Body not only in love but in lived reality, let us be blended into that flesh. This blending is accomplished by the Food which He has freely given us, desiring to show the love He has for us. On this account He has mixed up Himself with us. He has kneaded up His body with ours, that we might be a One thing, like a body joined to a head—for this belongs to those who love strongly. That is why Christ has done this: to lead us to a closer friendship, and to show His love for us. He has granted to those who desire Him not only to see Him, but even to touch, and eat Him, and fix their teeth in His flesh, and to embrace Him, and satisfy all their love. 

Let us then return from that Table like lions breathing fire, having become terrible to the devil, thinking about our Head, and about the love which He has shown for us.

Let us then return from that Table like lions breathing fire, having become terrible to the devil, thinking about our Head, and about the love which He has shown for us. Parents often entrust their offspring to others to feed. “But I,” He says, “do not do that. I feed you with My own flesh, desiring that you all be nobly born, and holding forth to you good hopes for the future. For He who gives Himself out to you now, will do so much more in the future. I have willed to become your Brother. For your sake I shared in flesh and blood, and in turn I give out to you the flesh and the blood by which I became your kinsman.” 

This Blood makes the image of our King flower brilliantly within us, produces unspeakable beauty, and keeps the nobility of our soul from wasting away, watering it continually, and nourishing it.

This Blood makes the image of our King flower brilliantly within us, produces unspeakable beauty, and keeps the nobility of our soul from wasting away, watering it continually, and nourishing it. The blood we derive from our normal food does not turn into blood at once, but something else. This Blood does not work that way, but right away waters our souls, and works in them a certain mighty power. This Blood, worthily received, drives away devils and keeps them far away from us, while it calls to us Angels and the Lord of Angels. For wherever they see the Lord’s blood, devils flee, and Angels run together.

This Blood, poured forth, washed clean all the world. This Blood is the salvation of our souls. By it the soul is washed, is made beautiful, and is set on fire. It causes our understanding to be brighter than fire and our soul more sparkling than gold. This Blood was poured forth and made heaven accessible.

Awe-inspiring indeed are the Mysteries of the Church. Awe-inspiring indeed is the Altar. A fountain went up out of Paradise, sending forth physical rivers. From this Table springs up a fountain which sends forth spiritual rivers. By the side of this fountain are planted not fruitless willows, but trees reaching even to heaven, bearing fruit always ripe and unfading. If anyone is scorched with heat, let him come to the side of this fountain and cool his burning. For it quenches drought, and comforts all things that are burnt up, not by the sun, but by the fiery darts of the devil. For it has its beginning from above, and its source is there, from which also its water flows. Many are the streams of that fountain which the Comforter sends forth, and the Son is the Mediator, not holding mattock to clear the way, but opening our minds. This fountain is a fountain of light, spouting forth rays of truth. By it stand the Powers on high looking upon the beauty of its streams, because they more clearly perceive the power of the Eucharistic offerings, and the flashings unapproachable.

For as when gold is being molten if one (if it were possible!) dipped his hand or tongue in it, he would immediately render them golden, so also—but in much greater degree—do the Eucharistic offerings work upon the soul. Fiercer than fire the river boils up, yet it does not burn but only baptizes whatever it lays hold of.

This Blood was ever prefigured of old in the altars and sacrifices of the righteous. This Blood is the price of the world. By this Blood Christ purchased the Church for Himself. By this Blood He has adorned her entirely. Christ has purchased us with His Blood and adorned us with His Blood. Those who share this Blood stand with Angels and Archangels and the Powers that are above, clothed in Christ’s own kingly robe, and having the armor of the Spirit. But I have not yet said the greatest thing: they are clothed with the King Himself.

St John Chrysostom (c. 349–407) served the Church as a priest in Antioch before becoming Archbishop of Constantinople. His extraordinary preaching abilities earned him the nickname Chrysostom (“Golden-Mouth”).

A Story: Observing Lent for the first time

One of my first embarrassing moments with my now husband was over a text. I had run into several people with crosses of ashes on their foreheads, and was mystified and... amused. Unfortunately, I think I tried to make a joke out of it. “Yeah, I have a cross on my head, too.” He texted back and went on with a short explanation of Ash Wednesday. I was embarrassed but now genuinely curious...  

A year later, we were newlyweds and our world had been turned upside down by a stressful school semester and difficult, persistent health issues. The local Lutheran church we chose to attend as a young couple was hosting an Ash Wednesday service and I arrived, feeling mystified again, out of place as a Christian Church/Baptist-raised girl, and exhausted from the day and season. The service was a somber reality check and curiously quieted my soul. The physical substance and act of the ashes was uncomfortable but also a tangible reminder of the true state of things: my frailty and God’s holiness and love and redemption. 

The physical substance and act of the ashes was uncomfortable but also a tangible reminder of the true state of things: my frailty and God’s holiness and love and redemption. 

The next year we observed Lent with our small Lutheran church plant; this was a close-knit group. Following the church year and celebrating seasons like Advent and Epiphany was growing on me, and I knew I couldn’t leave out Lent. I chose my fast and committed to give this season a try. I was prepared to go seriously through this and, in my dislike of giving up control and also (if I’m honest) shrinking from the somber messages of Holy Week, I forgot what came next and was not prepared for the joy of Easter morning. The day itself was gorgeous, and the message and realization that “He is Risen, indeed! Hallelujah!” was more heartfelt than I’d ever experienced.  

“We are not ready for Easter,” Aaron Damiani says of Lent. Lent is a detox from our false attachments in this world and a time where our fasting and praying and giving renews our dependence on God and love for His provision. Each year, the Lenten season brings refreshment as it reminds me of my weakness and dependence on God’s grace. 

Lent is a detox from our false attachments in this world and a time where our fasting and praying and giving renews our dependence on God and love for His provision.

Lent reminds me my salvation is not all about me. We are called to share generously what we’ve freely received. Lent reminds us of the true joy of our faith: the Gospel of Jesus Christ, “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5:21, ESV) Lent reminds us that Easter is coming, that the joy experienced here is a tiny taste of when we shall see Him face to face and rejoice with all the saints, “Behold the Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world!”

The season of Lent does look strange to those, like myself, who had never practiced or heard of such a thing as ashes on your forehead. That the simple, very human practices of ashes and fasting and giving to those in need refresh my soul still surprises and mystifies me. These are gifts from our Father to His children who need the reminder that, truly, Jesus is our Bread of Life. 

Elizabeth Kraemer is a daughter of the king, wife to John, and mother of two beautiful children. Her and her family are members of Trinity San Antonio.

Why you should consider making the sign of the cross on yourself

The Sign of the Cross

Growing up I always thought someone making the sign of the cross on themselves was a pointless and superstitious gesture that just made the people doing it look silly. For real.

I’ve since changed my mind.

I have now come to believe it a very powerful reminder to myself that I have been saved by Christ’s finished work on Calvary and a bold statement to those around me of my faith and hope. And while certainly not required, I would humbly suggest it is a practice that Christians of all traditions would greatly benefit from in practicing.

Here is a brief introduction into this very ancient Christian gesture:

What is the sign of the cross?  

The sign of the cross is an ancient Christian practice of marking the shape of the cross of Christ upon one’s self or upon another person or object.

What does crossing myself with the cross mean?

The sign of the cross is a physical gesture that signifies a spiritual reality. In the same way that in placing our right hand over your heart and reciting the pledge of allegiance declares a statement of belief, hope, and solidarity, so in like manner, crossing oneself with the sign of the cross is a distinctively Christian gesture that is a statement of belief and hope. This simple act reminds us that:

1. We have been bought and purchased by the finished work of Christ on the cross (“sign of the cross”).

2. We have been marked with the name of the Triune God in our baptisms (all Christians baptisms are in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit).

3. We continue to look and trust in Christ at all times and situations.

4. We boldly and unashamedly declare to the world that we are Christ-followers.  

Do I have to do it? 

Not at all! It is a matter of Christian freedom and completely optional. You may or may not feel comfortable doing it yourself, or you may not do it as often as your neighbor. That’s okay. But when the sign of the cross is made, whether by pastor or people, let this be the proclamation: Christ has died for your sins upon the cross; in Baptism he shares that cross with you; because you share in His cross, you are a child of God and are precious in His sight.

What did the early Church say about it? 

The early Church Fathers attested to the use of the sign of the cross. Here are a few comments from the first several hundred years of the church. 

Tertullian (250 A.D.) described the commonness of the sign of the cross: “In all our travels and movements, in all our coming in and going out, in putting on our shoes, at the bath, at the table, in lighting our candles, in lying down, in sitting down, whatever employment occupies us, we mark our foreheads with the sign of the cross” (De corona, 30). And in another place he said, “We Christians wear out our foreheads with the sign of the cross.”

Athanasius of Alexandria (269–373 A.D.) said, “By the signing of the holy and life-giving cross, devils and various scourges are driven away. For it is without price and without cost and praises him who can say it. The holy fathers have, by their words, transmitted to us, and even to the unbelieving heretics, how the two raised fingers and the single hand reveal Christ our God in His dual nature but single substance. The right hand proclaims His immeasurable strength, His sitting on the right hand of the Father, and His coming down unto us from Heaven. Again, by the movement of the hands to our right the enemies of God will be driven out, as the Lord triumphs over the Devil with His inconquerable power, rendering him dismal and weak.”

St. Cyril of Jerusalem (386 A.D.) in his Catechetical Lectures stated, “Let us then not be ashamed to confess the Crucified. Be the cross our seal, made with boldness by our fingers on our brow and in everything; over the bread we eat and the cups we drink, in our comings and in our goings out; before our sleep, when we lie down and when we awake; when we are traveling, and when we are at rest” (Catecheses, 13).  

How do I make the sign of the cross on myself? 

Touch your head at the naming of the Father; then bring your hand to the middle of your chest (over your heart) at the naming of the Son. At the naming of the Holy Spirit, touch your right shoulder and then your left shoulder. The Eastern tradition of the Christian church goes right to left, while the Western tradition is left to right. Either is good!  

When is it appropriate to make the sign of the cross? 

Anytime throughout the day you feel led to or whenever you desire to be reminded of God’s presence with you and your reliance upon Him. You may do it before an especially important meeting, when you are being tempted by sin, as you drive, when you pray, before and/or after meals, and when you wake up and when you go to bed.   

During the worship service it is especially appropriate to cross oneself at (1) the beginning of the service during the Invocation (In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit), (2) after the Declaration of Grace; (3) during the Creed when we declare our belief in the resurrection (“Resurrection of the body”), (4) after receiving the Holy Eucharist, (5) upon receiving the closing benediction when the pastor makes the sign of the cross upon the congregation.  

A final word

If you have never made the sign of the cross, it will feel a little awkward when you first start. That’s okay. Once you have done it a few weeks it becomes quite natural and second nature. A good way to ease into it is crossing yourself at the beginning and end of your personal prayers and go from there. It is also a wonderful way to disciple your children at meals and when putting them to bed.

May the Lord’s grace and peace be upon you!

How to Regularly Spend More Time in God's Word

There are many great reading plans out there - everything from reading through the Bible in a year to reading five minutes a day. When it comes to reading the Bible, it’s helpful to understand three really important points.

First, Scripture is God’s Word to you. It is how the Creator of the universe and King of Kings speaks to you. It is where He declares His love, grace, and mercy and how He guides and matures you in your faith. What an amazing miraculous gift!

Second, reading Scripture is hard work. You read that right. It’s hard work. It takes time, commitment, mental and spiritual focus. For this reason, many of us make excuses, feel guilt for not doing it, or just don’t do it at all. It’s like receiving a letter from someone that loves you dearly and never taking the time to open it. With that said, there are a few easy habits that will make it so much easier for you to be consistent in God’s Word (more on that below).

Third, more important than the quantity of what you read is the quality and regularity. Better to read 5 minutes, 5 days a week, then 25 minutes 1 day a week.

To recap, it’s God’s Word to you, it’s hard work, and it requires consistency. If you understand those three things first, then the following practical suggestions will help you tremendously in spending more time reading the Bible.

practical suggestions:

1. Place - Find a quiet place to sit where you won’t be interrupted for the next 10 minutes and then shut your phone off (no, really!).

2. Prepare - Take a deep breath, still your heart and mind, ask God to open your heart and enlighten your eyes to understand His Word.

3. Read - Read one chapter of whatever book you are reading and one chapter from the Psalms (If you are just starting out reading the Bible, keep it simple and just read the one chapter). Here is a bookmark guide we hand out at Trinity. Don’t try to get all fancy, keep it simple, less is more. Commit to just 10 minutes a day, five days a week to the bookmark plan (updated every month).

4. Journal - Read with a journal and pen in your hand and jot down any thoughts or questions that come to mind as you are reading. This is a really important step to help you actually process what you are reading.

5. Prayer - End your time by praying one verse from what you read. For example, Psalm 5:8 says, “Lead me, O Lord, in your righteousness because of my enemies; make your way straight before me.” Pray something like this: “Lord, lead me you in your righteousness, guide me in your ways. Keep me from following the lies of Satan and the temptations of this world. Keep my heart and mind focused on You as I go about my day. Amen.”

6. Share - Consider sharing with someone else one thing that God taught you or reminded you from you time in His Word.

7. Ask - If you have questions about what you’re reading, reach out to Pastor Matt, he would love to answer your questions!

May the Lord richly bless you through His Word, strengthen you in the faith, and fill you with His love, peace, and joy!

Check out the previous blog post on this topic: Five reasons I don’t read my Bible and Eight really good reasons I should.

Why I don't read my Bible and really good reasons I should

What keeps you from reading God’s Word on a daily basis?

Before reading any further, jot down those reasons on a piece of paper and let’s see how you compare to the five most common reasons people give for not reading their Bible.

Five of the most common reasons people give for not reading the Bible on a regular basis

Kristen Feola shares the following reasons:

Excuse 1: “I don’t have time.” Truth: We’re all given twenty-four hours in each day. You do have time.

Excuse 2: “It’s boring.” Truth: The Bible is anything but boring! It contains stories of miraculous healings, supernatural events, and people being raised from the dead. Pretty exciting stuff, if you ask me!

Excuse 3: “I can’t understand it.” Truth: The Bible can be intimidating at times. It speaks of events that are unexplainable, in language that isn’t always easy to decipher. However, when you approach the study of God’s Word with a true desire to learn, the Lord will give you insight and understanding.

Excuse 4: “It’s not relevant to my life.” Truth: Even though the Bible was written thousands of years ago, it still speaks to our circumstances today. Its truth is unchanging and eternal.

Excuse 5: “I don’t get anything out of it.” Truth: To get something out of the Bible, you have to read it with an open mind and heart. You have to be willing to listen to what God is saying, then learn to apply His truth to the specific situations in your life.

If your relationship with the Lord seems stagnant, it’s probably because you aren’t increasing your knowledge of the Bible. You can’t grow closer to the Lord apart from his Word. Wayne Cordeiro, author of The Divine Mentor, makes this observation: “Neglecting devotions will cause you more problems, more quickly, than just about anything you can name.” He also says, “Spending unrushed time alone with God in His Word releases a fountain of refreshment from the very core of your being.”

I don’t know about you but that list looks pretty close to my list! But now let me ask you this:

What do you think are the benefits of daily reading God’s Word?

Again, take a minute and jot those down.

Here are eight really good reasons to read the Bible regularly:

1. The Bible really is God’s Word to us. - Paul writes that “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God …” (2 Timothy 3:16) which means it is breathed out by God, from Him to you and me. If you want to hear God speak, pick up the Bible, read and listen!

2. The Bible shows us who God is - The Bible provides both examples and statements about who God is. In Genesis we see is all powerful Creator of the world, in Exodus we see is a deliverer, in Leviticus we see that He is holy and righteous, in Joshua we see He is powerful and mighty, in the gospels we see His love, judgement, forgiveness, and grace all meet in the person of Jesus, in the epistles we see His practical guidance for our lives, in Revelation we see what we have to look forward to when Christ returns. We need to hear and be reminded daily of who God is and what He has done, is doing, and is going to do on our behalf.

3. The Bible demonstrates to us why Jesus is so important - Colossians 1:15-20 says, “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.”

4. The Bible nourishes us in our Christian walk - Jesus said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’” (Matthew 4:4). We don’t just need physical bread to sustain us, we also need spiritual food to sustain us. Without we become spiritual sick.

5. The Bible makes us discerning and wise - Psalm 119:9 says, “How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word.” And 2 Timothy 3:16-17 says, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”

6. The Bible equips and strengthens us to do battle with our flesh, the world, and Satan - Ephesians 6:17 says, “And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God”

7. The Bible fills us with hope - Romans 15:4 says, “For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.”

8. The Bible is full of extraordinary promises to the Church - A person would never know or be reminded of the extraordinary promises God has made without reading His Word. Promises about forgiveness, peace, joy, wisdom, and guidance.

So how can you move from making excuses to receiving the benefits of reading God’s Word? I’m glad you asked! We wrote a special post to answer just that question and it contains easy to follow steps to help you be more consistent and get more out of your time in God’s Word.

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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Practical ways you can celebrate Advent with your family this year

So what is the season of Advent all about?

Last week we shared about the Church Year, and how celebrating it with your family can be a meaningful way to keep your hearts focused on what is truly important in life. The Church Year begins on December 1st with the start of Advent.

Advent is a season of waiting. In the same way Israel awaited the coming of the Messiah, we as Christians await the second coming of the Messiah. This season reminds us that we are waiting, and when Christmas comes, we are reminded that someday the fulfillment we wait for will come to pass, just as it did one night in Bethlehem long ago.

Here are some ideas to choose from to help you slow down in this busy season and enjoy preparing for Christmas! There's a lot here, and maybe picking just one or two of these is the best option for you this year, or maybe this is your year to try them all. Either way, we hope these suggestions are helpful to you and your family!

Advent Wreath and Devotional

An Advent wreath contains four candles, one for each week of Advent, which stand for hope, peace, joy and love, and a fifth candle, called the Christ Candle, which is lighted on Christmas. The first week of Advent, starting on Sunday, one candle is lighted, the second week two, and so on until the final week of Advent when all four candles are lit. During the season of Advent, we keep this wreath on our dining table, and each night after dinner the kids get to take turns lighting a candle before we read a devotional together. After reading an Advent devotional as a family, we sing a Christmas carol and then a different child gets to blow out the candles. This is a great tangible way to mark the time until Christmas, and to give kids hands-on involvement in family devotions.

A couple of our favorite Advent devotionals:

• CRU Advent Devotional (free online, short)

• Good News of Great Joy by John Piper (free online or for purchase, very succinct)

• DTS Advent Devotionals by various faculty (free, very succinct)

• Come Let Us Adore Him by Paul David Tripp (for purchase, each devotional is longer)

• God Is in the Manger: Reflections on Advent and Christmas by Dietrich Bonhoeffer (for purchase)

• Love Came Down at Christmas by Sinclair Ferguson (for purchase, unique Advent devotional that focuses on 1 Cor 13 and include reflection questions, longest recommendation at 2-3 pages each day)

• Counting to Christmas: Family Advent Devotions and Calendar by CPH (for purchase, fantastic for pre-school to elementary kiddos, our family favorite)

• Let Every Heart Prepare Him Room by Nancy Guthrie (for purchase, good family devotional with discussion questions, very thought provoking)

Advent Calendars

The most traditional form of Advent Calendar is a little scene or house with doors to open every day of December until Christmas. There is usually a little piece of chocolate inside of each door. These are (not surprisingly!) quite popular at our house, but there are two other calendars that have proven to be really meaningful ways to celebrate.

1) Wrap 25 Christmas picture books up in wrapping paper and have the kids take turns opening one each day until Christmas. Read the book together that day, and then revisit favorites as time allows as the days go on.

2) An "Advent Activities" calendar, which is a series of 25 paper pockets with an activity inside to be completed each day in December. Some ideas for activities this calendar could include:

• Making Christmas cards

• Going to a living nativity

• Piling in the car to look at Christmas lights together

• Listening to or attending Handel's Messiah

• Acting out the Christmas story

• Christmas caroling in your neighborhood or at a retirement center

• Serving at a soup kitchen

• Putting together a puzzle of the nativity scene as a family

• Having a family movie night with a favorite Christmas movie

Nativity Sets

Nativity sets can be used as more than just decorations, and are a favorite part of Advent around our house. We have a toy nativity set that only comes this time of year, and the kids love to play with the shepherds, animals, wise men, and especially baby Jesus.

With our decorative nativity set, we play a hide and seek game. Baby Jesus is hidden as far away from the nativity set as possible. As the kids find baby Jesus, the figure is hidden again a bit closer every few days, until we finally place baby Jesus in the manger after the kids go to bed on Christmas Eve, to be found on Christmas morning!

You could also have the other figures in your nativity set "travel" through the house and gradually arrive at the site of the manger throughout the month of December.

Serve as a Family

Some of the ideas mentioned in the Christmas activities section would fit here as well, such as caroling at a retirement center or serving at a soup kitchen. Another ideas is to adopt a family in need and take them a meal and/or gifts on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, and pray for them before you leave. Taking time out of our already busy holiday season can be hard, but this could be a great way to show the love of Christ in a sacrificial way.

Attend Advent Services

If you are here in San Antonio, we would love to have you join us for weekly Advent services on Sunday evenings! We will have a simple dinner of soup and bread available at 5pm, and begin a short service at 5:30 including Christmas carols, a brief devotional and some interactive components for kiddos as well. After the service each week we will have different activities including making fresh evergreen Christmas wreaths, a cookie exchange, and more. More information on our Advent services can be found here or on our Facebook Events page.

In the middle of the hustle and bustle of the season, Advent services are a good way to quiet our hearts and experience the beauty of what God has done and the anticipation of what God will do.

Be on the lookout for Part 2 of this post, which will have a few more ideas, a big list of book recommendations for young and old, some recipes, and an Advent Spotify playlist!

Thanksgiving and Thankfulness

1 Thessalonians 5:18 tells us to "Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." Giving thanks in all types of situations is God's will for us. Not only does giving thanks mean walking in obedience to God, it also gives us a new perspective on life. Instead of feeling frustrated and discouraged by all the less than perfect situations we encounter each day, giving thanks turns our eyes to all the good gifts God has given us, and helps us to realize that He is working even in the midst of the hard things. When we start giving thanks, our eyes are drawn to the glory of God, and our hearts turn to Him in praise, not just for His good gifts, but for who He is. We all know this, and yet it is so easy to forget to be thankful. We even forget to thank God we can breathe through our nose until a bad cold comes along!

So, giving thanks is God's will for us. It's good for us and our spiritual lives and our perspective. But we so often forget to be thankful! And here enters November.

With the holiday of Thanksgiving coming up at the end of the month, November is a natural time to turn our hearts to the habit of being thankful. Here are a few ways to cultivate a heart of thankfulness in your children (and yourself!) in the month of November with just a few minutes a day:

1. Make a thankful tree.

You could also make a thankful bowl, or box, or pretty much anything that holds small slips of paper. To make a thankful tree, scour your backyard or local park for a short branch with lots of places to hang little pieces of paper. Then stick this tree in a vase, and place beside it a stack of small pieces of paper with a hole punched through one of the side. You can use pieces of string or Christmas ornament hooks to attach these pieces of paper to your thankful tree. Each day in November, have each member of your family write (or help them write, for the littlest ones) one thing they are thankful for on a slip of paper, and hang it on the tree. Sometime on Thanksgiving Day read through all the slips of paper and reflect on God's goodness! You can save these in an envelope with the year marked on it. It's really meaningful to look back on past years as well!

2. Memorize a verse about thankfulness.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 is a great choice, but there are many to choose from! Just read it together 2-3 times as a family at breakfast each day, and you should all have it memorized by the end of the month!

3. Read a different verse about thankfulness together as a family, at dinner time or whatever time of day works best for you, each day in November, and spend a few minutes discussing it together. Pick out your own or use this printable list.

4. Three kernels of corn at Thanksgiving dinner.

Start a new family tradition and give each person at your table three (or five, if you want to do more!) kernels of popcorn. Pass a jar around the table, and take turns sharing one thing you are thankful for from the past year as you drop a kernel in the jar. Go around the table three times until everyone has used all their corn. This tradition stems from the legend that the pilgrims ate a ration of just a few kernels of corn a day their first winter in Plymouth. It can be a great tangible activity to help us slow down and thank the Lord! As Black Friday comes earlier and earlier each year, this is a small way to prepare our hearts for contentment amidst the waves of consumerism waiting to wash over us.

5. Listen to some music that will encourage you in gratitude on this Spotify playlist.

Bonus: Picture book recommendations to read with your kids.

• Give Thanks to the Lord by Karma Wilson. This book is inspired by Psalm 92 and walks through a family Thanksgiving dinner.

• Thankful by Eileen Spinelli. A look at thankfulness that combines the idea of vocation as well.

• Squanto and the Miracle of Thanksgiving by Eric Metaxes. This excellent retelling of the story of Squanto emphasizes how God used the hard circumstances in Squanto's life to lead to the huge blessing he ended up being to the struggling colony of Pilgrims.

• Sharing the Bread: An Old-Fashioned Thanksgiving Story by Pat Zietlow Miller. This whimsical book follows the preparations for Thanksgiving dinner, and has a nice emphasis on family and gratitude.

• Thank You For Thanksgiving by Dandi Daley Mackall. A little boy waits for his turn to say what he is thankful for at Thanksgiving dinner.

Let's be intentional this November about being grateful, and let these beautiful habits of praise and thanks transform us and our children more into the image of Christ each day.

Soli Deo gloria

Feast of All Saints' Day

Helping families find ways to allow the life-giving truth of Christ to permeate day-to-day life is something we are passionate about here at Trinity! Following the church year can be a great way to do this, so today we are talking about All Saints' Day, celebrated on November 1st.

What is All Saints' Day?

Originally All Saints' Day was a day set aside to remember the martyrs of the early church, who had given their lives for their faith in Christ. Today we remember not only these martyrs, but all the faithful who have died in Christ, encompassing the faithful in the Bible, the early church, the more recent past, and even friends or family members who are now in heaven. 1 Corinthians 1:2 tells us that all who are in Christ are saints. The word "saint" is derived from a Greek verb (hagiazo) whose basic meaning is "to set apart, " "sanctify, " or "make holy." This title doesn't just belong to a select few Christians but to each and every person who has been forgiven in Christ Jesus. What Memorial Day is to America, All Saints’ Day is to the Church, a day of remembrance and thankfulness.

Why celebrate All Saints' Day?

All Saints' Day is a great opportunity to reflect on God's faithfulness, to thank Him for the example of faithful believers, and to be inspired by this example. This could be a great time to share with your kids about a faithful grandparent or mentor who God used to draw you closer to Him. You might want to read the story of a faithful saint from the Bible, or a biography of a missionary or early church figure. As we retell the story of the faithful Christians who have gone before, we give our children (and ourselves) a vision for what God could do through us, and our hearts are drawn in faith and praise to Him for His work throughout the ages in ordinary individuals just like us.

How can we celebrate All Saints' Day?

Here are a few ideas to choose from for celebrating this day with your family:

1) Attend a service at a church that celebrates All Saints' Day. At Trinity this Sunday Pastor Matthew will preach on this theme.

2) Read and discuss a passage of Scripture that talks about the saints throughout time, such as: Revelation 7:2-17.

3) Read a biography about a famous Christian from history. Here are a few of our favorites:

Trial and Triumph: Stories from Church History by Richard Hannula

Patrick: Patron Saint of Ireland by Tomie DePaola

Martin Luther: A Man Who Changed the World by Paul Maier

The Simonetta Carr biographies

Missionary biographies

4) Share about the life of a faithful Christian you knew personally who is now in heaven, and take a moment to thank God as a family for this saint.

5) All Saints Prayer to pray as a family

Almighty and everlasting God, You knit together Your faithful people of all times and places into one holy communion, the mystical body of Your Son, Jesus Christ. Grant us so to follow Your blessed saints in all virtuous and godly living that, together with them, we may come to the unspeakable joys You have prepared for those who love You; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

(Treasury of Daily Prayer)

Let's take some time this November 1st to thank God for the faithful that make up the body of Christ; in heaven and on earth, famous or little known, and to be encouraged to trust in His faithfulness to help us and our children run the race He has for us!