I've been blessed to spend the most important day of the year with my daughter at Moody Bible Institute. I arrived in Chicago early Thursday morning when I grabbed a cab, arrived at the school and toured the the D.L. Moody museum anxiously waiting for her to get out of class. Wasn't long and I saw my girl go by. What a sweet reunion! We dashed off to chapel to celebrate Maundy Thursday.
Maundy is where we get the English word “mandate.” This day observes the significance of Jesus' new commandment to “love one another as I have loved you”--given to His disciples at the Last Supper. Christ's act of foot washing demonstrated the servanthood that Jesus enjoins upon all who follow him.
Students and faculty members led the service of public worship which included a time of foot washing when the congregation could follow Christ's example of humble servitude. After a great sermon and beautiful hymns, I needed my tissues from that point on.
After Maundy Thursday came Good Friday. The service at Harvest Bible Chapel that night was exceptionally somber. We wore black to church and entered the lobby to find darkness, smoke, and men carrying beams of lumber. The clanking of nails that resonated through the lobby immediately brought our focus to the main attraction of the night: the Cross. We watched a video of a man constructing a cross. From the cutting down of the tree to the engraving of his initials upon his work, we were to put ourselves in the place of that carpenter. We were the ones who built the structure upon which the Righteous Servant died.
Mark 10:45 says, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”
These are the words I know will remain with me as I board a plane Easter Sunday back to Florida. I must remember that Jesus is not only my Lord but my Savior, Whose stripes heal me. Let us not forget His physical pain but also Christ's immeasurable torture when His Father turned His back upon Him. My prayer for you is that next time you look at a cross you remember who its chief constructor is. The next time you sing a song about Christ's blood, you consider who it was meant for. This Easter, may we view our gift of grace through the lens of the Cross and the Righteous Servant that died upon it.
Showing posts with label celebrations. Show all posts
Showing posts with label celebrations. Show all posts
Sunday, April 8, 2012
Monday, March 12, 2012
Going All Out
Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them slip from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to your children after them. Deuteronomy 4:9
Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Deuteronomy 6:7
I love holidays! They are a great excuse to celebrate big—make food, hang out with friends and family, travel, go on vacation, etc. Most kids like holidays too because they indicate that something special is about to happen--they are getting ready to be a part of something great. Holidays provide a great way for us to break away from the routine. Well, with Easter (or Resurrection Sunday) just around the corner, we as moms are presented with another opportunity to celebrate Christ’s love with our kids.
Easter is such a beautiful holiday, but it can be difficult to explain its true meaning to a young child. However, I would encourage each of us (including myself) to pray about and follow through with a way to share the Easter story with your children in a way that is applicable and appropriate for their age. Let’s not waste this holiday on simply eggs, chocolate, bunnies, and baskets. Those things are fun, but let’s remember what the focus of our celebration is.
A few weeks ago at Mom to Mom, Linda Anderson shared a few tips with us mommas about passing on the legacy of faith and building belonging within our family. She was not merely talking about Easter, but about celebrations in general. Here are a few points she mentioned:
1. Keep it simple.
2. Remember that the process is more important than the end product. Involve your kids in the process (crafts, cooking, service projects, etc.) instead of keeping them occupied and out of the way.
3. Focus on creating family memories as opposed to people-pleasing.
4. Include others—create a contagious, fun Christian community that other people are delighted to be a part of.
5. Celebrate everyday “God sightings”.
6. Ask yourself: What’s the focus of our celebrations, and are they fun?
I know this blog may seem a bit premature, but I would encourage you to be thinking of ways you can prepare your child’s heart for Easter/Resurrection Sunday so that it is a joyous and memorable holiday for your family. We put so much preparation and emphasis into Christmas, and the excitement over it is extremely contagious. Let’s do the same for Easter! I would encourage you to leave any ideas and suggestions on sharing the Easter story and celebrating with your children in the comments below. Some of us mommas could really use some good ideas (i.e. me). :)
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, we thank you so much that there is a season for everything. Thank you for this Easter season that reminds of us the incredible price you paid so that we could be clean and close to you. Help us share the beauty of what you did on the cross in a way that captures the hearts and minds of even our youngest kids without scaring them. Give us fresh insight and revelation on how we can “let the little children come to you”. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Deuteronomy 6:7
I love holidays! They are a great excuse to celebrate big—make food, hang out with friends and family, travel, go on vacation, etc. Most kids like holidays too because they indicate that something special is about to happen--they are getting ready to be a part of something great. Holidays provide a great way for us to break away from the routine. Well, with Easter (or Resurrection Sunday) just around the corner, we as moms are presented with another opportunity to celebrate Christ’s love with our kids.
Easter is such a beautiful holiday, but it can be difficult to explain its true meaning to a young child. However, I would encourage each of us (including myself) to pray about and follow through with a way to share the Easter story with your children in a way that is applicable and appropriate for their age. Let’s not waste this holiday on simply eggs, chocolate, bunnies, and baskets. Those things are fun, but let’s remember what the focus of our celebration is.
A few weeks ago at Mom to Mom, Linda Anderson shared a few tips with us mommas about passing on the legacy of faith and building belonging within our family. She was not merely talking about Easter, but about celebrations in general. Here are a few points she mentioned:
1. Keep it simple.
2. Remember that the process is more important than the end product. Involve your kids in the process (crafts, cooking, service projects, etc.) instead of keeping them occupied and out of the way.
3. Focus on creating family memories as opposed to people-pleasing.
4. Include others—create a contagious, fun Christian community that other people are delighted to be a part of.
5. Celebrate everyday “God sightings”.
6. Ask yourself: What’s the focus of our celebrations, and are they fun?
I know this blog may seem a bit premature, but I would encourage you to be thinking of ways you can prepare your child’s heart for Easter/Resurrection Sunday so that it is a joyous and memorable holiday for your family. We put so much preparation and emphasis into Christmas, and the excitement over it is extremely contagious. Let’s do the same for Easter! I would encourage you to leave any ideas and suggestions on sharing the Easter story and celebrating with your children in the comments below. Some of us mommas could really use some good ideas (i.e. me). :)
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, we thank you so much that there is a season for everything. Thank you for this Easter season that reminds of us the incredible price you paid so that we could be clean and close to you. Help us share the beauty of what you did on the cross in a way that captures the hearts and minds of even our youngest kids without scaring them. Give us fresh insight and revelation on how we can “let the little children come to you”. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
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