A Fresh Look at Family Vocations

Anyone who knows me - for say ten minutes or so - also knows that I love Issues Etc!  Issues is a thoughtful, challenging, decisively Lutheran radio program, and I make a point to tune in daily!  For a few years now I've enjoyed listening to their podcasts, but now Issues has an app and I can listen LIVE on my phone!  It's wonderful! 

I'm especially excited about Issues' new five part series, Family Vocations, featuring Dr. Gene Edward Veith and his daughter, Deaconess Mary Moerbe, discussing their new book by the same title.  Dr. Veith has written a number of works, all on fascinating topics, from the arts to classical education. 

We're often given, and maybe even seeking, an unobtainable formula for the perfect "Bible based" family, a magic a to-do list of the Law.  Flip those ideas completely upside down! 

Refreshing is word that comes to mind in describing Dr. Veith's work - all straight from the catechism, and more than Bible based - it's Christ based! Family vocations, those of husband, wife, father, mother, son, and daughter teach us how God works.  God, our real Father, provides.  He gives.  He loves.  These are Gospel statements!  Likewise our earthly husbands and fathers are images, albeit fallen images, of the Father - always giving, always pouring out in love. 

Think of our children!  Cute, yes, but fallen little buggers!  On their own, they are pitiful!  Children need constant cleaning and feeding, and we, as parents provide for them out of love.  We don't change diapers or prepare a healthy dinner because they've done something to deserve it.  Likewise, we deserve nothing from God apart from Christ, but are given everything from Him.  He washes us in the waters of our baptism and feeds us in His very body and blood in the Lord's Supper.

If you're over the tired self-help, perfect family potions, you'll enjoy listening to these podcasts!   I'll keep adding links here each week.  Download the Issues Etc App for your phone and you can listen in the car, while doing dishes, on a walk - whenever! 

Gotta love it when Issues sparkles the chrome on the green table!

Here are the links:

The new Issues Etc. App


Issues Etc. Podcast: Family Vocations, Part 1


Issues Etc. Podcast: Family Vocations, Part 2 (Marriage)


Issues Etc. Podcast: Family Vocations, Part 3 (Parenting)


Issues Etc. Podcast: Family Vocations, Part 4 (Children)


Family Vocations: God's Calling in Marriage, Parenting, and Childhood by Dr. Gene Edward Veith and Deaconess Mary Moerbe

He is Risen, Alleluia!

Happy Easter!

He is Risen!

He is Risen, Indeed!

Alleluia!

One of the reasons I keep "of Green Tables" is because it's sort of a family and feasts scrapbook.  Here are a smattering of our scenes of the day, from sun up to sun down!

Daisies - a flower that is a symbol for Jesus - is one of my favorite Easter motifs.  We made these from cut and layered coffee filters, dotted with bingo markers and dripped with water, then set to dry over glass bowls to regain a bowl shape.  We were going to fill them with candy, but they were too pretty to cover!



The table, half set, early in the morning - I love working in the peace and quiet!



My happy little friend seems to tweet, "Alleluia!"

Looking out over the green table at daybreak

Victory Lamb!



Resurection Rolls



Ready for church



At the foot of the cross





Petey & Mommy

Looking for chocolate bunnies!



Pete's first hunt!

Coconut Lemon Cake with Daisies



Dusk from the green table.  We all went outside and rode bikes around the circle.  My favorite memory is Adelae riding around while singing, "Jesus Christ is Risen Today, Alleluia!"

Happy Easter!
Enjoy the season and the victory that is yours in Christ Jesus!

Easter Vigil

It's Holy Saturday! We made it through the Good Friday service - almost! At least half of the family did great! I'll let you guess who was out in the narthex.

Today we have an egg hunt at church - I'm typing this in the car on the way! Grace also has an Easter Vigil service tonight. I've always wanted to go. The Light that dies out on Good Friday is reintroduced during this vigil. It's known to be a very long service - with readings spanning the whole church history from creation. Grace does long well, and with little ones who have to get up early the next morning, I'm certain we won't make it to this service for several years.

Today, amidst the egg hunt, egg dying, table setting, cake baking, making our ressurection rolls and more, I plan to dig up some white candles - votives, tapers, pillars - whatever I can find! We'll light them and have our own little Easter vigil at home as a family. It's not the same as a worship service, but will be a nice way to end Lent, conclude the triduum of Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday, and quietly await the joy of Easter!

Happy Holy Saturday!

Passion Pictures

Growing up, my mom recalls spending holy Week matching socks. In a family of eight this must have been a daunting task - especially if she, along with her two sisters, really had to wear boys socks from the BR Bakers bargain box. All the socks must have looked the same! Earlier this week I too pulled out our mid-match sock box. We found mates for about half of the lonely socks.

I'll have to ask my grandma is there was any significance to matching socks during Holy Week. Maybe she just wanted to keep little hands, home from school, busy, out of trouble, and accomplishing a worthwhile task. With six children, could blame her? What mother hasn't faced babes, clinging, moping about, looking for something to do? Enter crayons, pencils and scrap paper. Draw!

During Holy Week, try inviting your children to draw a picture of Jesus on the cross. Children's artwork is a window into their mind and understanding. It is a launching pad for great conversations.

Children 18mos and younger can join in as you guide their crayon clad fist to scratch intersecting lines- a cross!

Pete's First Crosses - Good Friday '12  (14mos)

By age two, a child who has had practice can start to draw crosses more independently. Start by inviting them to draw a line, and then you can add the second intersecting line to form the cross.

By age three or four, children will be able to draw a cross independently and even begin to add figurative details.  Older children can illustrate many scenes of Holy Week. 

Red Jesus with Thorns - Adelae

Once the children start illustrating the Passion, ask them to tell you about their drawing. Point out any little detail you notice to encourage conversation.

 

Early this Lent, my daughter, Adelae, drew a passion picture. Jesus is on the cross, but there is another figure beside Him. "It's me, Adelae. See, I'm wearing a dress!" she explained. She even signed her name at the bottom. I love that she sees herself with Jesus, that they are present together!

After weeks of Lent spent looking at picture books, Lenten worship and Sunday School, learning the hymns of the season and more, I'm going encourage Adelae to draw another picture of Jesus on the cross sometime during this Holy Week. What details will she'll think to include? Will she again draw herself with her Savior?

Jesus with Nails and Dark Clouds

Here are some more pictures she drew this Good Friday ('12).  I hope to find and post some of her older pictures from last year as well.  I would love to see your child's Passion pictures too!

Adelae couldn't believe it when I told her that Jesus wanted to die for us, even though it hurt Him.  Here, Jesus is smiling, happy save us.  He is also wearing a crown - but not with thorns.  A triumphant picture, but you can still see the cross and dots for nail marks on His hands.

Slam! It is Finished!

Holy Week worship services are full of meaningful and dramatic traditions of the church - waving palms, processions, Bible readings sometimes longer or read responsively, striping the altar, departing sans benediction - in silence, and some of the best hymns of the year. The Tenebrae vespers service of Good Friday includes the overtaking darkness, as the Light of the World is extinguished - crucified for the salvation of the world. At the end of the service, all is completely dark and then it happens.

Slam!

It is finished!

Christ has died! It is finished!

The earth has quaked, the curtain torn! It is finished!

The tomb is sealed! It is finished!

Our salvation is secured!

Especially with young children, but really with children of all ages, it is important to prepare them for what they can expect to see and hear during these unique services and why.

Here’s one simple idea that my children have enjoyed. Last weekend we gathered all of our Holy Week and Easter books. After reading each book, we slam it shut as loudly as possible! It's great fun! By talking about this loud noise and what it means now, the children will anticipate it, begin to understand it, and hopefully not cry in startled fear this Good Friday.  We’ll see!

Here are a few notes about the two books pictured here.  Pete’s favorite book this season has been Things I See At Easter by Julie Stiegemeyer.  There is nothing sweeter than seeing little Pete walk toward me, book in hand, huge smile on his face, then turn his little body around and plop himself down expecting a loving lap to collect him and read to him.  Adelae likes the simple board book because she can “read” it herself!  I like it because it follows all of Holy Week with an emphasis on all that Jesus gives us during the Easter Season.

Adelae’s favorite book has been The First Easter by Lois Rock.  There are words and even whole sentences that I have stubbornly edited out of this book, but the pictures are nice and it tells the whole Easter story from Palm Sunday through Pentecost.  Adelae has this book memorized too, and has been especially interested in the geographical details.