Resurrection Advent: Days 2, 3 & 4

Today is Wednesday of our Advent to Resurrection Day (Easter). My oldest is not feeling his best so we have taken a break from our studies today to craft for Passover and review these stories. I'm excited by so many awesome ideas on the internet of what other creative families have done! So far we've made a toilet paper roll Moses, there is a mound of paper scraps covering my hearth from cut-out paper crosses my 5yo offered to make to decorate our windows, stamped Passover placecards are started, and we've planned out a few others ideas for which we are short one ingredient each. But can't make it out to the craft store today. Phooey.

From the couch with his knee propped up, I enjoyed overhearing my 9yo read through the pile of Passover and Easter books I had laid out (no set-up there!) to his brother.

We have been reading the Resurrection week stories during breakfast every morning so far this week, again, trying to make this Advent distinct from Christmas. So far we have read about 1) The Triumphal entry into Jerusalem (leaf), 2) Jesus Clearing the Temple (pigeon), 3) Jesus' Last Lessons to the Disciples- Love the Lord and your Neighbor (heart), and 4) The Last Supper (bread). This is what our felt map looks like so far:

We let them choose a few songs they knew, some from Christmas, to sing. We asked them also to close their eyes and picture what God on His throne might look like. Then to picture this and ourselves before Him as we sing these songs of praise. We want to encourage them to be thoughtful about this and not just copying us. It's interesting to hear their imagination or visualization. It is a good reminder for me too to slow down and think of our praise actually being received by God and our hearts offering it to Him; not worrying about teaching harmony or if little feet are being still. I think I can make an endless list of crafts and lessons to do but our display of loving God with our heart, soul, mind, and strength will leave the greatest impression.

Painting my son did this weekend.We are decorating the dining room with their art for the Passover Seder. I wish you see how sparkly his skyline is.

Day 17: Elijah

Tonight was fun because we had a two year old little girl roaming around our living room during Advent time. We read about the next of our prophets, Elijah. Now he led an interesting life- fed by ravens, challenging the prophets of Baal, and the vessel for many miracles. He heard God's still, small voice, walked with Him, and then was taken from this life by a fiery chariot. This is why it is Elijah we anticipate at our Passover table. This was an challenging image to create.

Elijah's flaming chariot into heaven

 
If you are following along with the Bible in Stories - summarizing pages 318-321, 326-327, 338-339
If using the Bible or another Bible reader - summarize -1 Kings 17-18, 2 Kings 2
Song: "O Little Town of Bethlehem"

Day 9: Moses, part 1

Tonight Joseph and Moses showed up for Advent! Vests or robes are one of the easiest kind of costumes to make and they have used them in a million ways. I like their initiative!
  
So far we have covered the first 8 major people and events: Creation, Fall, Flood, Nations & Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph. Now we will spend 2 days covering the amazing stories of Moses.

Our Language Arts (My Father's World) and History (Story of the World) have been right on in helping with Advent this year. During our morning lesson we did this fun sticker activity from SOTW with the 10 plagues, reading from Bible in Stories and adding the part to the picture for each one. I am kind of addicted to my home laminator so I made all of the pieces re-positional to be saved for other years.

Day 9: Moses, Part I

Tonight we read about Moses being saved by Pharaoh's daughter, his growing up among the Egyptians but eventually fleeing from them. Then God speaking to him through the burning bush and commissioning him to return to Egypt's Pharaoh to have the Israelites set free, their eventual freedom and the first Passover. We had read about the 10 plagues in detail this morning so we skipped ahead to the miraculous Exodus and how God provided food for them daily in the wilderness. In the box there are paper and felt burning bush and manna ornaments, more Lego pieces, and "manna". My husband had once said he thought manna might have been like Frosted Flakes, but since we didn't have any, Frosted Shredded Wheats had to do. They were received without any grumbling.

If you are following along with the Bible in Stories -  telling by the pictures pages 110-148
If using the Bible or another Bible reader - summarize Exodus 1-16

Returning the Meaning to Easter

Before it gets too far away from the season, I want to share our passion for celebrating Passover. There is such a richness to becoming part of a service that has been observed for thousands of years, and a meal that Jesus Himself sat down to eat. It has normally been an elaborate part of early spring for us. We have low tables we set up, long tablecloths to iron, hand stamping placecards with the kids, hosting 10 guests, and planning a meal and driving all over our scarcely Jewish area to gather what is needed. But this year with too many major things going on, we decided to observe a simple dinner with just our children on Resurrection Sunday. We spend the week with mid-day and evening readings of Jesus' last week and this is a good culmination, tying in His work of redemption for us, as also characterized in the rescue of God's people through Moses in the Exodus.

There are several things I appreciate about this evening and its part in our lives. Like my role as a woman lighting the Passover candles, giving light to the table, just as Jesus was born of a woman, giving light to the world. The toughness we learned last year of Why the youngest is chosen to answer the 4 questions when it would be easier to chose the oldest. So they are not left out of being taught! This exercise is such a good reminder.
And the humbling ritual of my husband washing our feet as Jesus did for His disciples. It's awkward and freezing and hard not to giggle, and we come to the table with relatively clean feet, but sobering to think of Jesus stooped to wash the dust of this world off the feet of His closest friends that did not understand why and did not fully appreciate what He was doing.

I appreciate the small moments like my 7 year old putting on a wrinkled white button up shirt and tucking it in, to look "special" for the occasion. The joy in hearing him read the responses for the first time since he has learned this year to read. Their excitement for the chocolate coins (which I bought instead of making this year, cutting corners everywhere I could!) given in exchange for the hidden matzah. And ending the evening on the floor as we took requests for hymns and my 3 year old chose the "Grow, grow, grow" song.
It wasn't big or perfect or the best thing I have ever organized but it was special for us. And its meaning and significance has easily replaced other distracting traditions of this season. I pray it will be something my children will grow to understand and always remember.


"Truly, we can say Hallelujah for the great redemption which God has wrought on our behalf."
We lift the cup of Praise because He has made us His people.