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Another Take on Advent Preparations
By Allison Hull I’m going to talk about something controversial. It might get some very heated so you may want to click back to another page. Seriously, you’ve been warned. I’m talking about Advent. How to celebrate it as opposed to Christmas. Now, I’ve been talking to a number of people and this subject gets everyone riled up for some reason. Everyone thinks they’ve got the right idea about how to celebrate it, especially if you’re religious. One thing we can all agree on is that it’s a time of preparation. My husband is a huge Christmas fan. He listens to the music in July, watches Elf and Jingle All…
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Stuff Some Rolls in your Purse (on bringing the liturgy home)
By Emily Cook It’s time for the Divine Service! Our Sunday Feast! Here, the gifts of God are poured out in so much abundance that one can hardly take it all in! It’s going to be a party! Oh wait, I have children. Never mind. It’s going to be a battle. If you have children, you know they aren’t exactly interested in taking it all in. They’re not there for the “food,” so to speak. They are their to wave to their friends, to drop the offering with a loud clatter on the floor, to lick the hymnals, and to color on their dress pants. So what’s a mother to…
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Observing Advent with Children
By Amanda Markel The days leading up to Christmas are busy days, and are made even busier for families with small children. It can be easy to lose track of what we’re preparing for, and focus on the more worldly aspects of the Christmas season. But, we also have the gift of the church year, which sets aside the weeks before Christmas as the penitential season of Advent—a time to slow down and reflect on Christ’s coming, both as a baby in Bethlehem, and on His eventual return. You may be wondering how to get your children’s focus off of Santa and gifts and cookies, and on to Christ. There…
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Fun Reformation Activities for Children
By Keri Wolfmueller If you need a craft project or fun activity to use with your child you probably google it, and Pinterest and the like have a million ideas ready for you to go! There is one topic I have found very little on and yet it is oh so important in the Lutheran church, the Reformation! As an Early Childhood Educator and mother of four, I’ve done a little brain storming and thought I’d share a few ideas. Hope they help. Have a Blessed Reformation! My favorite creation, a song about Martin Luther, to the tune of Zacchaeus: Luther was a brave little man, and a brave…
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CPH’s My First Hymnal
Let me prepare this review of CPH’s My First Hymnal by stating that I am probably the worst possible person to write such a review. I know absolutely nothing about music, can’t carry a tune in a wicker basket, am usually unable to recognize melodies, and am probably – on at least some non-literal level – tone deaf. So, with that out of the way, here’s what I think of My First Hymnal, which I purchased for my infant daughter because obviously a hymnal is an appropriate gift for someone’s 2-month birthday. First, I like how this is laid out sort of like a baby version of LSB or other…
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Prayers and Praying with Children
By Mary Abrahamson The basic foundation to keep in mind when praying and when teaching children to pray can be found in the meanings of the first and last parts of the Lord’s Prayer according to Luther’s Small Catechism. The Introduction Our Father, Who art in heaven. What does this mean? God would hereby tenderly invite us to believe that He is our true Father, and that we are His true children, so that we may ask Him with all boldness and confidence, as children ask their dear father. and What does “Amen” mean? Amen means that we should be sure that these petitions are acceptable to our…
