Monday, May 18, 2009

coming soon: Ascension Day and Pentecost!

I hope you all are writing some great posts on how you celebrate Pentecost for the upcoming Blog Carnival (send 'em in!). I just wanted to share a couple of things we've done in the past for Ascension Day and Pentecost, and that we're hoping to do again this year, so that you can plan for them if you're looking for some ways to celebrate these two holy days at home.

First, for Ascension Day, think about doing an Ascension Day hike. The idea is to find a mountain or a hill and walk up it, to remember and celebrate Jesus' ascension into heaven. At the top, you can read the gospel account of the Ascension, and say a prayer, thanking our Lord for going to prepare a place for us. We've found that doing this really resonates with our children. (You can always do this on the weekend, rather than on Ascension Day itself.)

Then, for Pentecost, consider making a spicy dish - the idea being that the spices remind us of the flames of fire that descended on the early church on the first Pentecost. Also, consider decorating your table with red rose petals, for the same reason. I think this year we're going to use red geraniums, because that's what we have. Both of these easy home celebrations provide an excellent opportunity to talk about the Holy Spirit with your children; about how He came the first time, how He lives in their hearts once they invite Him in, how He lights up our hearts like the rose petals brighten the table, how He permeates our lives like the spices permeate the food.

Remember to send in your Blog Carnival links!


peace of Christ to you,
Jessica Snell

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