Carnivals of the Church Year: Pentecost

I didn't know what to expect when Kerry and I planned this carnival. But the more of these entries I read, the more excited I became. I love reading these stories about the work of the Holy Spirit in people's lives. And even the ones that are mostly about how to celebrate Pentecost carry in them a very clear understanding of why we celebrate Pentecost, of why it is so important that we have a member of the Trinity - God Himself - living with us, comforting us and strengthening us and guiding us. Because His presence with us means that we know God, that we are loved by God and that we are empowered to obey God.

Here is what this carnival reminds me of: have you ever been privileged to have a dear friend, and then to meet an old friend of that friend? Perhaps you've gotten to meet your mother's childhood friend, or your husband's best buddy from high school. And that old friend tells you a story or two about your dear friend, and all of the sudden you're overcome with even more fondness for your dear friend than you already possessed, because now you know even more about him or her, and can see not just what you find lovely about your friend, but you can see what your friend's friend finds lovely too. You know more, and so you can love more.

Reading these entries was a bit like that. I have known the Lord almost all of my life, yet, of course, still know Him very imperfectly. As I read these stories I have the simultaneous response of, "Oh yes, of course, that's just what He's like!" and "I didn't know that about Him - how wonderful!" It is a combination of familiarity and surprise that delights my heart and satisfies my soul.

Let's start with a post from my co-host for the Church Year Carnivals: Kerry of A Ten'o'Clock Scholar. She writes about fellowship as a spiritual discipline and as means the Holy Spirit uses to ignite our love. And she quotes Dallas Willards, so you know it's going to be good.

Ranee of Arabian Knits offers some specifics about how her family has celebrated Pentecost (BBQ, anyone?), but also offers some really good insight into how the church year works, and how following these traditions is especially useful for teaching children about God.

Amy of Splendor in the Ordinary talks about the Holy Spirit, Pentecost and baptism, as she looks forward to the baptism of three children at Pentecost this year! I especially appreciate her observation: "We could not do it alone, or even as a Church, without the Spirit." She also offers this very helpful post with concrete suggestions for celebrating Pentecost as a family.

Jeanne of At a Hen's Pace writes about Hearing the Voice of the Lord. More specifically, about how she knows when she's hearing from Him, and about the journey of discernment He's led her on. Great stuff.

Kelly, from The Liturgical Year For Little Ones, offers some great ideas and links for celebrating Pentecost with the little ones. I especially like the Dove Mobile idea, but check out also her ideas on decorating your home and throwing a birthday party for the church with your kids.

Amy, of On A Joyful Journey, offers an amazing testimony to the power of the Holy Spirit in her life. If you've ever wanted to hear what it's like to feel God's strength sustaining you when you had none of your own, of His peace being present in your heart when no peace should be possible, well, just go read Amy's words. I'm amazed and grateful, Amy, at the witness you offer to God's unfailing love.

Keith from Under the Acacias shares a missionary's perspective on Pentecost. The Holy Spirit is still prompting people to share the good news about Jesus. Read about both the first Pentecost and a church service 20 centuries later in Burkina Faso.

Here is a piece of poetry for Pentecost, from Tara at Storyformed, entitled Wildfire. Doesn't it seem appropriate to write poetry for the feast of the Holy Spirit? After all, we have all the wisdom literature in the Bible because He inspired the authors to write it.

And we end with a short and profound meditation from Ann, of Learning as We Go.

Thank you all for participating and for reading. The next carnival will be held for Kerry during Ordinary Time.

Finally, if you sent me a link and I forgot to include it, please let me know, so I can correct my error.

Happy Pentecost!

Pentecost Carnvial - deadline extended - send in your posts!

The deadline for the Pentecost Blog Carnival is being extended till Friday. Kerry and I would love to have you participate; please just send me a link to your post on how you and your family celebrate Pentecost (can be from last year's festivities, if you like) or about the role of the Holy Spirit in your life, in the church's life, etc.

The idea is just to gather together thoughts from other liturgically-minded women as we prepare to celebrate this joyful holiday!

Please see my original prompts for some writing ideas, if you like, and then just send me your post at jessica dot snell at gmail dot com.

peace of Christ to you,
Jessica Snell

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

Lenten Blog Carnival

Welcome to the Lenten Blog Carnival! Thank you to all of you who sent me entries; this is such an beautiful selection of readings and prayers, disciplines and encouragements. I hope that everyone who reads through these links will find something that helps her deepen her devotion to our Lord during this season.

Small disclaimer: I don't agree with everything in every one of this entries. Given that they come from a wide spectrum of Christian practices, I doubt anyone reading will agree with everything! However, I hope you will be encouraged by all of them. And where you find differences, I encourage you to let them remind you to pray, with Jesus, for the eventual unity of the church.

Also, if you sent me an entry, and it isn't here, please let me know and I'll try to correct the omission as soon as I can!

With that, I'll go right to the entries:

Check out this idea for a Lent Tree at Smithical. Now, tell me that's not a cool idea!

Jeanne of At A Hen's Pace talks about disciplines of abstinence and disciplines of engagement. Fasting is just one side of the coin.

Karen Elizabeth of These Little Pieces reflects on the words of the Book of Common Prayer as it invites us to observe a Holy Lent.

Hearing "remember, oh man, that you are dust" leads Sarah Marie to reflect on Bonhoeffer's words on grace.

Elizabeth Esther talks about getting an answer she didn't want when she prayed about what to give up for Lent.

Amy at On a Blessed Journey writes about the history of Lent and offers some thoughts from John Chrysostom.

I Am an Alpine Flower posts about giving up the internet for Lent . . . with a little Henri Nouwen thrown in.

Tienne at Take the Poor with You has some suggestions on how a mom can fit three hours of prayer into her day during Lent.

And, in the resources category, here is a post on Lenten Activities with Children from Kelly, and it's full of good ideas for celebrating the various Sundays of Lent according to the Eastern Calendar.

Lindsey at Reading Red Letters posts both about the preparation for Lent and about Ash Wednesday.

Elena, a The Wuggy Chronicles, offers this poetic reflection.

Read about how one family fasts together at Two Square Meals.

Amy at Splendor in the Ordinary talks about her family's Lenten practices this year - including a reminder about a traditional Lenten snack: pretzels.

At Story-Formed, read about Lenten Soup (but it's not the recipe you'd expect).

And, finally, at Learning as We Go, read about meeting a time of challenge with a Lenten discipline of gratitude.

Thank you again to everyone who participated, by reading or by posting. May God bless you as you continue down this Lenten path. May these forty days draw you closer to Jesus, and may the feast at the end remind you of the feast that awaits us with Him in heaven.

peace of Christ to you,
Jessica Snell

send in your posts! - Lenten Blog Carnival

I've received a lot of great posts for the blog carnival, but more are welcome. This is a reminder that I'm taking entries through Wednesday (email in profile on the sidebar) and the blog will go live on Sunday.

I'm looking forward to sharing all these good thoughts and meditations and resources with you all!

peace of Christ to you,
Jessica Snell

Lenten blog carnival, anyone?

Back in 2007, I hosted a Lenten blog carnival. It was a great chance to gather together thoughts and meditations on Ash Wednesday in particular and Lent in general.

The next year, while the twins and I were in hospital, Kerry hosted an Anglican family Lent.

This year, I would be glad to have it here again, but as Lent sort of crept up on me (Epiphany was long this year!), it's not going to be hosted today, but in a week and a half, on the second Sunday of Lent (March 8).

I think this will actually work better than having it on Ash Wednesday, because it will allow me to post links to all of the posts you wonderful writers publish today, as you start your Lenten journey this year (I've already read some very good ones).

So . . . if you would like to participate, please email me the link to your post on Lent, celebrating Lent with your little ones, observing it by yourself, worshipping during Lent, fasting and prayer, etc. sometime in this next week. I'll stop accepting links this time next week, and get the post up on Sunday, March 8, full of good links to contemplate during the last month of Lent.

You can find my email in my profile on the sidebar. I'm really looking forward to reading all of your thoughts and meditations; it's so good to hear from one another, and to share with each other what good things and hard changes God has been giving us and leading us towards during this season.

Send links!

And, in closing, here is part of the Blessed George Herbert's poem, Lent:

It's true, we cannot reach Christ's forti'eth day;
Yet to go part of that religious way,
Is better than to rest:
We cannot reach our Saviour's purity;
Yet we are bid, 'Be holy ev'n as he, '
In both let's do our best.

Who goeth in the way which Christ hath gone,
Is much more sure to meet with him, than one
That travelleth by-ways:
Perhaps my God, though he be far before,
May turn and take me by the hand, and more:
May strengthen my decays.

Read the whole thing here.

peace of Christ to you,
Jessica Snell

p.s. I'm Anglican, but posts from other Protestant denominations, as well as Roman Catholics and Eastern Orthodox, are equally welcome.

The Easter Blog Carnival!

Yes, I'm late getting the instructions for this up. This is largely due to the fact that I couldn't figure out whether I wanted the carnival to go live on Easter Sunday or not.

And, I've decided not. Instead, the Easter Blog Carnival will go live on the second Sunday in Easter (that'd be April 15th). It's just too hard, I think, to expect lots of people to write about Easter during the last week of Lent. This way, we can get lots of perspectives on celebrating the resurrection, after the fact. And, since Easter season is 50 days long, having the carnival a week after next Sunday would not be liturgically inappropriate. :D

BUT . . . even though I'm pushing it back a week, feel free to start sending me links now. If you've got something you've written, this year or last year or even earlier, on Easter, that you'd like included, send it on over! I'm at jessica (dot) snell (at) gmail (dot) com.

As much as I enjoyed the Lenten Blog Carnival, I can't help but think that the Easter one will be even better! I can't wait to read what you've written. (Feel free, by the way, to post about the carnival on your blog - the more, the merrier!)

peace of Christ to you,
Jessica

The Lenten Blog Carnival!

Welcome to the first Lenten Blog Carnival, here at Homemaking Through the Church Year! We have suggestions for fasting, stories of past Lenten seasons, and meditations on the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ.

In preparing this Carnival, I have been overwhelmingly blessed by all of your posts. I've learned so much. Thank you to everyone who sent something in, who wrote such encouraging emails, and who's here reading. I think I got all the links entered up in this post; if not, please forgive me - and let me know! I'll post a post-script!

Be aware, before you start reading, that this Carnival contains - as I'd hoped! - entries from each of the three large divisions of the Church: Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox and Protestant. So, no one, including me, is going to agree with everything she finds here. But I hope that you will all nonetheless be encouraged by one another's faith and hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.

That disclaimer made, let's get on to the meat of the Carnival! (pun absolutely intended)


To kick us off are some posts about getting ready for the Lent.

First of all, I'm honored to have a post from James Kushiner of Touchstone's Mere Comments, on Eastern Carnival. If you don't read Mere Comments (or Touchstone), well, you should.

Sarah at Becoming Ourselves, a blog about spiritual growth, writes about the how easy it is to forget Lent is coming, and what that might mean.

Sherry Early at Semicolon blogs from a Baptist perspective about how Lent readies her family to celebrate the Resurrection.

Rebeca at Carried on the Wind reflects on all she's learned about Lent in the Orthodox Church these past two years, and how she's looking forward to really celebrating it for the first time.

MommaBlogger at Homemaker's Guide to the Galaxy meditates on the purpose of Lent, and on how she hopes to change by Easter Sunday.

Lindsey at Reading Red Letters takes us through her thought processes as she decides what to give up, and what to take on, this Lent.

On a blog about homemaking and the Church Year, children are often the focus of attention.

Elizabeth Foss has a post on Preparing to Prepare for Easter that includes a conversation with her children about heaven, hell and repentence, and a lesson for every age as we head into Lenten fasting.

Sara at Mom's Musings offers several resources for families (especially Catholic families) looking to celebrate the Lenten season with their little ones. Great links in this post!

As you continue your journey through Lent, be sure to check out Kelly's The Liturgical Year for Little Ones. This post about Forgiveness Sunday and Clean Monday will give you an idea about what to expect from her helpful blog.

There are also some more general reflections on the season.

First, let me direct you back to a post from a guest blogger right here at Homemaking Through the Church Year, Dr. Betsy Barber. Her post illuminates some of the reasons why we do what we do during this Great Fast.

Xapis recalls her first Lent here. This year, she's meditating on death and dying.

Picking up on one of the themes in Xapis' posts is A Penny and Her Thoughts. This post touches on the idea of balance, why spiritual disciplines are usually physical, and how to make Christ the Lord of our whole selves.

Liza's Eyeview posts about memories of Lent from her childhood in the Phillipines.

Lasselanta, a friend with a real gift for writing and a missionary's heart, talks about two memorable Lents: one about a year when her fast was involuntary and one that found her very far from home, but that brought her closer to her Lord.

At Fruitful Words, find a quiz that reveals one woman's thoughts on the season.

And, finally, an original sonnet by Juliet Wilkins, to close off the Carnival.


Thank you all again for reading and for contributing. I've enjoyed putting this together more than I ever imagined I could, and feel more honored than I can say for getting to read all this good stuff. May you all have a good and blessed Lent!


peace of Christ to you,
Jessica

p.s. And, if you're like me, and much as you love Lent, just can't wait for that second Sunday of April to roll around, be assured that there'll be a first annual Easter Blog Carnival too. Stay tuned for details!