So Much More than a Meal

My husband will often ask my children for the reasons that we have Sabbath feasts. Some one always says "to remind us of the feast we will have with God one day." They will then go on to say that they cannot wait to have communion tomorrow, because it reminds them of our covenant with God, which reminds them again of the Marriage Feast we will have in eternity. It is always refreshing to me to know that my children are thinking about this. One of my favorite hymns is At the Lambs High Feast We Sing. "At the Lamb's High feast we sing, praise to the victorious King, Who hath washed us in the tide Flowing from His Pierced side. Praise we Him, Whose love divine Gives His sacred blood for wine, Gives His body for the feast, Christ the Victim, Christ the Priest." What an incredible description of God's sacrificial atonement. These conversations are always a reminder to me that Sabbath Feasting is about so much more than putting a great meal on the table.

Julie

Preparation and Children

Is it a burden or a blessing to have the kids involved in preparation? There is not an easy answer. If your children are older and have been trained well than i would say it is a great blessing. Kids that have been trained in the importance of feasting and who are used to having guests in the home can help in almost all of the preparation. I have been in homes where the teenagers did not even need the help of the parents. More important they were joyful about it. Sometimes it is hard for us with smaller ones to remember to train them in all of this. Yes, it is easier to have them out of the kitchen. But, how will they ever learn to do this and do it joyfully if we do not work at training them now. I have a few ideas to help with this. First I make their chores easy. I made a picture of a place setting so even Zachary can set the table. There are many websites or books that have this, but i do not use every piece in a place setting. This confused the kids because it did not match perfectly. I just took a digital picture of what we use and that is our reference. Folding the napkins is a great job for the toddlers. Sarah Beth loves to help clean the vegetables. We have great conversations while doing this. Isaac likes to mix the salad after I have done the chopping. Also, get the kids in on the inviting of the guests. Isaac was just asking today about having certain families over. Get them involved and be joyful about it. They will develop a love for it soon.

Julie

Let the Little Children come to Me

Have you ever spent the day cooking, put an incredible meal on the table and your children proceed to turn their nose up at it? Or, the table is beautiful, everyone is dressed nicely, you sit down and someone spills something very dark all over the white tablecloth. By this time you are so tired that you just want dinner to be over with. That is the way our Sabbath dinners were going. I was so discouraged that we stopped feasting. After talking to someone about this I realized that we were totally missing the point. Did God care that my tablecloth was stained? No, but He did care about the way I fussed with my child over it. Did he care if my kids did not like the food? No, but He does care that we train them to be more polite at the dinner table. My point is, they are children. Help them to develop a love for this day. When mom is so worried about everything being perfect it sets the wrong example. I have begun to do small things to help them. I make sure there is something on the table that everyone will eat. Each child helps in some area of the preperation. They love to feel a since of ownership. I have become less stressed about my linens and dishes. So it is stained. I can get another one. I cannot change their memory of a negative experience at the Sabbath dinner table. Remember to not only teach your children the reasons behind this celebration, but also let them see it in our actions. If you still can't get past stains, try Linens and Things or Abondante Living. They sell beautiful stain free linens.

Julie