Each week, on a Friday just as we start our Shabbat dinner, we take it in turns to wash our hands as a symbol of our hearts being washed clean. We say words from Psalm 24:3-4: “Who can go up to the temple on the mountain of the Lord? Who can stand in his … Read more
Sabbath starts in the evening. In Jewish tradition, all days start in the evening, because “there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.” (Genesis 1:4) This is marked with a ritual meal where candles are lit, hands are washed, bread and wine shared and blessings spoken before we tuck into our roast chicken. It’s not … Read more
Birthdays take organising
This was my first lock down birthday, and my family did an AMAZING job of making it special for me.
My girls are 8 and 9 yo, and they had been planning with Daddy for weeks! They made presents and cards; they organised bunting and party poppers; they discussed food options, chocolate and chocolate cake; they planned places to go (for our daily walk!) and others things which would make my day special. They even considers making sushi!
Would you like a way to mark you Sabbath, to make it different from the other days of the week? In our home, we mark it with a weekly Shabbat meal, a simple ritual we do together as we begin our Friday evening meal (which is always roast chicken!!). You can find out more about … Read more
We’ve been celebrating Shabbat as a family each Friday for over a decade now. We love it, and couldn’t imagine our week without it. We’ve shared it with lots of different people, and we’ve adapted it as we’ve gone along to keep it accessible and relevant to everyone present. I’ve made a version of our … Read more
We’ve been celebrating Shabbat each Friday for 12 years now. We love it, and couldn’t imagine our week without it. If you’ve not come across Shabbat, it’s a traditionally Jewish ritual Friday night meal with prayers and blessings. Our two children, ages 4 and 5 join in with the songs, the actions, and some of … Read more
I love to make sorry prayers into an activity. The idea for this one is that cleaning our hands is a metaphor for the forgiveness Jesus gives us. Gather: All you need is a bowl of water and a towel. What does the Bible say: If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive … Read more
We’ve been celebrating Shabbat as a family each Friday for seven years now. We love it, and couldn’t imagine our week without it. our two children, age 2 and 3 join in with the songs, the actions and some of the Bible verses we say. We’ve shared it with lots of different people, and we’ve … Read more