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A DAY IN THE LIFE OF OUR FAMILY OBSERVING YOM KIPPUR
At Celebrating the Bible, we have found over and over in Scripture that the Father consistently appeals to the senses of His Set-Apart People. We follow His model and strive to APPEAL TO THE SENSES of the children that He has given us to steward.
While below we tell the story of what our life looks like during Yom Kippur, it is both true and also romanticized. It is the life we live, but it also doesn't include the exhaustion of parents, the disagreements between siblings, and the training of energetic children who are learning what it means to be introspective and reverent.
***This story is meant to encourage you to build traditions that REMEMBER, remind you to RETURN, and KEEP THE HEARTS OF YOUR FAMILY POSTURED on the FATHER, HIS SON, and HIS TORAH!***
Morning of Preparation Day for Yom Kippur
The house is awoken by a song playing, urging everyone to feel excitement and reverence for this special time when we draw near to our Creator!
The house is awoken by a song playing, urging everyone to feel excitement and reverence for this special time when we draw near to our Creator!
The day is spent eating well and preparing the day's final meal so everyone can head into the fast well-nourished and hydrated. The home is tidied, colored pencils are sharpened, playdoh is found, Bibles are stacked, couch blankets are washed, and pillows are fluffed.
We also prepare the meal that will break our fast, as well as the large pot of plain veggie soup that will simmer on the stove throughout the day so whoever needs a cup of broth or a bowl of the soup throughout the fast can do so.
Evening of Yom Kippur
After completing animal chores and eating a final "top off" of fresh Einkorn biscuits dripping with fresh butter, we fill up mugs with Chamomile tea and head into the evening. The menorah is lit as we sing songs under fresh blankets whilst sipping warm tea. We feel cozy and loved and we feel the reverence this Appointed Time demands.
After singing, we begin "Prayerful Painting" as we listen to Leviticus 16:1-34 and Psalm 119 read aloud with instrumental music. Each family member is given a canvas and watercolor pallet to use during this time. The lights are dim, and the atmosphere is set for reverence. We are training what it means to be still and listen. We emphasize that it is the process of the painting and not the product itself that matters.
Before going to sleep, we pray that the Father would have His Spirit reveal to us the things He would have us address in the following hours.
Morning of Yom Kippur
With instrumental hymns playing in the home, candles are lit. Children are encouraged to take time to journal about any dreams the Father may have given them in the night. We begin listening to Hebrews read aloud as some color and others stay snuggled in blankets.
As the day brightens, we feed the animals that must receive food and milk the animals that need us. But soon, we return to continue reading aloud Hebrews as we allow our hands to work out what we're hearing with playdoh.
Some of us require broth and others require a bowl of veggie soup, while still others are reminded that each time our belly groans it is representative of how much more our spirit groans for communion with our Creator.
With journals in hand, we take a walk, splitting up to think and spend time with the Father. Children are encouraged to either write about or draw pictures representing the things the Father places on their hearts (minds), such as sin patterns or His calling on their life. Parents find the children and pray with them individually.
Once back at the house, children pull out handicrafts like sewing, pocket knives, or more coloring supplies and sprawl out as we read about various missionaries around the world who are in need of our offerings of prayer. We use this time to pray for others the Father is using to further His Kingdom. We then sing "Holy Is the LORD", which quotes the passage from Isaiah 6.
As we head into the evening, each family member has a light blanket and a basket to collect nature treasures in, crayons, paper, and clipboards. After laying for a time watching the sky, we make leaf and bark rubbings and then return to the house to use hot glue guns and a large piece of cardboard to make a family collage with our nature treasures.
As the day darkens, we gather again to give our offerings of praise to the Father through music. We light the menorah, and we hear the single long blast of the shofar to let us know that Yom Kippur has come to an end.
We break our fast with broth and eagerly pull together the prepared ingredients for an Asian Hot Pot of which we will eat and eat and eat! This is a slow meal that invites conversation and reflection on what the Father revealed to each person during this special Appointed Time with Him.
We go to bed feeling full and loved by our Heavenly Father.
We pray that sharing this snapshot into our plans for Yom Kippur this year blesses you and gives you inspiration to ask the Father how He would have you and your family celebrate His Appointed Times!