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We have found that the Father APPEALS TO OUR SENSES all throughout Scripture. At Celebrating the Bible, we follow the model set before us by our Heavenly Father and INTENTIONALLY incorporate the senses every chance we can.
Memories are tied to the senses, and we are consistently instructed to REMEMBER.
Because of this, we find it WISDOM to CAREFULLY DESIGN family experiences and traditions in such a way that incorporates the senses.
We have shared a list of ideas that might penetrate the heart (mind) of a young person learning what it looks like to WALK IN HIS WAYS.
Perhaps some of these ideas might bless your family this year during Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles)!
Taste
Psalm 34:8
Oh, taste and see that Adonai is good; Blessed is the man that takes refuge in Him!
-Delicious foods, especially roasted meats
-Autumn-themed spices and foods
(Pumkin bread, cinnamon banana bread, and homemade applesauce)
-Roasted marshmallows, meats, and even fruit like pineapple chunks
-Honey comb spread on bread
(Afterall, the Torah IS sweet as honeycomb! Psalm 19:10)
-Graham cracker/Matzah sukkahs decorated with dried fruit, chocolate chips, nut butters, etc.
-Hot chocolate with orange wedges for early mornings to give energy for wood chopping/collecting or hikes
-Apple cider topped with lots of fluffy cream and a dash of nutmeg
-Fresh bread dripping with butter or campfire bread on a stick
Hear
Deuteronomy 6:4
"Hear, O Israel, Adonai our Elohim (GOD), Adonai is one!"
-Recite the Shema each morning to greet one another and the day.
-The blowing of the shofar, recorders, paper towel tubes, trumpets, etc.
-Musical instruments during musical worship such as egg shakers, rhythm sticks, or tambourines (Homemade instruments such a shakers or paper plate tambourines are wonderful!)
-The singing of familiar songs that bring comfort, calm, excitement, remembrance, and joy.
-The crackling of fire or the splitting of wood.
-The early morning sounds of the birds as the world awakens AND the late-night sounds as your sleepy eyes close.
Smell
Leviticus 1:9
An offering made by fire, a sweet fragrance to Adonai.
-Beeswax candles during a candlelit early morning breakfast.
-The smell of roasting meat on the fire.
(Tip: Precook your chicken thighs, hot dogs, kabobs, etc. and "kiss" them with fire so you don't have to work so hard.)
-The comforting smells of warming Autumn spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove.
-The smell of the damp forest, the salty waves, or the chilly air whilst camping.
-The smell of coffee brewing and cider warming on the stove.
Touch
Psalm 149:3
Let them praise His Name in a dance; Let them sing praises to Him with the tambourine and lyre.
-Waving the lulav.
-Davidic dancing during musical worship.
-Dancing scarves or sticks tied with ribbon for dancing and worship.
-Interacting with nature through touch.
(Blindfold Nature Treasures Game: After an intentional hike with baskets for collecting nature treasures, place the treasures in a box or bag and try to guess what treasure you feel before pulling it out.)
-The coolness of crisp early mornings around a fire pit, wrapped in a blanket and holding a warm cup of tea or cider.
-The feeling of the lulav and sukkah building materials in your hand as the year's sukkah is constructed.
-Turning the pages of the Bible as your family reads Scripture together.
-The feeling of sleeping on a pallet or the ground.
-The cool Autumn breeze on your cheek along with the heat of a campfire.
See
1 Kings 6:21
And Solomon overlaid the inside of the House with refined gold, and made gold chains pass over the front of the Speaking Place, and overlaid it with gold.
-Laying under the stars in your sukkah.
-The fog rising over the ridge as you awaken earlier than usual for a sunrise hike
-Watching the flames dance in a campfire late at night
-Using watercolor pallets to paint nature observations during a hike.
-Observing the smoke from roasting meat rise to heaven, reminding you of the offerings made by fire.
-Watching shows on Yeshua's birth, such as 'The Nativity'.