Even though we can’t count down to our own resurrections, one of the cool things about the Christian calendar is that we can count down to the anniversary of Jesus’ resurrection — the beginning of the renewal of all creation.
This week, that countdown is on. And I never get tired of telling the backstory. (In case you haven’t noticed, OneStory thinks there’s something pretty powerful about entering into stories, particularly when they relate to Jesus.)
As early as 3 generations after Jesus, we have evidence that 2nd-century Christians counted down to this celebration with a period of fasting. But the countdown took on epic proportions in the early 300s due to an awesome problem: so many people were deciding to follow Jesus that the church was having a hard time teaching them all. (And Christianity wasn’t even legal in the Roman Empire yet!)
Jewish followers of Jesus were baptized right away, but Greco-Roman believers went through a time of preparation before baptism because they needed to learn about holiness first.
In order to adequately teach them, the church decided to hold baptisms just twice a year…and the biggest baptism date was the anniversary of Jesus’ resurrection. The period of fasting was the perfect time to focus on holiness.
These 40 days of fasting echoed Jesus’ 40 days of testing in the wilderness. In the Bible, the wilderness isn’t the only image connected with testing. The fire of God’s own holiness tests us and brings our impurities to the surface. Yes, these 40 days of fasting are intertwined with the language of holiness.
They’re intertwined with the language of new creation, too. This period of fasting came to be known as Lent — from Old Saxon lentin, meaning “lengthening of days.” It was an ancient way of referring to spring.
While we still have a few more weeks before our days are longer than our nights, this season reminds us that physical signs of new life are just around the corner. And new creation? In Jesus, it’s already begun. The signs are everywhere if he gives us eyes to see it.
In anticipation of ever-increasing renewal,
Amber
Let’s chat about holiness. Why do you think non-Jewish believers were trained in holiness before their baptisms? How are you training your kids in holiness?
And don’t miss our “Practicing Holiness” section below!
When BibleProject approached me in 2020 about writing a homeschool curriculum, I couldn’t have imagined where it would all lead just three years later. I’d been a fan of BibleProject’s work for years, so I was really, really excited to find a way to help my homeschool community engage these videos with their kids. But I was also terrified. I’m sure my voice was shaking when I said “yes.”
Aaaaannnnddd….I soon realized I was in over my head and needed some help, so I put some feelers out on social media. Several people reached out, but nothing was feeling quite right. Then I got on the phone with Amber. Within minutes, I knew she was my partner in crime.
Her passion for the Bible was palpable. I learned she had already been dreaming up a homeschool curriculum and had several sketches drawn out. Quietly and faithfully, she’d been doing the work for years. And that said a lot about her. Additionally, we had an instant soul connection. I sensed I could trust her, and she was willing to dive into the unknown with me.
Three years later, what started out as a single project has evolved into an entire ministry. OneStory now houses two homeschool courses (and more in process!), family studies, family guides, and personal devotionals. And Amber and I have developed a deep friendship. I’m really grateful for all we’ve accomplished.
But even more, OneStory has been a place of growth and discovery for both Amber and me. For the last three years, I’ve watched Amber pour her heart and soul into this ministry. I’ve seen the spark that I glimpsed during our phone call turn into a full flame. I’ve watched her get more clear about what she was meant to do. And it became more and more evident that she was meant to lead.
And in the goodness of God, as I took some steps back, I also got more clear about my own calling. I discovered I really enjoyed working behind the scenes - championing, editing, encouraging, processing, evaluating, supporting - doing whatever I could to cheer Amber on as she stepped out in faith with this ministry. And I realized that in almost every area of my life, this was the role I was drawn to again and again. It is where my own spark is fanned into flame.
So it is my great joy that Amber and I are moving into this next season with roles that align with our callings. Amber will serve as the sole Director of OneStory, and I will serve as the Managing Editor. As part of this new chapter, I am also excited (and terrified!) to be starting a Doctor of Ministry program, so I can learn how to better equip others in their callings. We are both really looking forward to serving you in these new roles, helping your families explore the Bible and practice the way of Jesus, together. Thank you for all the ways you’ve supported this ministry over the past three years!
Sometimes when you step off that ledge in faith, you don’t at all know where you’re going to land. But what a thrill it is that we are called to partner with Him in bringing the truth, goodness, and beauty to the world in a thousand different creative and surprising ways. You really never know where your shaking “yes” might take you.
A spiritual practice is an action we engage in for the purpose of cultivating spiritual development. One of the ways that we practice the way of Jesus is by engaging in spiritual practices that help us develop the mind of Christ.
Holiness starts with recognizing God’s holiness. An easy way to help kids to recognize God’s holiness is to invite them into the story of Isaiah 6.
Isaiah finds himself in a room where God is sitting on a throne. One of the first things Isaiah notices are creatures flying around God’s throne. They are constantly calling to one another:
Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.
Since my kids were young, one of my (Amber) favorite ways to begin our times of prayer is to invite my family to imagine we are in God’s throne room with the flying creatures. Can you picture the smoke filling the temple? Can you hear how loud it is? And God is on His throne right in the middle of it.
Then we start our prayer time by saying:
Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.
By the time we’ve said this together 3 or 4 times, there is a holy hush in our room and we can focus on approaching God as the holy King who invites us into His holiness.
If you are doing this practice with your kids for the first time, you might want to introduce it by watching this video from BibleProject first:
What’s your family’s favorite spiritual practice? We’d love to hear about it!
To share, email amber@onestory.bible
New Family Guide
Last week, we released a new (free) course by our friends at BibleProject on Understanding Biblical Narrative. That course is for us grownups, but a huge part of the heart behind OneStory is that as we continue to grow in our knowledge of the Bible, we’ll turn around and teach it to the next generation.
Therefore, we’re designing family guides to accompany each unit. (And yes, everything is free!) This week’s new family guide provides tools to help you teach your kids about the role of character in biblical narratives. And you can take a closer look at Saul and David at the same time! You can find the family guide in the OneStory Addendum section of the Understanding Biblical Narrative course.