Shavuot Scripture Reading List

Happy Shavuot if you are celebrating today! If you already celebrated I hope your set apart time was a lovely burst of growth and truth. If you are new to celebrating the Festivals of YHWH, hang in there! It gets better each time, as we understand more. The best is still ahead.

I wanted to share a few passages of Scripture that I enjoy reading at this time of year to prepare for and celebrate Shavuot. Since this is a time to reflect on the Word of YHWH and the Ruach HaKodesh I picked Scriptures related to that, but this is by no means an extensive list! The Set Apart Spirit is mentioned hundreds of times throughout all the books from the very Beresheet to the judges and prophets and the Psalms, Yahusha spoke of the Spirit, and it appears throughout Revelation. Not to mention how hard pressed you would be to find a passage of the Word that doesn't emphasize or point to the importance of the instructions of YHWH. So feel free to add your favorites to this. Here's a few of mine.

Scriptures to Read During Shavuot:
Exodus 19-20 - the giving of the Covenant after the Israelites left Egypt.
Vayikra 23:15-21 - this passage is about Shavuot itself.
Deuteronomy 16:9-12 - this passage gives further instruction for Shavuot.
Ten Commandments - this is in Exodus 20:1-17. I like to emphasize these because of course the infamous Golden Calf story also happened around Shavuot, so it's important to know how to live correctly so we also do not break Covenant with YHWH.
Book of Ruth - this is traditional to read because the story takes place around the spring harvest time, like Shavuot itself. It also beautifully parallels the story of many of us who weren't born into a Torah based community but chose that path with the help of a redeemer. 
Jeremiah 31:33 - the Torah will be written on our hearts.
Ezekiel 36:27 - talks about the Holy Spirit helping us to keep YHWH's instructions.
2 Chronicles 8:13 - Israel kept the Feasts under King Shlomo.
John 14:15-29 - Yahusha talks about the Ruach HaKodesh.
Luke 24:49 - Yahusha's instruction to wait.
Acts 1:4-5 - the disciples wait to be immersed.
Acts 2 - this is where the Ruach HaKodesh was poured out on believers, just ten days after the ascension of Yahusha. It happened at Shavuot. 
Book of Acts - I love Acts because it is about those who lived both as followers of Yahusha and as keepers of Torah. This is the lifestyle we should have today.
1 Corinthians 12 - the gifts of the Spirit.
Galatians 5:22 - the fruit of the Spirit.

My Favorite Sukkahs of the Year

I saw so many amazing sukkahs this year! It was just incredible to be able open my inbox or browse Instagram to see photos of YHWH's feasts being celebrated around the world. I wanted to share with you a few of my favorites from this year, one for each night of Sukkot. I wouldn't mind celebrating the Feast of Booths in any of these!

From @elysamary I love the pretty lights and the menorah here! This is also shows that you don't need a huge yard or campsite to make a sukkah, it's totally doable on a patio or deck.

From @shalohamama This tropical sukkah is getting turned into a climbing structure for vertical gardening.

From @queenlioness333 I just love how she incorparted foliage and flowers into the vertical walls, don't you?

From @greenmomma4 Isn't this so elegant?

From @greenmomma4 Another shot from the inside. This looks so cozy and like the perfect place to stay warm on a chilly Sukkot evening.

From @theclimbingtree Doesn't this look like a place where you could hang out for hours? 

From @profuselyprofound The prayer shawl look I thought was a really unique take on a sukkah. Lauren said this was set up in a sanctuary where 24 hour prayer was happening!

From @madisonthompson It's not hard to imagine a lovely evening out here. Flowers and candles are a combination that's hard to top.

Which one was your favorite? Share your photos by tagging me on Instagram or using #sukkahgoals!

Sukkot Stuffed Recipes to Try

In most of the world Sukkot falls on the time of the final ingathering of the crops for the year. Gardens are emptied of the last of the tomatoes and peppers before the first frost, and huge fields are being harvested. Most of us are very far removed from the sigh of relief much of humanity surely felt at the end of an abundant harvest. While it is a blessing to live where an abundance of food available year round, we do miss out on noticing much of YHWH's provision. 

One way to remind ourselves that YHWH meets our needs is through the Sukkot tradition of stuffing vegetables and other foods. This shows that he not only gives us good things but generously 'stuffs' us full. Serving a meal of something stuffed is a good talking point of what (besides food) that YHWH has faithfully provided. Give one of these recipes a try this week!

Chili Stuffed Spaghetti Squash from Making Thyme for Health

Lentil Stuffed Sweet Potatoes from Will Frolic for Food

Pad Thai Spring Rolls from A Beautiful Mess

Veggie Black Bean Enchiladas from Cookie and Kate

Vegan Stuffed Poblanos from Minimalist Baker

Butternut Feta Hand Pies from A Beautiful Plate

Veggie Fajita Stuffed Sweet Potatoes from How Sweet It Is

Chipotle Pumpkin Enchiladas from A Beautiful Mess

Quinoa Stuffed Peppers from Minimalist Baker

Broccoli Rabe and Black Bean Quesadillas from Cookie and Kate

Pineapple Boat with Sorbet from The House That Lars Built

Almond Butter Baked Apples from Making Thyme for Health

Which of these doesn't look fantastic? I'm thinking it would be a great night for Mexican food in the sukkah. :) And that pineapple boat with fresh sorbet or ice cream? What dreams are made of! If you need inspiration, take a trip to a local farmers market. You could also stuff your favorite fillings into manicotti or apples into a pie. A very happy Sukkot week to all of you!

Prayer and Fasting on Yom Kippur

What do you do on Yom Kippur? The most common answer is to fast. Scripture's instruction for Yom Kippur is that we should anah ourselves. Traditionally this is applied as a 25 hour fast. There is some debate over whether or not fasting is required as the Hebrew word anah is usually  translated as afflict or humble, and never fast. But of course fasting could be a way of humbling yourself.

But if you're fasting on Yom Kippur, that should just be part of your Yom Kippur. Going without food is not the whole point. Our lack of understanding is sadly shown when we treat this Biblical holiday as just a day to not eat. There's nothing wrong with fasting and it can be used to add meaning to this special time. But if that is the only connection with a Bible holiday given to us by the Creator of the universe I think we have missed something.

Because fasting is always to be paired with prayer. Here are a some examples of that throughout the Bible.

-King David fasted while pleading for the life of his sick child. (2 Samuel 12:23)

-Anna never left the Temple, but worshipped day and night, fasting and praying. (Luke 2:37)

-Daniel was fasting and then prayed for Judah's release from exile. (Daniel 9:3)

-The disciples had trouble curing a boy from demonic, epileptic fits and the Messiah told them healing could only happen through prayer and fasting in that instance. (Mark 9:29)

-Hannah was fasting when she went to the Tabernacle to ask YHWH to give her a son. (1 Sameul 1:18)

-Jesus fasted and prayed in the wilderness. (Matthew 4:2)

-Paul and Barnabas appointed elders to the congregations with prayer and fasting. (Acts 14:23)

-Joel recorded YHWH as saying to return to him with fasting and prayer. (Joel 2:12)

Can you see there's more to fasting than just missing a meal? I want Yom Kippur to be honored and celebrated for all it stands for, including that the perfect sacrifice now intercedes for us continually. What if we made this a day of prayer? Not that fasting isn't valuable and beneficial. But we should be known for our prayers.

There are a few places in Scripture where fasting is not accompanied by prayer and it is clear that God is not pleased. One instance is how the Pharisees made it a point to show others they were fasting. Another examples is in Isaiah 58 when YHWH asks if the objective of a fast is to spread ashes and sackcloth on yourself. In other words, is the point of fasting simply to sit there without food all day or to try and impress others with your actions? Is this day to draw attention to yourself or should it be to direct your intention to the Living God?

What if on Yom Kippuur instead of emphasizing to our friends and family that we are fasting, we showed that this is a day we intercede for them? What if we spend this Bible holiday praying for repentance and mercy? What if we prayed for the restoration and for YHWH's best to be done in our family, community, and world?

What if the point to fasting isn't to go without food yourself, but to be able to give that food to someone hungry?

My point is not that fasting is bad or that it shouldn't be done. The Messiah gave us instructions on the procedures for this, assuming we would fast. My point is to remind you there is more to this day than just going without food. Our ministries and congregations could be known as a house of prayer in this time.

I hope you have a very beautiful and meaningful Yom Kippur!

Related posts:
The Meaning of Yom Kippur (Day of Covering)
How to Pray for Our World
Yom Kippur Scripture Reading List

Yom Teruah Printable Card

The first of the Fall Feasts will be here in just a few days! Either this Sunday or Monday evening as we wait to see the new moon. I hope you are going to celebrate this Festival of YHWH. A couple of you sent me projects you're working on inspired by Music & Moonlight party from a few posts back, and I can't wait to see more pictures!

I put together a printable card you can download to wish someone in your life a joyful Yom Teruah! Just print off, fold in half width wise, and then fold width-wise again. This printed best for me when the 'fit picture to frame' option was selected in the normal printing preferences box in Windows. I used a thin type of card stock paper to make this card a little more sturdy, but regular paper will do the job as well.

Download my printable Yom Teruah card here. It is free for your personal use.

Have a very happy Feast of Trumpets! Make a joyful noise!

Music & Moonlight Yom Teruah Celebration

There are some passages in Scripture that you can just tell were written by a man. I don't mean that as an insult or a bad thing, but you know how guys sometimes don't include a lot of specifics when they tell a story? There are definitely parts of Scripture like that. I would like more details, please.

Yom Teruah is one of those 'left out the details' parts. We know more about YHWH's other festivals; instructions that lend easily to activities and menus. For Yom Teruah we aren't even told why to celebrate, though we can see the significance of its prophetic meaning. We know the Day of Sounding involves not working, lots of shofar music, and that it happens under the light of the seventh month's new moon.

Music and moonlight. Take what Scripture says and go with it.

Since it is the only festival that happens under a new moon, why not make it an evening under the stars? We need to be looking to confirm that it is the new moon anyway, since we don't know the day or hour. :) Lovely music is a happy addition to any occasion but never more appropriate than for a day known as Sounding.

The decor was super simple to put together. A 30 cent piano songbook got it's pages cut out and hot glued together for a table runner. Other pages had a single letter printed onto them (in a regular printer), were cut into triangles and glued to string to make a pretty bunting.

The goldenrod is a wildflower that is plentiful in our yard and area this time of year.

A candlelit alfresco dinner with string music. What could be lovelier? If your family or congregation has musicians you could ask them to take turns playing. A group hymn sing would also be beautiful.

Many of us have missed the beauty of Yom Teruah for a long time. Knowing so little about this set apart day means that YHWH has more to reveal to us about it. But we need to embrace the truth of what Yom Teruah is in the Scripture. A Day of Sounding, music, and moonlight.

To be honest, it is sad that most of the traditions of this feast day get wrapped into the not Biblically based Rosh Hashanah. We aren't going to get into it, but there is no festival of YHWH in Scripture that is called Rosh Hashanah. I know it is celebrated as the Jewish new year but Scripture tells us Aviv is the first month of the year. Moving on.

That's not to say it is bad to have apples and honey. If they are in season in your part of the world, apples are a logical choice to serve as they are healthy and loved by all. Using honey to symbolize the sweetness of YHWH's forgiveness after a time of repentance or to look forward to the sweetness of the Messiah's return seem reasonable to me. Just be aware that this is simply a man made tradition, not instruction from the Torah.

In addition to shofar sounding and any live music, create a playlist of background music to play during dinner. Good violin or piano is very elegant and I like to play string versions of my favorite songs. 

How are you planning to celebrate Yom Teruah this year?

Shavuot Torah Study

An all night Torah study is a traditional way to celebrate Shavuot or the Feast of Weeks. Since the Covenant was given most likely at (or at least around) Shavuot, many people enjoy staying up all night reading and discussing the Word in anticipation and excitement of the fourth feast.

Certainly you don't have to attend a Torah study that goes through the night, but think of the wonderful opportunity to create memories with your family! For children staying up late is very exciting and indicates that something important is happening and is bound to be memorable. Rabbi Shaul once taught an all-nighter, and had a listener fall asleep and crash out of the window. He was dead but Shaul ran down and prayed and he was raised back to life! A late night pajama study or early morning Torah study with breakfast would also make this a special time.

Tips for a wonderful Torah Study:

-Have it at home or the congregation. Since Shavuot is a no-work day it is important that your Torah study is not held in a business, coffee shop, or library. While those are fine locations for study at other times it is inappropriate to do business on a Feast of YHWH. Meet in a home or at your congregation's meeting place if that's an option.

-Invite guests to wear comfy clothes. Let everyone know ahead of time that the dress code is relaxed. You could even host a pajama party study, so that everyone can go straight to bed when they get home.

-Be prepared for sleepers. If you are hosting families with young children have plenty of pillows and cozy blankets for those who fall asleep.

-Have coffee, tea, and snacks! And plenty of it if it will be a late night. Dairy, honey, and wheat are traditional foods of Shavuot. If you plan on serving breakfast a yogurt bar with lots of toppings would be fun and easy.

-Go over passages ahead of time. Grab a notebook and jot down questions or insights to share with everyone. This will help keep things moving if you hit a sleepy lull.

-Assign one person to do the Googling. The internet has many great resources for the study of Scripture, so don't be afraid to look things up as you go if you're wondering about the root of a word, a related passage, or whatever else. Putting one person in charge will keep things from turning into a 'look at your phone' party.

-Take breaks. Plan on having some time for bathroom breaks, making more tea, playing a game (maybe the Bible version of Apples To Apples?), and just chatting and catching up with friends. If you have art supplies you could set up a Scripture journaling station where guests can get creative illustrating a favorite verse. You could also watch or listen to a related teaching online to mix things up.

-Light the menorah. Having a lit menorah would be a festive touch to the evening. You could also decorate with balloons, bunting, streamers, etc. for more fun. Grab a free printable for Shavuot here.

-Have crafts for kids. While I don't think children should be separated from the Torah study, depending on their ages having a Ten Commandments or Ruach HaKodesh craft or two will help keep them connected to what's happening. You could also invite kids to share the stories they know from Scripture with the group.

-Take turns reading aloud and compare. This is a great way to get the less talkative involved and gives everyone else a chance to rest their voice. If you have different versions of Scripture available, reading the same passage in each can give helpful insight to better understanding a verse.

Speaking of verses, here is a list of passages to read during Shavuot, whether or not you find yourself at a late night Torah study. Some of these are traditional, some are where we see this feast celebrated in Scripture, and some I think are especially fitting during this time. Of course there are no wrong passages of the Torah to study, use these as a starting point.

What Scriptures to read during Shavuot?

Shemot 19-20 - the giving of the Covenant after the Israelites left Egypt.
Vayikra 23:14-22 - this passage is about Shavuot itself.
Deuteronomy 14-16 - this passage also goes over the Festivals of YHWH.
Ten Commandments - this is in Exodus 20:1-17. I like to emphasize these because of course the infamous Golden Calf story also happened around Shavuot, so it's important to know how to live correctly so we also do not break Covenant with YHWH.
Book of Ruth - this is traditional to read because the story takes place around the spring harvest time, like Shavuot itself. It also beautifully parallels the story of many of us who weren't born into a Torah based community but chose that path with the help of a redeemer. 
2 Chronicles 8:13 - Israel kept the Feasts under King Shlomo.
Acts 2 - this is where the Ruach HaKodesh was poured out on believers, just ten days after the ascension of Yahusha. It happened at Shavuot. 
Book of Acts - I love Acts because it is about those who lived both as followers of Yahusha and as keepers of Torah. This is the lifestyle we should have today.

What are you doing for Shavuot this year? We are a little over a week away so it's time to start planning.