Seven Ways to Celebrate Shavuot

When the omer count finally makes it to fifty it's Shavuot! Then what? Here are a few ways you can celebrate this year.

-Watch the wheat harvest. Shavuot is about the wheat harvest and celebrating the bread of life. Get in touch with a local farm or farmer to see when they will be harvesting their wheat, and if you can visit. Seeing cows and beehives would also be fitting. If nothing else, go for a drive or bike ride to see if you can find a farmer gathering their wheat. Usually the timing is just about right here in the Midwest and farmers harvest the wheat around Shavuot. Or think about taking family pictures in front of a wheat field.

-Give the word to someone. On Shavuot we celebrate the giving of the Torah, why not keep that gift going? Purchase a Bible for someone who doesn't have one or would benefit from a different translation. Or gather Bibles to give to a nonprofit like a soup kitchen or homeless shelter so they can share them with their clients. Children (or adults) could memorize a verse to recite to grandparents or the congregation as a way to share the word with others.

-Have two loaves of bread. Leviticus 23:17 says to bring two loaves of bread as a wave offering to YHWH. Why not try your hand at baking bread or purchase a couple of delicious loafs from a bakery? Maybe a new recipe or trying an unusual kind would make it even more wonderful. Serve them with different spreads and toppings to make a bruschetta bar or do-it-yourself grilled cheese. Seeing not one, but two loafs of bread is a reminder that YHWH takes care of our needs. Thank him for the provision before digging in.

-Get immersed. In Acts 2 believers were baptized in the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Shavuot. Spend your Shavuot at the lake or on the beach and get immersed. This would be a great opportunity for meditation on that passage of Scripture or a group discussion about it.

-Throw a painting party! Get together a group of friends and render Bible verses to canvas. Paint or handwrite the words to a favorite verse or the fruit of the Spirit or the ten commandments. Even if it doesn't turn out a masterpiece it's still a fun way to focus on Scripture and spend time with others. Provide canvases, brushes, paint, and lots of newspaper to keep things clean. A painted or printed out Scripture would also make a great Shavuot gift for a friend. Another way to give the word.

-Study Scripture. Aren't we celebrating that we received YHWH's word? That could look like having friends over for a late night Bible study, having a picnic near a wheat field to read the book of Ruth, kids acting out a Bible story, or a dramatic reading. Delving into Scripture is a foundational part any feast and it should be a joy!

-Provide for the poor. At the end of the instructions for Shavuot in Leviticus 23:22, we are reminded to not use all of our resources on ourselves but leave some for those in need. Could you donate clothing to a women's shelter at this time of year or non perishables to a food pantry? How about volunteering as a family at a local nonprofit? Putting together action packs for Voice of the Martyrs was a memorable Shavuot activity for our congregation. Donate financially to a missions cause you believe in.

Have a very happy Shavuot!

More ideas for Shavuot:
The Beginner's Guide to Shavuot

Shavuot Scripture Reading List
Celebrating the Fruit of the Spirit at Shavuot

Happy Shavuot Printable

Happy Shavuot! I wanted to share a printable today to help with the festivities at your house. A few years back I shared a milk and honey printable for Shavuot, but this one is a little more home printer friendly. Just print it out and tape it to the fridge or put it in a frame. To me, it's nice to decorate because it helps build the anticipation for the upcoming holiday, and makes it a little bit different from the rest of the year.

Click here to download this Happy Shavuot printable. It is free for your personal use. Have a lovely set apart time!

50 Ways to Love Your Neighbor

What does it mean to love your neighbor? Scripture talks about this concept over and over. The Messiah mentioned these words just following his proclamation that loving YHWH is the most important commandment. 1 John 3:18 says that our love should be more than just words, it should be seen through our actions. Too often the action of this instruction gets lost to good intentions or busyness. Here are some practical ideas on how to show love in your community.

Fifty Ways to Love Your Neighbor:

1. Smile, wave, and say hello. Cultivate a friendly community atmosphere.

2. Look for opportunities to do good.

3. Take a walk through your neighborhood and pray for the health, safety, and well-being of the residents.

4. Holding a grudge? Choose forgiveness and let go of that.

5. Encourage someone and build them up.

6. Say nice things about your neighbors. Cultivate an atmosphere of kindness over gossip or slander.

7. Visit orphans and widows. Offer support to those without family nearby. That could mean supporting a children's home, visiting a nursing home, becoming a foster family or adopting a child, sponsoring a child, checking in on elderly neighbors, etc.

8. Have things to downsize from your home? Offer them to friends or family, or donate items to a good cause. Thrift stores are an option but donations are also accepted by homeless and women's shelters, schools, ministries, and so on.

9. Support your local farmers. Get vegetables from a produce stand or a nearby farmers market.

10. Bring in a healthy snack to share at work or congregation.

11. Take groceries, a gift card, or a meal to a family in need.

12. Get the door for someone with their hands full.

13. Spread the word about garage sales and local businesses.

14. Volunteer at a charity working in your community.

15. Pay a visit to an elderly neighbor or nursing home.

16. Plant flowers in your yard. They brighten days and feed the bees.

17. Keep your home exterior and yard tidy, and pick up trash when you see it.

18. Be considerate about when you make a lot of noise. 

19. Make conversation with people you see regularly.

20. Ask people questions. This develops relationships and can be the touch of kindness someone needs in their day.

21. Did you get great service somewhere? Offer a tip, leave a positive review online, or speak to a manager or owner about what a great job an employee did.

22. Pay someone a sincere compliment.

23. Make it a point to welcome the new person at work or in the neighborhood.

24. Send a note of encouragement to someone.

25. Celebrate someone else's good news.

26. Write an uplifting Scripture in sidewalk chalk on your driveway to encourage those who walk by.

27. Offer an evening of free babysitting to parents who could use a break.

28. Start an informal community watch group in your neighborhood to keep things safe.

29. Are the neighborhood kids playing in the street? Talk to their parents about your concerns for their safety.

30. Send a card or care package to someone away at college, stationed overseas, or serving as a missionary.

31. Offer to help an elderly or disabled neighbor with yard work.

32. Thank a teacher, pastor, coach, firefighter, coworker, volunteer, etc. for how the impact they have made in your life.

33. Host a potluck to get to know neighbors better.

34. See someone who is being treated unfairly? Stand up for them.

35. Make it a point to include a shy or unpopular person in conversation and events.

36. Shop locally before heading to a box store or ordering online. Visit locally owned restaurants before heading to a chain.

37. Pray for insight on how to best show the Father's love to the people in your life.

38. Offer to pray with a friend when they share a need or concern.

39. Share your resources or knowledge with someone who could use a hand on a project.

40. Drive safely!

41. Invite someone you don't know very well for dinner or over for coffee.

42. Treat strangers and foreigners with kindness and respect, whether that's a refugee or someone who just moved from the next town.

43. Did you attend a community theater production or watch a high school basketball game? Offer sincere compliments or encouragement to those involved.

44. Share info about nearby job openings for those in need of employment.

45. Invite someone to join you for congregation or Bible study.

46. Set up a place for free stuff at your office or congregation, or host a clothing swap.

47. Use your social media to share truth and encouragement.

48. If a friend or neighbor loaned you something return it within a reasonable time frame, in good condition, with a thank you.

49. When you talk to others, speak the truth to them.

50. Offer mercy to those who wrong you. Pray for them and remember that everyone has bad days.

There are so many ways to love your neighbor! Sometimes what a person needs is an uplifting conversation, other times bringing a meal over speaks volumes. What are some ways that you have felt loved by your community?

Related posts:
How to Pray for Your Community
How John the Baptist Prepared the Way for Jesus
God Offers Us a Covenant of Vocation - Not a Works Contract!

Dear Torah Keeper

Dear Torah Keeper,

I am proud of you.

What you are doing is beautiful. You have chosen the narrow road. It takes a strong person to reroute the course of their life. It's not easy to stand up against centuries of tradition and loads of cultural pressure. But you're doing it! And doing so well.

I am proud of you when you mark the days on your calendar for the set apart times...even when you're not sure exactly how to celebrate. I am proud of you when you work to have a restful Shabbat again this week, even though last week didn't go how you wanted it. 

I'm proud of you for having those awkward conversations where you explain that you don't eat pork or that you can't eat leavened bread one week a year. I'm cheering you on when you have those tough discussions with your family about why you're not celebrating Christmas or Easter anymore. When you comfort an upset child because they feel different than the kids in their class or on their team...you are doing a work that will transform the Kingdom.

When you get those looks, those judgmental comments, when you are misunderstood, when you feel scrutinized or not good enough because someone else keeps Torah differently than you, I am proud of you for putting what you do know into practice. While you might beat yourself up for stumbling along the narrow road, all of Heaven cheers as you work to follow the instructions of your loving Father.

You're doing great and godly things when you rearrange your life and your work in order to honor the Sabbath. These are the kind of actions that will make our world a little bit closer to what the Creator intended. I am proud of you when you share what you've learned with people who don't agree. You're shining a light that will show many people the truth.

I am so proud of you for walking on this road. For keeping the commandments even when it's hard. I'm proud of you for trying your best. YHWH sees what you're doing and it's beautiful and precious to him.

You can do this.