Lily Seifferlein

There are certain things everyone expects to see or hear on Reformation Day: bright red colors, the hymn “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God,” and a sermon expounding the Law and Gospel that makes Lutherans Lutheran. It also wouldn’t be surprising to see the classic brown cover of the Concordia Publishing House book Martin Luther: A Man Who Changed the World passed to a child during the sermon or pulled out during Sunday School.

Often, listening to music is a passive activity. Parents absentmindedly turn on music playlists while cleaning, or drivers may flip to the local music station while on their commute. In these examples, music fills space more than it forms a relationship with the listener. While music can be enjoyed intuitively, deeper excitement and understanding come from active engagement with its elements, from hearing not just sound but structure, tension, and resolution.

The Easter season is full of stories of sorrow, hope, and joy that can capture any child’s imagination. This season, consider reading books to help your child explore Holy Week and the resurrection. Reading together provides a chance to reinforce what they hear in church and Sunday School and allows you to discuss the meaning behind each part of the story. Choosing a few titles from your bookshelf or adding new ones can help your child understand the events of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection and why Easter is such an important part of the Christian faith.

“Is this what God wants for me?”

It’s the question that keeps us up late into the night or runs through our heads during morning commutes. We might ask this question when choosing a college, when interviewing for a job, or when wondering whether the place we’re planted is where we’re supposed to be. 

A few weeks ago, at my sister’s high school graduation, the commencement speaker gave several pieces of what he believed to be crucial advice. One of these encouragements was for the graduates to make real friends.