Apple pie is a staple of Thanksgiving in many families. Fresh apples from a nearby orchard combined with flaky crust and smells of cinnamon seem to call everyone to the kitchen with offers to help – taste of course! This time bring your children into the kitchen and let them help you bake the pie. Besides being a great life lesson and wonderful bonding time, you can use the experience to teach your children a difficult concept about God.
Before you start peeling the apples for your pie, ask your children if they know the parts of an apple. If they don’t know, start peeling the apple. Place all of the peelings in a pile. Next slice all of the useful fruit off the apple and place it in another pile. Put the core in a third spot. Show your children how an apple has three parts – the peel, the fruit and the core. All could be described with the word “apple” as part of its name. If the parts were put back together, it would also be an apple.
The concept of the Trinity, or God being God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit and yet still one God, is difficult for humans to understand. The apple (or an egg also works- shell, yolk and white) represents the concept as closely as we can probably grasp it. God (the Father), Jesus (God, the Son) and the Holy Spirit (God, the Spirit) are all part of God, yet each can separate from the “God-Head” and operate individually. Even though they may have a separate function at times, they are still always, God and a part of that One God.
While you are baking, also take the time to listen to what is going on in the lives of your children and give them godly advice. Or perhaps, you may bake the pie and share it to serve someone who needs some extra love or food. Tell your children stories of family members who are gifted cooks and how they share that gift with others. Perhaps, you will discover cooking is a gift of one of your children. Teach your children all of the many ways they can serve others by providing food – entertaining, food to the sick or grieving, food for the hungry, and more.
Come to think of it, an apple pie can be much more than just a dessert. So pull out your recipe cards and call your children into the kitchen to help. Who knows, after a piece of warm pie right out of the oven, your family might even wash all of those dirty dishes for you!
P.S. If you don’t have your own apple pie recipe, feel free to use these links. I have experimented with many crust recipes over the years, but I think Julia Child has by far the best. Here is the link to it: Julia Child’s Pie Crust Recipe. You can use Martha Stewart’s recipe for the filling: Martha Stewart Classic Apple Pie Recipe.