Treasuring God in Our Traditions

by Noël Piper, John Piper

Only God can bequeath God to our children. But he uses means. He uses God-centered traditions and Bible-saturated family patterns and grace-laden heirlooms. Only God can give our children a taste for the sweetness of God. Only God can awaken them to his worth. But year in and year out there are traditions that show children that God is our Treasure.

Noël Piper opens her home to you—more than thirty years of marriage and mothering. She invites you into the happy, imperfect Piper pattern of life (including a few family-occasion poems written by her husband, John). But, even better, she roots things in the Bible.

God-treasuring traditions can be ordinary, everyday habits such as telling stories, attending church, and using affectionate nicknames. They may be rare “especially” occasions such as funerals and weddings. And they are the creative ways we reflect Christ in our holidays.

Noël Piper believes that by our traditions we can help the next generation treasure God, and at the same time deepen our own love for him. Like a scribe trained for the kingdom of heaven, she brings out of her treasure what is new and what is old—making the old new and rooting the new in the old. In this way, the next generation absorbs the truth that the treasure we have in God is ancient in wisdom and strength, and fresh as the morning dew. Noël loves making children (and adults) bow their heads with reverence and clap their hands with joy.

Genres: Parenting, Christian, Christian Living, Nonfiction, Family, Christmas, Faith

117 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2003

Reviews

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you found yourself being intimidated when reading Sally Clarkson--"I do not have the creative stamina/emotional energy/straight-up TIME for that!"--but you still want to learn more about being intentional to create meaningful traditions for your family--this might be the book for you.

I enjoyed Sally Clarkson's Life-Giving Home, especially the first four chapters, but in the chapters where she gave ideas, I had to fight--HARD--not to feel self-condemned or inadequate because the woman truly has a gifting. Noel Piper was truly my friend here. Piper is fairly no-nonsense and no-frills (not saying Clarkson IS frilly but she is at least "decoratively talented"), but she still has the heart to be fully, radically intentional with her family.

Piper leads with a solid theology of traditions, all taken from passages of Scripture that I had not considered in those lights before. What is the POINT of traditions, biblically? What did God have in mind when He Himself instituted certain traditions? I really enjoyed this scripture-soaked section.

From there she goes into talking about "everyday" traditions and "especially" traditions, both of which require our intentional planning and thought to be truly beneficial. A few ideas--but not particularly intimidating ones!--are scattered throughout these chapters. (I loved how Deuteronomy 6:4-7-saturated the everyday traditions are. God is not merely part of our lives; He is the BASIS for ALL life.) The last two chapters are about Christmas and Easter traditions.

The Easter section alone earned this book four stars from me. I had long yearned for a meaningful way to "set up" Easter for my kids, not in a bunny-centric way--seeing as how it's the WHOLE BASIS OF OUR FAITH and everything. But there aren't as many established Advent-like things for the Easter season--then you also have to balance the real joy of Easter with the real sorrow of just a few days before. Piper's ideas acknowledge and use this tension. It was exactly what I had been looking for, and I'm excited to implement many of them in our home!

[Anna McKinney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Noel Piper distinguishes between "everyday" traditions (regular family rhythms such as praying before bed, family worship, ect.) and "especially" traditions (Christmas, Easter, Birthday, Thanksgiving, ect.) as special times to teach our children and ourselves about God. She specifically mentions certain attributes of God you can highlight on particular holidays, and how continuing these things year after year can communicate the dependability of God.

The PDF of this book is available for free on the desiring GOD website.

[Mandy J. Hoffman · Rating 5 out of 5]

MY REVIEW:

"Our homes are the universities where our children learn about the world and how to live. What kind of basic "courses" are we offering them?"

This quote in chapter 5 of Treasuring God in Our Traditions stretched out it's wordy fingers and grabbed me by the collar. It had my attention. What kind of "courses" am I teaching my children?

The entire book - all 105 pages - had my attention as it not only ministered to my weary mothering heart, but also challenged me to think about how I am mothering and why I am mothering. Noel was kind and vulnerable in her writing and makes you feel like you have a friend holding your hand through this journey. I really appreciated how she didn't waste your time with a lot of fluff, but rather dug into the topic of traditions from the teaching of the Word of God and offering her Biblical counsel and advice. She shares why traditions are so important, why daily repetition is important, what is significant about special holidays, and sprinkles it all with ideas for fleshing it out in your own home.

Treasuring God... is a beautiful book, inside it's pages, and simply in looks. There are poems, quotes, interesting tid-bits, and family recipes tucked in between it's challenges. You will come back to this book over and over as the years go by and the holidays come and go. It's wisdom will become tradition to your family library. I urge you to not just get a copy to read, but get a copy to keep.

[Anete Ābola · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every young married couple eventually has to think about traditions they will start in their own household. At least when the kids come along. This is a helpful primer on godly family traditions, that shows many, many ideas in a relatively short book which a family could possibly implement.

I love that the author talks about the tradition of being together with your children in church, and she also tackles the subject of Santa as a christian tradition.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

"The things we do regularly that help us in our deepest being to know and love and want God, the things that help our lives to be infiltrated with God – those things are tradition. And then if there are children in our lives, to pass these God-focused activities to the next generation – that’s what tradition is for a Christian."

"Perhaps that is the greatest value of good traditions. Through them we learn about and recognize and experience the faithfulness of our God, who promises, “I will never leave you or forsake you” (Joshua 1:5)"

[Elizabeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have heard so many good things about this book that I actually *bought* it, which tends to be a bigger commitment for me than moving houses or changing jobs. This, of course, made reading this so-so book even more disappointing than had I simply borrowed it. I thought it would be chock full of ideas of traditions I could incorporate/steal; and, while it did contain some ideas (and recipes? and poetry about the Piper children?), it was mostly about why traditions are important. I don't think there is a single new idea in the book I will incorporate, although it was nice to realize that we do have our own traditions of sorts and that we like them better. I guess I'll have to go back to stealing traditions from my friends.

The best part of the book, in my opinion, is the appendix, where John and Noel Piper go all crazy about having their children in the worship service and not farming them off to children's ministries/programs during the service. I am not sure I agreed 100% with everything they said, but I liked all Noel's practical suggestions for engaging young kids in worship. I also liked her suggestion to narrow Lent to just Holy Week for young children and the "Resources" list in the back.

[Suzanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this. It's packed full of helpful and practical suggestions on how we can create meaningful and God-centred traditions in our homes.

And it explains not only how, but why. Traditions, regular and constant markers in our days and years, have always been a means God uses to bless his church, to remind us of his love and faithfulness and to strengthen our faith.

"How much more of God there is to find when we are on the lookout, when we shape our 'everyday' and 'especially' around him. God will show himself in special and new ways when we celebrate him. He will use our celebrations, our traditions, to stoke our heart's fire for him."

[Marina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really quick read with great principles to consider and examples of their family traditions.

[Dylan Tysinger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gives great insight on ways to recognize and remember Gods presence in our everyday lives.

[Jen McCloud · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book when my kids were young and we were creating family traditions from scratch. It helped us to see that we don’t just want traditions for the sake of having them but to create ones that point to Jesus. Ones that will be fun and lasting but that will have a bigger purpose. To remind us of the Savior. To tell a bigger story as we do them. To share God’s story with others when we tell them of our traditions.
This book created a desire in us to find creative ways to put Jesus into what we are doing with holidays, trips, weekends, everything.

[Mystie Winckler · Rating 3 out of 5]

Own.

This book follows in the footsteps of Edith Schaeffer; it is very reminiscent of Hidden Art, I thought. Mrs. Piper shows how traditions (daily patterns as well as holiday customs) communicate to children better and more deeply than words. It was a good read for someone like myself who tends to shrug off and sometimes even scoff at treating special times special as fluff and nonsense and sentimental (No matter how much I liked Anne of Anne of Green Gables, I always had the sneaky, uncomfortable suspicion that I wouldn't actually like her in real life and that I was actually closely akin to Marilla). Because of that tendency, I had to fight with myself to read the book and not smirk through it. Children do pick up ideas through what they do repeatedly and by how they are treated, and so I want to fight my gnostic tendencies and make birthdays and holidays special days and make sure our daily patterns of life are consistent with our talk. After all, what you believe comes out your fingertips and what comes out your fingertips is what you believe.

Another thing I realized while reading this book is that I haven't read many books written by baptists. This book was baptistic through-and-through, but my guess is that it's one of those things that would only be apparent to someone who is thoroughly entrenched in a paedobaptistic culture and who isn't familiar with baptistic thinking on a personal level. It made me wish I could read the books from my own camp with the eyes of a baptist, to see just how bizarre some phraseology sounds to someone with a different set of assumptions. In several places I couldn't even place my finger exactly on what in a phrase made me smile and shake my head and say, "Baptist"; often it was obvious (instead of giving our children godly patterns of life because it is fitting for them as God's children, we do it as a witness to them so that they will someday make it their own, instead of it already being their own), but not always.

Overall it was a good book, and good for me, even though most of the time I found myself inexplicably annoyed by it. Mrs. Schaeffer's books annoy me in the same way, too, but it is due to a character flaw on my part, I am sure.

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been reading entirely too many books recently that I want to put on my "read once a year" shelf. This is one of them. Not because it is particularly brilliant or groundbreaking, but because Piper lays out, simply and gently, without histrionics or grand promises, the value of traditions that point our families toward God, and what worked in their family.

I appreciate her quiet, straightforward approach and her been-there-done-that wisdom.

Update, 11/24/25:
Adding this to the "books to prepare you for adulthood" list. I think maybe in the 17- or 18-year-old slot--not because there is more grownup material covered, but because the idea of creating your own family traditions is likely one that is going to be more meaningful and useful for an almost-adult preparing the leave the nest than a young teen who is still fully enveloped in our own family traditions.

[Ginger · Rating 4 out of 5]

This would be a great resource for families who are fans of Ann Voskamp's Jesse Tree.

I especially loved her simple idea for Lenten candles. Full of practical, usable, fun, rich ideas for family traditions.

[Carolyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

My mom gave me this book years ago and I came across it this fall when I finally organized our book shelves that have been a mess since we moved in 8 years ago. It then was deposited on my dresser and later put into my drawer where it languished until last week when I cleaned that out (being able to shut one's dresser drawer cannot be over-rated).

So . . . the book. A great starting point for people who would like to add Christ centered traditions. Jon and I are well into our child raising years and have many family traditions - most Christ centered. I was encouraged in those points. I was most convicted, however, by the appendix of the book which discusses worship and worshiping together as family. I feel like we rush through our weekends without much intentionality in that regard. And, we send our youngest out of the service for "Wonders of Worship" instead of having her sit with us which is a big no-no for the Pipers. I agreed with all their points on this topic.

Mostly this book made me want to take Noel out to lunch and just learn from her. I need more older women like her in my life.

Lastly, and this pains me to say this, I made the "breakfast cake" that is mentioned through out the book and which recipe is included and . . . it wasn't a home run for us. I feel like I'm besmirching Noel and generations of Pipers by claiming that I think I can do better. I think it may have been something to do with the cutting the butter into the batter instead of creaming . . . and a little too much baking soda - left a tell-tale tingling sensation on my tongue after eating . . .

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was gifted this book by a relative this Christmas. I'm not too familiar with John Piper's works (after all, he isn't dead yet 🤷🏻‍♀️), so it was pretty new to me, but I absolutely loved reading it! His wife gives her input on building personal family traditions and catering the home environment to where children can grow closer to the Lord. She touched on everything from birthdays and holidays, to everyday routines like putting each child to sleep with a hymn just for him or her, or family small groups to read and worship together. Because we don't have kids, it was a quick read! I suspect once that time comes, it will be a great book to revisit as we pray about our own traditions. ☃️

[Elena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Noël Piper, wife of well-known pastor and author, John Piper, shared some of their family’s traditions and the importance of recurring traditions. She discusses how traditions, both “everyday” and “especially” traditions can point families to God as well as give trust and security to children. Daily traditions like nightly Bible reading and discussion and predictable rhythms to the week (with room for spontaneity. “Especially” traditions are special occasions, like holidays and birthdays. From poems written by their dad to a Noël Calendar for Advent/Christmas, to many, many other sweet ideas, this book was a great resource.

[Portia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. Noel gives some great, practical advice for families wanting to incorporate traditions that point to Jesus into their home and family lives. I wish that the advent calendar was still available for purchase, but I’m excited to try the resurrection tree during lent. I found the appendix at the back of the book (which detailed the importance & guidelines of getting your young child to sit through a church service), a little off-putting & legalistic. But other than that, I recommend this book!

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don’t have a ton of big thoughts on this one, though I think my wheels are still turning as I think about what this short book presented.

Traditions have been something I’ve been thinking a lot about, especially in my life where we are moving frequently, far from family, etc. This book really gave me some things to think about, some encouragement as something people super overcomplicate traditions within the family, and has me trying to figure out what traditions we could do that point towards good.

A very good, quick read.

[Bethany Schultz · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can compare this book very loosely to “habits of the household“, and it’s purpose to help us think more intentionally on incorporating the things of God into our routine family life. However, I did not find this book as engaging and practical. I will say that I much appreciated the Appendix, in which John Piper gives his well-thought-out convictions on keeping children in our worship services, and then Noël gives her advice for doing so. I thought that section was very convicting, encouraging, and practical, though somewhat outdated (e.g. the mention of audio tapes/CDs etc).

Glad I read this, but will likely not ready it again.

[Alyssa Bohon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Any practical book that is anecdotal and gives specific examples is bound to become outdated, but overall the perspective and encouragement to pursue a Godward view of our family life makes this book worth reading. As the author says, the purpose of the book is to inspire to greater purposefulness in our practices, not to provide a cookie cutter pattern to follow. The recipes and ideas might not be your style, but the questions she encourages us to ask ourselves are excellent.

[Bethany Feustel · Rating 5 out of 5]

The title makes one think about “holiday” traditions. But this book is so much more. Focusing on the importance of showing our children what we truly treasure, in our daily habits. Of course, she does talk about the “especially” occasions too, and I found both sections extremely applicable, convicting, and encouraging.

[Hannah Kimsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed.
Not a how-to guide on traditions, more of a guide to center your traditions around God. Noël gave great examples of how her family carried that out.
The poetry by John Piper was beautiful. Noels recipes were a nice touch! I can’t wait to try them out!
My favorite part is the section about having young children in worship services.
I was sad when the book was over!

[Zachary Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was not what I expected it to be, but I was pleasantly surprised by that. This book is a great reminder of the importance of traditions in the home that actually teach. Ultimately, they teach about God. This has helped my wife and I think through how we will communicate the "why" behind everything we do as a family to our son and future children.

[Jen Vanderwey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Noel Piper gave me ideas. She helped me see possibilities for raising my kids in wonder, awe and praise of their Savior and friend, Christ. I love practical books that show young moms what Biblical Motherhood looks like and why it is a high and worthwhile calling.

[Helen]

A speed re-read when I found this on a friend's bookshelf.

Inspiring ideas about passing on traditions both for the every-day and the special
occasion.

Thought-provoking about what (and why) we feel is important to pass on, and making traditions meaningful.

[Mindy B · Rating 5 out of 5]

So very good. Very important read for moms and dads - especially of young children. I'm excited to apply these ideas to my family!

[Melody · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is what the title says it is, but it’s even more. It did contain a good bit of parenting “advice” as well. A very valuable book indeed. I’d read it around age 2…

[Taryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great vision, practical tips, enjoyable read! Haven't read a Piper book yet that disappoints. Thought-provoking and challenging.

[Sally Andrews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful if you have small children. It just is too young for me. But I'm passing it along to two young mothers in our church who really need the wisdom offered here.

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really love the idea that traditions remind us of a God who is faithful year after year. I love the idea of using family traditions as a way of reminding ourselves of His faithfulness to us!