Family Themes for Lent
Family Themes and Activities for Lent
LENT: Lent is a forty-day liturgical (church) season that initiates the most sacred part of the Christian year. Lent begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on the Great Vigil of Easter. Sundays are not included in the forty-day count because every Sunday is a joyful celebration of our Lord's resurrection. During Lent, Christians meditate with awe and thanksgiving on the great paschal (Easter) mystery -- the salvation God won for us sinners by the suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. ASHES: Represent humility (submitting yourself to God). Ashes also represent mourning (a time when someone dies) and sorrow (sadness). Putting ashes on our foreheads shows that we are all sinners (people who don’t always do the right thing) and that we need God’s forgiveness (we tell God we are sorry and he tells us that he forgives us). We use these ashes as a sign that we are willing to clean our hearts and minds (like cleaning a house and getting ready for company). We do this through prayer and learning more about Jesus. Some people will fast (give up eating a meal) or by giving up something they like to eat or something they like to do. Lent can also be a time to do something nice for other people. Maybe you could buy food for poor people or clean your closet and donate clothes or toys to kids who don’t have as much as you. Lent can also be a time to do something nice for someone in your family without them knowing that you did it. Maybe you could pick up toys or make your bed before your mom or dad asks you.
Remember to pray for people in need. Cross: We see crosses on churches and in churches. People wear crosses to show others that they follow Jesus. Jesus died on a cross and because he rose from the dead on Easter, the cross became a symbol of victory over death and salvation (saving) from sin. The cross is a sign of both death and most importantly of love—Jesus love for all of us— everyone. As Lent continues we will see the cross at our church service. One Sunday we might walk outside waving palm branches and following someone who is leading us with a cross. On another day we might walk the Stations of the Cross. These are pictures that hang on the wall and we read part of the Easter story as we walk from picture to picture in the church. Again we will probably be following someone who is carrying a cross. On Easter Day we will all bring flowers to church and at the beginning of the service as we sing a song we will put flowers on a cross to show what a beautiful thing Jesus has done for us and that we are very happy that Jesus has Risen (from the dead).
Purple: Purple is the color of Lent. The color purple is used until Palm Sunday when the color changes to red. Good Friday the color changes to black. Purple is the color of royalty (King of Kings), repentance (sorrow) and self- discipline (for example: making yourself better by praying or studying).
Water: Water is used in our church service every Sunday when we celebrate the Eucharist (Great Thanksgiving). We also use water on special occasions when someone is Baptized. During what we call Holy Week—the week leading up to Easter--water is used on Maundy Thursday when Jesus washes the feet of his disciples.
Maundy Thursday: Maundy Thursday is also the day we celebrate The Last Supper—when Jesus gave us the gift of the Eucharist. This is also the day that Jesus washed the feet of his disciples. This is the day that Jesus was betrayed for a payment of 30 pieces of silver by one his disciples (follower/student), Judas Iscariot, which means that Jesus was turned over to the Romans to be tried and then killed on the cross. Maundy is a Latin word that means commandment. Maundy Thursday is also remembered as the day that Jesus told his disciples and all of us “to love one another”.
Eucharist: Eucharist is the time on Sunday and on other days when we receive bread and wine representing the Body and Blood of Jesus. This act of receiving bread and wine has many names. It is called the Eucharist; The Holy Communion; The Great Thanksgiving, The Lord’s Supper, and other such phrases. Symbols of the Eucharist are bread and wine; grapes and wheat; cup and host. When we go back into church, look at the symbols on the altar and notice the grapes, wheat, cup, and host (a host is the flat round bread of the Eucharist). All of these symbols represent Jesus’ gift to us on Maundy Thursday. We receive the Eucharist to remember these gifts from Jesus and to receive forgiveness for our sins.
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Church School set up for
Lenten lessons: water, bread,
grapes, and the cross.
Lenten lessons: water, bread,
grapes, and the cross.
Q: Why do so many Episcopal Churches have red doors? A: It's because red doors traditionally mean "sanctuary" -- the ground beyond the doors is holy, and anyone who goes through them is safe from physical (and spiritual) harm. In ancient times, no one could pursue an enemy past red doors into a church, and certainly no one could be harmed or captured inside of a church. Today, the red reminds us of the blood of Christ and that we are always safe in God's care! (Taken from The Info Desk of the National Episcopal Church Website) |
| What is an icon? The Greek word "eikon" literally means "image" and theologically speaking is defined as the word of God depicted through the use of line and color. This is why icons are often said to be written instead of painted. |
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