Lenten 2023 Devotional for Families - First Lutheran Church Colorado Springs

Lenten 2023 Devotional for Families

WELCOME

ABOUT THIS DEVOTIONAL

Thank you for picking up this devotional and opening yourself to a journey with your family this Lent!

This devotional starts on Ash Wednesday and is written to be used each Wednesday for the remainder of Lent. There are additional devotions for Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and Easter.

In each entry you will find the same five items:

An overview of the lesson for parents.

A short biblical reading and summary for families to engage with together.

A weekly prayer to share together at the closing of the devotional if you choose.

MICHAELA ESKEW Minister of Faith Formation

An audio-visual connection for students that works best with visual and auditory aids. This can be used as a supplement to the passage and summary provided or, in some cases, in place of the Bible passage and summary.

An activity or two that will allow your family to connect with the story on a more practical and kinetic level. Please pay attention to any extensions or alternatives to the activity as they may be more accessible to your family’s supplies and your children’s learning level.

All these items are of course optional! This curriculum is not intended to be overwhelming, but rather expansive to allow for free choice and flexibility. I pray your family finds a meaningful Lenten journey within these pages.

CHILDREN

Meet at 9:30 a.m.

on Sunday mornings at Fellowship Hall.

YOUTH

Meet at 9:30 a.m.

on Sunday mornings in Youth Center.

YOUNG ADULTS

Meet bi-weekly on Tuesdays at 7 p.m. in the Peel House.

ASH WEDNESDAY

February 22, 2023

Lent is all about recognizing the road to Jesus on the cross. In order to understand Jesus’ sacrifice, we need to find ourselves responsible for the split between ourselves and God that Jesus reconciled in his death. In Year A, the lessons focus on the ways that Jesus reaches out to us in forgiveness. Even when we are lost, Jesus finds us and brings us into Life. On Ash Wednesday, we recognize our sin and the reasons that we need God in our life. Over the next forty days, take a chance to recognize your relationship with Jesus and where His light shines in the dark.

Lesson

Lent begins with Ash Wednesday, a day to remember how much we need God.

Suffering and sin seems to be all around us. We watch other people not treat each other the way that God would want us to treat each other, with love. We recognize our own sins that we do daily, the ways that we fail to live up to our God’s expectations.

King David writes this psalm, and if you know King David’s story, you know that he is not the perfect King he was supposed to be. He was supposed to do great things. But he is selfish; he pushes people out of the way to get what he wants, and he hurts many people. He writes this psalm to God as a prayer for God to stay with him, forgive him, and wipe him clean of all the dirty sin he has collected. He prays that God will make everything new and right again.

Food

WEEKLY PRAYER

Lord, you are perfect. We are not. Please teach us your ways and wash us clean of our bad actions and bad thoughts. You are a loving God and full of mercy. Thank you for being with us these next 40 days. Amen.

What are ways that we don’t treat each other the way God would want us to?

What would it look like to be made clean of our sin and able to act in a way that would make God proud?

AUDIO – VISUAL C ONNECTION

The Psalms were originally intended to be sung as prayers to God. Today they still inspire great artists to make great music. This is a great contemporary song based on Psalm 51 to listen to on a car ride this week. White as Snow by Jon Foreman

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gh3cO1rTtqE

ACTIVITY: The Cleansing Power of Jesus!

Transparent Water Jug

Water

Eyedropper or Thin Straw

Food Coloring

Liquid Bleach

1. Fill half the water jug with water. This water represents us.

2. Use the eyedropper or thin straw to add a few drops of food coloring into the water. The food coloring represents sin in our lives darkening our world and our hearts.

You may want to try this experiment before you do it with your family as you will want to get the right ratio of bleach to clear out the food coloring.

3. Slowly pour liquid bleach into the water jug. The water should become clear again. This represents the prayer of Psalm 51, “Create in me a clean heart, O God.” We are cleaned because of Jesus and his forgiveness of our sins, now and forever.

ALTERNATE ACTIVITY: The Cleansing Power of Jesus!

Lent doesn’t have to be a sad time for your family. We can reflect in Lent on our sin and the ways that we aren’t perfect, but we can also reflect on all the ways that God is! We are a people that get to live after the resurrection of Jesus. We know the truth. God has forgiven us. God blesses us daily. This Lent start a Blessing Jar for your family to use these next 40 days. Make a special time to add in the good things that have happened that day and give thanks to God for them.

LENT 1

As we continue the journey through Lent, it is important to know where our story of sin starts: the Garden of Eden. And while this is the story that we turn to as an example of our first sin, it is also a moment when God still did not turn his back on us. Despite our misbehavior and disobedience, God still clothes Adam and Eve and continues God’s story with their descendants.

Have you ever thought about what you would have done in the Garden of Eden? Have you ever thought how tempting it would be to have a whole garden that you could eat from except for the tree right in the middle? You wouldn’t be able to avoid that tree, at least not for long.

We don’t know how long Adam and Eve were in the Garden before the serpent started to talk with them. They could have been in the Garden for years or just days, thinking that the tree would kill them from just a touch. But then a serpent comes along and tells them that the tree is actually something that would give them great power and knowledge. This tree’s fruit would make them equal to God.

Have you ever thought about what you would have done in the Garden of Eden if you were Adam or Eve? Would you have eaten the food that gave you more power or knowledge? Would you have tried to become equal to God?

The story of Adam and Eve isn’t about a Garden or a serpent; it’s about how we always want to know as much as God and have as much power as God. But instead, we have to learn to rely on God and believe that God will give us everything we need. In a world where we rely on God completely, we also get to have a relationship with God that has no limits.

Various Fruits

WEEKLY PRAYER

Lord, thank you for stories that teach us about our temptations.Everyone seeks the same thing - to be as great as you. Help us to learn to trust you with everything. We want to walk in Paradise with you again. Amen.

Family Bible

Lesson As a family read together Genesis 2:15-17; 3:1-7.

AUDIO – VISUAL C ONNECTION

While it is not the Advent or Christmas season, this holiday classic has a lot to teach us about the true gift that is Jesus. Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch is a great movie about a grinch who wants all the presents – the power and the glory of the holiday – but it is only after stealing all that he can that he realizes the gift that was always there. We also deal with the shame of taking what wasn’t ours to have and instead resting on the unmeasurable parts of life that are truly the blessings God intends for us.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmXp6Pm-uLI

ACTIVITY: Food Tasting

It was a fruit from a tree that was at the heart of this first sin and disobedience. Why not grab a bunch of different fruits from the grocery store this week and do your own food tasting. Which fruit would tempt you? Which one looks the most delicious? Which one tastes the most delicious? Which one looks good but doesn’t taste good?

Use this taste test as a way to talk about the temptations that we have out in the world, the ones that instantly make us feel bad and the ones that feel good but aren’t good for us.

LENT 2

March 8, 2023

This week we have probably one of the most quoted scriptures of the Bible in our reading, For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. This is the ultimate declaration of truth and what Jesus means to this world. This week let’s think about what this gift truly means for us and why we need it.

Lesson

As a family read together John 3:1-17.

MATERIALS

Family Bible

You might remember Moses from the stories of how he saved the Israelites from the evil Pharaoh, how he brought plagues to Egypt, and that he parted the Red Sea. But Moses was more than a superhero saving people from injustice; he also was a religious leader for his community. During their time roaming in the wilderness, there were snakes that were biting and killing people. Moses was commanded to create a staff that would heal if they only looked upon it.

The people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned by speaking against the Lord and against you; pray to the Lord to take away the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people. And the Lord said to Moses, “Make a poisonous serpent, and set it on a pole, and everyone who is bitten shall look at it and live.” So Moses made a serpent of bronze and put it upon a pole, and whenever a serpent bit someone, that person would look at the serpent of bronze and live.

(Numbers 21:7-9)

This is the same serpent in the wilderness that Jesus references in our reading today. The man Nicodemus would have known this story and knew the healing that would come from the Son of Man. Now the question, can we believe in the Son of Man and look to him for his healing of our sin and suffering?

Cardboard tube (from toilet paper, wrapping paper, or paper towel)

Paint in color of your choice and paintbrushes

Scissors

Optional: Googly Eyes

WEEKLY PRAYER

Lord, help us to gaze upon you and you alone. We know that we get distracted, but we also know that you gave us the best gift ever: Eternal Life. You came here to save us. Please help us to remember that. Amen.

AUDIO – VISUAL C ONNECTION

There is an amazing TV adaptation of the Gospels called The Chosen on YouTube. It has been purposefully made to accurately depict the culture and historical setting, while maintaining Biblical authority as well. Here is their reproduction of John 3.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_p2XIUK9VgA

Grab those cardboard tubes and paint them! Paint the inside and the outside. Let them dry.

After your tubes are dry, cut them around and around to make one long coil. To make your snake even more menacing, make one end split like the tongue of a snake and the other end pointed like a rattlesnake. Feel free to paint these a bright color like red or yellow to make the tongue and the tail tip stand out.

If you have googly eyes around your house, glue some of those above your tongue, otherwise just draw some on with a pen or permanent marker.

Now here’s the fun part, tape your new coiled snake onto a pencil or a stick depending on the size of your coil. Act out someone being bitten by the snake, and someone being healed by the serpent staff! And remember, we don’t need any more magic tricks now that we have Jesus. He did the ultimate trick by rising from the dead on Easter and promising that we would get to do the same!

Moses’ Bronze Serpent Staff

LENT 3

March 15, 2023

We are halfway through Lent, and you might be feeling a little bit tired and worn out by all of this by now! This week we talk about a moment when Jesus was tired and worn out; he took a rest by a well and his conversation with a Samaritan woman tells us all about the rest and sustenance Jesus offers us in this world and the next.

Lesson As a family read together John 4:5-42. Reading from a Children’s Bible will shorten this long story for you.

Have you ever been really thirsty? It’s hard to imagine right now in the early spring, but try to put yourself in the middle of summer. You are outside playing on a playground or in your backyard, and all the running around you have been doing has you sweaty. You look for your water bottle or a drinking fountain, and it is really far away. When you finally get there, you take a seat, rest, and drink your water. If the water is nice and cool, that’s even better on this hot day.

Jesus was once tired from his many walks all over Israel and he decided to rest at a well in the heat of the day – noon. There he met a woman and asked her for water. We know how the story goes; this woman was shocked to find out not only was Jesus willing to talk and take water from a Samaritan, he also knew all about her before they had ever met. This woman knows immediately that Jesus is the Messiah that everyone has been waiting for.

Jesus tells her this mysterious thing about being the living water, a water that will never run out. How amazing would that have sounded to someone on a hot day and to someone that was feeling lost in their life? What do you think living water means? How can Jesus’ living water be something you enjoy and use in your daily life?

MATERIALS

Family Bible or Children’s Bible

WEEKLY PRAYER

Lord, thank you for your living water. I am thirsty. I feel worn out and tired and I need more than just water from a water bottle. Help me to come back to you in prayer when I feel this way again.

Amen.

AUDIO – VISUAL C ONNECTION

This week’s video has been chosen for its catchy song and not for its great visuals. This is a great song that includes the woman at the well as well as a couple other people that experienced Jesus in their life as the Way. Be warned, your kids might want to sing this song over and over! Blind Man by The Kry.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXuV8t-Idc4

ACTIVITY Water Play

In the middle of Lent, I encourage you to go play with some water! You can play in a water table outside. You can makeshift a slip and slide with a plastic drop cloth and some dish soap. You can find a local splash pad. Jump in a pool or take the family to a water park. If it’s too cold for any of those things above, play in the bathtub!

There are a million ways to have fun with water and that’s the point. We sometimes take water so seriously, forgetting that it’s not just something we need physically – it’s something we need spiritually, too. We also sometimes forget just how common water is; it’s everywhere! We use it to wash our dishes, take a shower, or even spray down a dirty car. Water helps us to clean, it keeps us alive, and it’s fun. So, take some moments this week to recognize why Jesus used such a common thing to remind us of his presence in our lives. Jesus can be as commonplace as water if we just remember he is there, too.

LENT 4

March 22, 2023

Today we look at the most famous psalm, Psalm 23. It is memorized by many because of its deep thoughts on the comfort and care of God even in the hardest conditions. We have considered our sin and Jesus’ forgiveness and gift of eternal life. Let’s reflect now on how Jesus walks with us every day in small but significant ways.

Lesson

As a family read together Psalm 23.

You have likely heard this Psalm before. It is many people’s favorite psalm. What is your favorite line?

Is it imagining Jesus as our Shepherd, a kind person who cares after each and every one of his sheep and doesn’t let them wander too far away or get into trouble?

Is it imagining the green pastures and still waters, so restful and peaceful that you could take a nap right there in the soft sunlight of spring?

Is it imagining the dark valleys, but knowing that your Shepherd is there to protect you and comfort you no matter what may come?

Is it imagining living in God’s house, knowing you have a roof over your head that protects you from storms and a place that you can always call home no matter how long you have been away?

Where do you see Jesus in your daily life? What does he give you? What blessings can you name? What comfort, protection, or leadership does Jesus provide you and your family?

MATERIALS

Family Bible

WEEKLY PRAYER

Jesus, you are my shepherd. Keep leading me and guiding me. Keep protecting me and comforting me. Make a place in your house for me to come home to. Thank you for all that you do.

Amen.

Check out this adorable video of children reading and interpreting Psalm 23. It also has beautiful visuals of shepherds and their sheep.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMyYuYMck98

You likely have played this game in the schoolyard many times. Get moving this week with a fun game of follow the leader.

Have each member of the family take a turn leading the other family members. You could do this inside or outside.

The classic version of this game has you simply follow someone as they walk, run, skip, hop, clap, balance on one leg, etc.

You could make it more fun by building forts with pillows to crawl in and out of or having people climb up and over beds. Stay safe, but don’t be afraid to get creative! Our shepherd doesn’t always lead us in safe spaces. Sometimes we have to take risks and trust our Shepherd will get us back to the safe path.

EXTRA READING: Each of our Little Lambs (Preschoolers entering Sunday School) get this book, Found by Sally Lloyd-Jones. It is a great introduction to Psalm 23 and teaches about God’s love for us and God’s constant presence in our lives.

LENT 5

March 29, 2023

The vision of dry bones in Ezekiel is a frightening one. It also has a much deeper meaning than just skeletons rising and becoming humans again. This is a story about our spiritual lives drying up and how the Lord sometimes has to do miraculous things to bring us back to life with Him.

Lesson As a family read together Ezekiel 37:1-14. I highly recommend finding a Children’s Story Bible that has this story in it because it may be hard to understand for little listeners.

Ezekiel was a prophet of God. He lived during the Exile, a time when the Israelites were not welcome or allowed in Israel. The Babylonians pushed them out. If you know the story of Daniel and his time in Babylon, this is the same time period.

MATERIALS

Family Bible

Ezekiel wrote his book of the Bible before and during the Exile. He warned the people of Israel that their sinful ways and lack of faith in God was going to get them punished. Then when the Babylonians took over the land and enslaved them all, Ezekiel told the Israelites that while things seem grim, God is still faithful and will protect Israel.

Ezekiel knew that the Israelites had not been faithful to God; they had forgotten how to worship only one God and act according to the laws they were given by God. These people that didn’t obey or worship God enough are the “dry bones” in the valley of our story today. They had forgotten all the life that can come from following God. But as the story tells us, God doesn’t forget them. God forgives us. God brings the dry bones back to life and God, through Jesus, has given us eternal life.

Where do you feel “dry” this Lent? Do you feel like God is far away? How can you call God back into your life?

Black Construction Paper

Options for “Bones”: Q-Tips, Dog Bones, White paint, white pipe cleaners.

Glue

WEEKLY PRAYER

Lord, you are the life giver. You take our dry places and make them alive again. Help us to reach out to you at all times in our life and feel your forgiveness and love. Amen.

AUDIO – VISUAL C ONNECTION

This week I offer two different songs. The first is your typical children’s Sunday school song that helps teach the Ezekiel story in a less frightening way. The second song is for older children and adults. It’s a contemporary song by Lauren Daigle. Both are great ways to capture this lesson in a musical way.

1. Dry Bones https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-AhAdII3yAc

2. Come Alive (Dry Bones) by Lauren Daigle https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0P4YdXz3LAI

ACTIVITY: Skeletons

I know Halloween seems a long way away, but this week I invite you to make some skeletons! This is a great craft to do with anything you can find around your house. Just grab some black paper and find some “bones.” These could be literal dog bones or bones from the chicken last night, but they could also be Q-tips or pipe cleaners. If you are more of an artsy person, just paint yourself a skeleton!

Feel free to look up skeletons and other body maps online so that children can see what not just our bones look like, but also what sinews and skin look like on a body.

ALTERNATE ACTIVITY: Ossi dei Morti Cookies

There is a traditional almond cookie made in Italy every year for All Saint’s Day called Ossi dei Morti cookies or Bones of the Dead cookies. Look up a recipe online if your family likes almond flavoring and sweet treats. If you have an allergy to almonds or nuts, try an alternative Brittle Bone Cookie from Betty Crocker©.

PALM SUNDAY

April 2, 2023

It is Palm Sunday! A day to celebrate Jesus the King! Everyone thought the Messiah would take control in earthly ways, like taking a political office or wearing a crown, but Jesus didn’t come to be the King of one nation, he came to be the King of all the nations. This lesson will help us grasp this small but important difference.

Lesson As a family read together Matthew 21:1-11.

Jesus was a Jewish man who grew up in a Jewish household hearing about the stories of Moses and how God saved the Israelites from the Egyptians and helped them cross the Red Sea.

MATERIALS

Family Bible and/or Copies of the Spark Bible

Tempera Paint (Green, Grey Red, White, and Black)

Paper Plates to hold paint

Jesus heard about the Messiah that was supposed to come and save all of the Israelites again, bring them out of Roman rule, and give them their own land and their own place among the nations. However, when Jesus heard these stories, he knew that something had been missing from this vision of a Savior. What the people of Israel needed wasn’t a leader who would carry them out of Roman rule, making big miracles like the parting of the Red Sea. The Israelites needed a greater leader, one that taught them how to love and how to help those around them.

Jesus knew that the Messiah he was meant to be was nothing like the stories in the Scriptures; he was going to be a new type of King. Jesus was going to be a King without a crown, a king that would ride a donkey rather than a beautiful horse, a king that would be cheered by the poor as well as the rich, and especially a king that would sacrifice himself for the larger world.

Jesus was a King for every person, not just the Israelites. Jesus became a King that rules heaven and earth!

White paper, cardstock or heavy paper is best

Optional: Paintbrushes

WEEKLY PRAYER

Lord, may we always recognize you as our king above all others. Continue to be the king we need in this troubling world. Amen.

AUDIO – VISUAL C ONNECTION

Check out this short movie of Palm Sunday by a seven-year-old with her Legos! Maybe you could try your own Lego creation?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thlZW0WV5Lw

ACTIVITY: Handprint and Footprint Donkeys

1. Set up green and grey paint on plates for the children to place their hands and feet in respectively. If you would like, you could also paint their hands and feet with brushes.

2. Have the child press their grey foot onto the paper to make the donkey’s face. Then have the children add a few green handprints for palm branches.

3. Clean the children’s feet and hands.

4. An adult or older children can add the ears, white nose, and eyes (one or two depending on a profile or a straight on donkey). Add a red Hosanna to the page and let dry.

EXTRA READING:

A great story for kids in 1st – 4th grade is The Donkey Who Carried a King by R.C. Sproul. You can find it on Amazon.

We have reached Holy Week! In the lessons from today through Easter, we will focus on the amazing mystery and miracle of Jesus’ death and resurrection. We start with Judas’ betrayal. In this story from Matthew, we hear about the deal that led to Jesus’ death.

Everyone makes mistakes; some are worse than others. Judas’ betrayal of Jesus feels like the greatest mistake anyone has ever made. For thirty pieces of silver, Judas killed the Son of God! But that’s putting a lot more power in Judas’ hands than is true.

We see in today’s reading that Jesus knew someone would betray him, and specifically knew that Judas was the one who did it. Maybe Jesus had spies around that told him what Judas had done, but more likely Jesus is so powerful that he knew what was going to happen to him long before Judas ever went to the chief priests.

For most of Jesus’ ministry with his disciples, he warns them of the shameful death that the Son of God was going to have to suffer. None of the disciples believed him; they thought he was going to be a great and powerful king. But Jesus knew better. Jesus knew he would have to die.

Judas made a mistake, yes. But Jesus knew what was going to happen, and if it wasn’t Judas that betrayed him, Jesus would still have had to die for us, and someone would have brought him before the Jewish and Roman authorities eventually.

How do you think Judas felt when he was exposed by Jesus at the table that night? How does it feel to go to God with our mistakes and ask forgiveness? It’s hard, even when we know we are forgiven!

WEEKLY PRAYER

Jesus, you knew you were going to die before you ever started your ministry. Thank you for the lessons you taught us, the relationships you shared, and the time you had on this earth. Also thank you for dying so that we might be able to talk to God directly again, just like we could in the Garden of Eden. Amen.

AUDIO – VISUAL C ONNECTION

It’s Movie Night! There are a handful of great Pixar and Disney movies that can capture the betrayal that Jesus might have felt to know that it was one of his friends that would betray him and lead him to his death.

Toy Story 2 and the betrayal of Stinky Pete, Toy Story 3 and the betrayal of Lotso, Big Hero Six and the betrayal of Calahan are all great options, but my recommendation is Hercules (1997) and the betrayal of Meg. Meg is a great friend to Hercules and even falls in love with him, but she is snared into Hades’ evil scheme. In John’s Gospel we are told that Judas was being manipulated by Satan to betray Jesus, and I see comparisons to Meg being manipulated by Hades. This is also a great movie to discuss how we reconcile with the people we hurt and how we can make up for our mistakes. Meg is remorseful and tries to help Hercules in the end.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wn-rCRr0ycI

ACTIVITY: Money Talk

Money is a hard thing for children to grasp. They really don’t understand the value of it until they start looking at what it could buy.

The current approximation for how much Judas’ 30 pieces of silver would value today is anywhere from $100 - $450.

On your next trip to Target or Walmart or another big box store, mention that Judas was given 30 silver coins to betray Jesus. Show them what those 30 coins could have gotten Judas in toys or food or other play equipment.

By showing them what that money could have gotten them, maybe they could understand a bit better why Judas would have been tempted by such a large sum of money. It doesn’t make what Judas did any less of a mistake, but we should try to empathize before we judge.

MAUNDY THURDAY

April 6, 2023

Maundy Thursday is an important day in the Christian church that remembers Jesus’ last night with his disciples. In the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, there is a supper with his disciples. However in the Gospel of John, Jesus does not eat with his disciples and instead washes their feet. These last moments are memorable, and they are the crux of the Church’s ritual of the Eucharist and social justice ministry.

Lesson

As a family read together Exodus 12:1-14 and Matthew 26:26-29.

On the night before Jesus was to die, and we know now that he knew this was going to happen, he chose to have Passover with his friends. The Passover is a Jewish holiday that recognizes the Jewish people being saved from the last plague of Egypt in Exodus. This plague was the killing of the firstborn.

You read about this last plague in today’s reading. You hear about the way that they took lambs to eat, but also to use their blood as a mark on their doorsteps. This blood would be a sign that the final plague of death would not come to that house.

It is important to know that in Matthew’s gospel, Jesus is celebrating this holiday with his friends. It changes the way we hear those important words we hear in Communion, “This is my blood of the new covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” Jesus is recognizing the blood that was used during the Passover and telling his Jewish friends that more blood is going to be used soon – Jesus’ blood. But Jesus’ blood will not only save them from death and give them eternal life, it will also forgive them of all their sins. This is big and important!

Do you think the disciples understood what Jesus was saying? What would you think if your friend started talking about blood forgiving sins?

MATERIALS

Family Bible

Optional: Ingredients for Passover Bread

WEEKLY PRAYER

Lord, may we remember you in the bread we eat and the juice we drink. May we remember your sacrifice every time we come to take communion or receive a blessing at the altar. Amen.

AUDIO – VISUAL C ONNECTION

For our visual learners, here is a clip from the movie Prince of Egypt (1998) of the Passover in Egypt.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXmru6NrSAY

ACTIVITY: Family Meal

Have an intentional meal as a family, no phones, no other distractions. Join around one table or counter and say grace for the food you share. The dinner doesn’t have to be anything special, Jesus and his disciples only had bread and wine (that we know of). The importance of the dinner is to enjoy one another’s company around a meal. It is through sharing a meal that Jesus hoped we would always remember him.

EXTENSION ACTIVITY: Passover Bread

You can make the dinner a little more special if you make together some Passover bread. Since Jesus was with his disciples celebrating the Jewish holiday of Passover, it seems only right that you could enjoy some Passover bread at your meal, too. You will need the following.

2 ½ cups flour

5 T. butter

1 cup heavy cream

Mix all the ingredients together and knead it until it’s mixed. Press the dough onto a cookie sheet and bake it at 450° for 15 minutes or until lightly golden. Fast and easy, wasn’t it? After it cools, wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate or freeze until ready to eat.

GOOD FRIDAY

April 7, 2023

On Good Friday we take the very somber and sacred walk with Christ to Calvary. Through the act of death, Jesus reconciled us in a new covenant. Jesus’ covenant was more important than Noah’s rainbow or Moses’ commandments. Jesus’ death restored us to the relationship we had at the beginning, walking with God every day in the garden. Unfortunately, our sin continues to run its course, no longer keeping us from God, but instead causing a harsh and hateful world. Jesus’ ultimate sacrifice is the focus of this day, but as we continue through the rest of Holy Week we will wait with anticipation for rebirth and restoration.

Lesson Read as a family Luke 23: 26-56. For older children, add Hebrews 4:14-16 and 5:7-9.

After Jesus ate with his disciples and washed their feet, he wished to go to a place called Gethsemane and pray. There he prayed that God might have another plan for him. He finished his prayer by saying, “God’s will be done.”

Jesus knew what was about to happen, but just like the rest of us, he was scared. But, in the end Jesus showed great bravery. On Good Friday we remember Jesus’ death. We remember that he was scared but brave, that he was in pain and yet strong in faith, and that he died for the love of all. Even on the cross he was asking for God to forgive those who punished him.

At the end of this day, his disciples were very sad. They felt lost and they worried for their own lives. They took Jesus off the cross and put him in a tomb. Jesus’ disciples buried him with care and love and then went to sleep with tears in their eyes and sweet memories in their thoughts.

MATERIALS

Family Bible

Clothespins

Wood Glue

WEEKLY PRAYER

Lord, you were so brave that day on the Cross. You were kind to those that hurt you and were mean to you. Thank you for being our perfect example. Thank you for dying so that we might live again with God. Amen.

AUDIO – VISUAL C ONNECTION

If your child knows this story well and you think they would better be served by a new version, try this video of The Story of Three Trees.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fywhFx5ICI4

ACTIVITY: Clothespin Cross

You will need four wooden spring-type clothespins and wood glue.

Remove the springs from the four clothespins. (A screwdriver will help.) Glue two clothespin pieces together, side-by-side, and repeat to make four pairs. With the flat sides down, glue the four pairs together to form a cross. Put the cross in a safe place to dry thoroughly. Attach a hanger on the back and hang it prominently.

For a more complex cross, arrange 16 clothespins according to the picture given.

ALTERNATE ACTIVITY: Good Friday Family Service

We are offering a Stations of the Cross Good Friday service for families at First Lutheran at 5 p.m. It will only take about 40 minutes and has plenty of time to move around for wiggly little ones. Please join us!

HOLY SATURDAY

April 8, 2023

Holy Saturday is a holy pause between the death and resurrection of Christ. It is a wonderful day to sit in mourning and expectation.

Lesson As a family read together Matthew 27:57-66.

On this Holy Saturday, we recognize the time that was spent between Jesus’ death on Good Friday and his resurrection three days later.

Can you imagine the pain and grief that Jesus’ friends and family were feeling? The women are said to have stayed by the tomb and left only when they were required to by Sabbath law. They wanted to be near Jesus even if he wasn’t alive anymore.

Now not everyone was so upset about Jesus’ death. We hear in today’s reading all about how the chief priests and the Pharisees came before Pilate and commanded that the tomb be sealed with a stone and guarded! They didn’t want anyone taking the body and lying about Jesus rising from the dead.

Pilate did as they asked, but none of them knew the great power that Jesus had. No stone would keep Jesus in his tomb. Jesus is the great Son of God and is one with God in all power and strength. Jesus never told a lie. He was going to live again and tell his disciples and the whole world what he had done.

Can you try to put yourself in the different feelings of this Holy Saturday? The sadness of the disciples and Jesus’ family? The worry and fear of the Pharisees that Jesus would be truthful? The annoyance of the guards that had to watch a tomb all night and make sure no one stole a body? What about the joy of Jesus knowing that in three days everyone would finally know the truth of who he was and why he had come?

Family Bible and/or Copies of the Spark Bible

Glass Mason Jars

Pinto Beans

Votive Candles

WEEKLY PRAYER

Lord, be with us in the darkness of this night and may the morning come quickly with great light and celebration. Let us never be doubting like the Pharisees and the Chief Priests. We know the truth. You are God! Death can never defeat you! Amen.

AUDIO – VISUAL C ONNECTION

There is a really great movie about the guards that were posted at the tomb and what they witnessed as they were guarding it, Risen (2016). One of the guards is so moved by the miracle of Jesus’ resurrection that he goes on a journey of becoming a follower of Jesus himself.

**Due to the graphic scenes of Jesus death, I would watch only with children 12 years and up or skip until after Jesus has died on the cross to begin the movie.**

Here is the clip of the guard being assigned to secure and watch the tomb:

https://www.wingclips.com/movie-clips/risen/secure-the-tomb

ACTIVITY: Easter Lanterns

1. Fill a mason jar 1/3 - 1/2 of the way with dry pinto beans.

2. Place a small votive candle inside on top of the pinto beans.

3. Twist wire and ribbons as desired around the top of the jar and make a wire loop for carrying or hanging.

4. Set the lanterns on your porch, line your driveway, or hang them along a fence. This is just one small way to quietly proclaim that Jesus lives.

EASTER SUNDAY

April 9, 2023

Christ is Risen! He is Risen Indeed! We have finally reached the end of Lent! Enjoy this day by gathering with the First Lutheran Church community at our services this morning, and then spend the day with your family!

Lesson

What an amazing day! Our loving God sent his Son Jesus to live on our earth teaching and preaching, healing the sick, raising people from the dead, and performing many miracles. Then he died for our many sins and rose again to ascend to heaven and prepare a place for us there.

We can share this story, this miracle, this wonderful news with “all nations.” Will you help spread the Good News about Jesus conquering death and giving us all eternal life?

After this long walk through Lent and the stories of being lost to sin and then forgiven, we see the great gift that is Jesus this morning! We recognize the life that only Jesus can give us, the living water, the spirit that brings us from death to life every day and walks with us in our darkest valleys.

Now it is time to celebrate and thank God for all that he has done, is doing, and will continue to do in the world and in our lives!

MATERIALS

Ingredients for Resurrection Rolls

WEEKLY PRAYER

Thank you, dear Lord, for loving us, claiming us as your own, and walking with us all the days of our lives! Amen.

INGREDIENTS:

One can of crescent roll dough

8 large marshmallows (or one for each roll you’ll be making)

Melted butter

Cinnamon sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350°F

2. Unroll the crescent rolls and place on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper or sprayed with non-stick spray.

3. Give your child a marshmallow and explain that it represents Jesus, all white and pure because He was without sin.

4. Roll the marshmallows in the melted butter. This symbolizes the embalming oils.

5. Roll the marshmallow in the cinnamon sugar. This is like the

ACTIVITY CELEBRATE AS A FAMILY!

Take the time today to worship together and celebrate together the miracle of Jesus’ resurrection and all that it means for us!

ACTIVITY RESURRECTION ROLLS

spices used to prepare his body for burial.

6. Wrap the marshmallow in the crescent roll cloth, pinching the dough together securely. This represents how they wrapped Jesus’ body.

7. Put the rolls in the oven (symbolizing the tomb) and bake for 12 minutes.

8. Open the tomb (oven) and remove the rolls. When they’re cool enough to handle, break one open and discover what happened to the marshmallow. Jesus is Risen!