Lent-at-Home Guide

Content property of St. Luke’s United Methodist Church, Indianapolis, Indiana

Dear St. Luke’s, We have lived through the long wilderness of our global crisis. A year ago we anticipated a Lent that didn’t include face coverings, isolation, and online worship. Yet here we are a year later and our journey continues.

This Lent holds hope of our return, but we know this is not the end. It is but the beginning of the end. Every Lent is.

Ash Wednesday starts the season of Lent when ashes, in the form of a cross, are drawn on our foreheads and we remember that from dust we came and to dust we return. We remember we are mortal creatures. We renew our souls on a journey toward Easter. Life can be new again.

This Lent we focus on The Good Life. This series is the sequel to our fall series, Fake News, when we considered many of the false narratives we tell ourselves. In claiming a correct view of what God says about us, we are ready to claim the life God wants for us. And the life we want too.

Our Lent series is based on the book The Good and Beautiful Life by James Bryan Smith, a protégé of Richard Foster and Dallas Willard.

Smith has spent a good part of his life studying the possibility of people actually experiencing and being transformed by God’s love in Jesus. His work led to a series in which The Good and Beautiful Life looks at Jesus’ words in The Sermon on the Mount and shares the power of living a life that truly is good and beautiful.

This is our Lenten challenge, to discover The Good Life for ourselves. We will explore many of the sayings of Jesus covered in the book and each week practice a soul-training exercise to help us experience the life Jesus offers. Small groups will help us take the thoughts raised in sermons and chapters, and turn them into realities of hope and fresh living.

Yes, life has been challenging this year. Many years we could say the same. Such seasons make us aware of just how much we desire the good life. I hope you will share this journey with me.

Rob Fuquay Sr. Pastor, St. Luke’s UMC

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USING YOUR LENT AT HOME KIT In this Lent Kit you will find the following:

ASHES Use these for imposing ashes on Ash Wednesday (February 17).

Simply dip your finger in the container and make the shape of a cross on your forehead. If you are watching the service with others, you can do this for one another. DO NOT MIX THE ASHES WITH ANYTHING. They are ready to go as they are, and mixing with water can be highly irritating to the skin.

If you have children at home, you may want to say: “We place the ashes on our forehead as a reminder of Jesus’ love for us. The cross we make is a symbol of that love from God. This is also the start of Lent. During Lent, we spend more time thinking, praying, and growing in our faith with God. This year, we will practice that as a family.”

PURPLE CLOTH Use this purple cloth as the base for creating a Lenten worship space in your home. If there are children in your home, setting up a worship space together is a great family activity.

CANDLES Place your candles in the shape of a cross, with the Christ Candle in the center. You will light one candle each week during the worship service. On Good Friday, you will extinguish the candles during worship, one at a time.

If you have children in the home, have them light the candle with with you.

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CROSS The cross serves as a visual reminder of where our Lenten journey leads us – to Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection. Lent also invites us to let go of the things that are getting in the way of our relationship with Christ. You may choose during this Lenten season to jot some of these things that you would like to let go of on a slip of paper and place these next to the cross. Remember that Jesus carries these things with us, and gives us unending grace.

PALM BRANCH There are two kinds of palm branches in this kit – one you can use to wave during worship on Palm Sunday (March 28), and one colored in by one of our St. Luke’s children. As you wave the branch and look at the picture, remember that even when we are not able to gather physically we are one community of faith made up of many generations, all worshipping Jesus together. If you have children at home, you may want to invite them to wave the palms and talk about how on Palm Sunday, Jesus was welcomed and celebrated.

COMMUNION BREAD RECIPE (PAGE 10) Maundy Thursday (April 1) is a service where we remember Jesus’ last meal with his disciples. We will have a virtual service and invite you to participate in sharing Communion virtually. We’ve provided a recipe for you to make your own simple Communion bread – and using store bought bread or crackers is also a great way to participate!

NAILS Traditionally when we worship in person, we receive nails to hold as we leave the Sanctuary on Good Friday (April 2). This year, we invite you to hold the nail in your hand during the service, to remember Jesus’ death and great love for us.

GIFT OF TEA We’ve included a bag of tea to say that your church loves and cares for you – and to remind you to take care of yourself this Lent!

WEEKLY PAGES

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Each week will focus on a different theme and Spiritual Practice from James Bryan Smith’s book The Good and Beautiful Life. We’ve included the Scripture for the week, the Spiritual Practice, and a special section for how to engage in these Spiritual Practices for families. You will also find space to journal the ways that God is moving in your life as you engage with these soul-shaping practices.

EVENTS & WORSHIP SERVICES Things change rapidly in our world right now! We’ve provided everything you need to worship online at home and invite you to check the website for inperson worship opportunities. Please visit stlukesumc.com/lent for the most up to date information on all worship services and special events.

ASH WEDNESDAY February 17 | 12 & 7PM Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the Lenten Season. The imposition of ashes, a long-standing practice in Lenten worship, (in the form of a cross on the forehead) signifies mortality and repentance and represents purification and sorrow for sins. We invite you to use the ashes from your Lent-at-Home kit to impose ashes at home, as we impose ashes during the service.

LEADING LENT AT HOME WORKSHOP FOR PARENTS February 20 | 9:30AM | Zoom We want to help parents lead their families in their spiritual development – and engaging with the Spiritual Practices we will be highlighting each week in worship is a simple way to start. Join this 30 minute Zoom (or watch the recording at your convenience) as members of our Parent Engagement Team give practical ways to live out these practices in your family. (Pre-register for Zoom link on website)

OUTDOOR LABYRINTH WALK at Second Presbyterian Church March 14 | 4:30 – 6PM | Zoom Take time during Lent to walk and pray at 2nd Presbyterian’s outside labyrinth. If you have never walked a labyrinth before, someone will be present to introduce you to this spiritual discipline. Come any time.

Your walk will take about 1/2 hour. Co-sponsored by CC&J and 2nd Pres. Open to all – children are welcome.

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STATIONS OF THE CROSS March 21 – April 6 | St. Luke’s parking lot This year, mindful of safety during COVID, the Stations are available outside around the perimeter of our building and have been adapted to reflect a Justice theme that is core to the philosophy of the St. Luke’s community. See postcard inside kit for more information and how to get started on this journey.

EASTER EGGSTRAVAGANZA March 27 | 10AM – 12PM Children’s Ministry is providing an inperson experience with worship music, EGGstreme games, Easter story crafts, obstacle course egg hunt for preschool – Elementary, and a traditional egg hunt for the littlest ones! (Pre-register to sign up for a time slot). The Special Needs Ministry will also be hosting an egg hunt for children with special needs.

If you are not able to join us in person, then sign-up for a “You’ve Been Egged!” – a bag will be full of pre-stuffed eggs, a door hanger, and a chance to egg your yard, a grandchild, or even a friend’s yard!

PALM SUNDAY March 28 Palm Sunday is the first day of Holy Week (the Sunday before Easter) and is celebrated as Jesus’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem. As He entered the city, people cut palm branches, waved them in the air, and laid them on the ground before Jesus as He rode into the city on a donkey. The palm branches represented goodness and were symbolic of the final victory He would soon fulfill over death. We invite you to join with us in waving the palm branch from your Lent-at-home kit during this service.

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MAUNDY THURSDAY SERVICE April 1 | 7PM Maundy Thursday is the Thursday before Easter and is celebrated in commemoration of the Last Supper. The word “maundy” is derived from the Latin word for command, and is a reference to Jesus’ commandment to the disciples to “love one another as I have loved you.” We will celebrate Holy Communion in this service, as we honor Jesus’ life and sacrifice. We invite you to join us in taking Communion at home during the service.

GOOD FRIDAY SERVICE April 2 | 12 & 7PM Good Friday commemorates the crucifixion of Jesus and His death on the cross. The word “good” can be interpreted as “holy.” The death of Jesus led to His Resurrection and victory over sin, and leads us to the celebration of Easter.

During this service, you will be invited to extinguish the 7 candles we have been lighting during Lent, and to set out the nails from your Lent-at-home kit.

24 HOUR PRAYER VIGIL, Hosted by St. Luke’s Youth Ministry April 2, 9PM – April 3rd, 9PM Families are invited to participate in our 24-hour prayer vigil during Holy Weekend, right from their own homes! Sign up at stlukesumc. com/lent and we will email you a guide with ways to pray as a family.

EASTER SUNDAY April 4 Easter celebrates Jesus’ triumph over death. His Resurrection is the good news of Christian tradition.

Join us as we celebrate the good news of our victory through Jesus.

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WAYS TO SERVE DURING LENT YOUTH STOCK SALES: Invest in our Student Ministry!

All donations directly benefit our summer mission trips and those going on them. Donate $50 or more and receive a return in your investment – a note from mission trip participants while they are on their trip as well as an invitation to a shareholders lunch in the fall where you will hear stories from them in person. All proceeds directly benefit our summer mission trips and those going on them.

Donations can be made at link.stlukesumc.com/stocksales or by Texting: STLUKESUMC to 77977

CARE CALL TEAM: Help us call our congregants of St. Luke’s and check in on them during this season of Lent. The Care Team will provide a calling script and will be available to receive any prayer requests that may surface.

Make calls according to your schedule and help increase the feeling of connection during Lent. Contact Kevin Davis (davisk@stlukesumc. com) for more information and to sign up.

SIGNED, SEALED AND DELIVERED: As the Care team has called our homebound congregants and those who are in retirement homes, they would often mention the blessing of receiving a letter from someone at Church! Join this team and write one letter per month. Contact Kevin Davis (davisk@stlukesumc.com) for more information and to sign up.

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CHILDREN’S MINISTRY EGG HUNT: Help make this event a success by stuffing Easter eggs, creating “You’ve Been Egged” bags with prestuffed Easter eggs, and helping out at the actual egg hunt (decorating, games, crafts, hiding eggs). Visit the Lent Page on the St. Luke’s website to sign up or email Elyse Haley (haleye@stlukesumc.com) for more information.

TAKE A TREE, PLANT A TREE! A great way to get an early start on your 2021 Earth Day and Arbor Day celebrations! We’ll have 200 bald cypress and river birch tree seedlings available outside the church on a first-come, first-served basis on Saturday, March 27 from 1 – 3PM outside Door 1. Planting instructions and an information sheet will be provided. Contact Betty Brandt at brandtb@stlukesumc.com

MINORITY BUSINESS INCUBATOR Here at St Lukes we are committed to becoming a justice seeking church. This includes investing our time, talent and resources into ministries that create equity and inclusion. We invite you to join us this Lent in putting our money where our mission is by investing in the minority business incubator or volunteering as a mentor or guest speaker. If you have business related experience, or skills consider sharing them with a minority entrepreneur as they build a neighborhood business. A new cohort of entrepreneurs launches in April 2022 and to learn more please contact Tom Lange at tlange@ crookedcreekcdc.org.

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Unleavened Bread Recipe These homemade unleavened wafers are perfect for communtion at home.

Make your own unleavened bread for communion!

YIELD: 135 WAFERS; PREP TIME: 15 minutes COOK TIME: 5 minutes; TOTAL TIME: 20 minutes Ingredients 3 cups flour 1 cup hot water 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 tablespoons honey 1 teaspoon salt Instructions Combine ingredients and knead for 3 minutes.

With a rolling pin, roll to 1/8” thick.

Cut out circles with a 1 1/2” round cookie cutter.

Transfer wafers to baking sheet.

Prick wafers with fork 2-3 times.

Bake at 400° for 5-8 minutes Store 2 weeks or keep in the freezer until needed © Amanda https://bigfamilyblessings.com/unleavened-bread-recipe-for-communion/

Note from Chef Joseph: This recipe works equally well with gluten flour as well as Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 gluten free baking flour. It makes a lot of communion wafers, so it might be recommended to be cut in half or 1/3 unless people want to bake and share.

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WEEKLY PAGES The following pages provide this week’s Scripture and Spiritual Practices. If you are reading along in The Good and Beautiful Life, we’ve included the chapter for each week as well. For those of you with children at home, we have included ways to try out these practices as a family. You are encouraged to do these practices both individually and to share about your experiences in your Lenten Small Groups. We have also included pages to deepen your experience of Holy Week, beginning with Palm Sunday.

ASH WEDNESDAY February 17 Scripture Matthew 7:24-27

Spiritual practice ( for the Lenten season): Weekly Media Fast Pick a day each week to engage in a media fast. This might be from TV or your favorite social media app. Take an honest look at the media that consumes your time and focus – and then pick one day to free up that space to focus on God and the world around you. You might spend this time reading scripture, sitting in silence, writing a letter to someone you care about, or having a really good conversation.

Practice as a Family: Decide on what day you would like to take a media fast.

Create a list or poster and write down what you can do as a family instead of watching TV such as play board games, go outside, read stories, paint, write letters to family, etc. Have your children draw pictures, add stickers, write it out, pick the basket to place cell phones when they enter the door – some way to be a part of creating what your family will choose to do together instead of media.

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WEEK 1 February 21 The Good and Beautiful Life Chapter 3: The Grand Invitation

Scripture Matthew 5:1-12

Spiritual practice: Hospitality Practicing hospitality might feel really complicated right now, with social distancing and trying to remain cautious during a pandemic. However, there are ways that you can practice the vulnerable art of extending welcome and inclusion to people, even now. This week, call a family member who is isolated or lonely. Spend some time really listening to them. Or, if you’re working in an office or interact with coworkers virtually, take a moment to connect beyond the tasks of the moment- ask about how they are doing and, again, practice real and engaged listening. Notice the ways that opening up to the people in our lives changes us and them.

Practice as a Family: Reach out to another family from church, work, extracurricular, or school and invite them to have a meal via Zoom, Google Hangouts, etc. Or if you both feel comfortable, meet up at a park. Start with prayer to see who God places on your hearts and reach out to one, maybe two families during this time that you really have not talked with in a long time or may not know very much.

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WEEK 2 February 28 The Good and Beautiful Life

Chapter 4: Learning to Live Without Anger

Scripture Matthew 5:21-26

Spiritual practice: Sabbath Sabbath is, at its core, an exercise in trust. Trusting that God is in control and that everything does not depend on us. As we explore the practice of Sabbath, it is important to not be too focused on the Sabbath as a rule that we miss the joy available to us in this practice. Consider what rest looks like for you and intentionally set aside time to enjoy that rest. Some ideas for this time might look like: • Taking a long walk and letting yourself notice your surroundings, without hurry or agenda.

• Reading a book for fun.

• Spending uninterrupted time with a friend or family member.

• Enjoying a nap with no alarm set.

Trust that as you practice Sabbath, that the things that need to be done will wait.

Trust that your value does not rest in your productivity. And remember that God is present, whether we are coming or going, waking or sleeping, in motion or still.

Practice as a Family: Discuss together what Sabbath is, what it can look like for your family, and what day you will practice a Sabbath. Does it look like having a special meal, not going anywhere and just resting at home, no chores for the day, playing games, attending church, etc. Perhaps this could connect with the day your family decides to take a media fast.

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WEEK 3 MARCH 7 The Good and Beautiful Life

Chapter 6: Learning to Live Without Lying

Scripture Matthew 5:33-37

Spiritual practice: Silence There are a few ways to practice Silence. The first is challenging but incredibly transformative- go an entire day without speaking (including texting!). Spend a day in solitude and silence and notice how you feel. Are you uncomfortable? At peace? Where does your mind wander in the quiet?

Another version of this is to intentionally let the “transition times” in our day be silent. This could look like a car ride without music or podcasts. Your daily walk or run without headphones. Turning off the background noise of the TV while making dinner. Consider the places in your day where you automatically fill the time with background noise...then turn that noise into silent space.

Practice as a Family: With children home, it might look laughable to find silence.

A few ideas: go outside as a family, go on a hike, look at nature together. If you have a little one who pauses every few steps, pause with your child and look at the world from their view. This time could also look like slowing down for your family. What are some things you can say no to that keep your family’s schedule busy and non-stop so you can say yes to slowing down? Another idea is that instead of focusing on silence, you can focus on not telling lies for an entire day – just the truth – standing by your words and do what you say you are going to do.

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WEEK 4 MARCH 14 The Good and Beautiful Life

Chapter 9: Learning to Live Without Avarice

Scripture Matthew 6:19-24

Spiritual practice: Deaccumulation It can be difficult to let go of our “stuff.” This week, our invitation is to give away 5 things- and to do so in an intentional and generous way. One way to do this is to pick things you own that are high quality and could serve an important purpose for the receiver. In The Good and Beautiful Life, James Bryan Smith suggests if you have a nice pair of dress shoes, donating them to an organization that outfits job seekers. Intentionally letting go of our possessions can take many forms, but the key to this week’s practice is to go beyond putting things in a bag to take to the thrift store. Instead, prayerfully select what and how and with whom you will share these things. As you do this, notice how you encounter God as you give.

Practice as a Family: Focus on one type of item that your family is spending a lot of money on for the children. This could be books, toys, or clothes for instance.

Bring all items of that type into one room and make a pile. What do you actually use, and what could be let go for others who are in need? Consider making a donation to Fletcher’s Place and talk as a family about what it means to focus on heavenly treasures rather than earthly treasures. You can also decide on how and who will play which part in the “secret service.” Focus on how you could help a neighbor - pulling the trash down, bringing the mail up, or offering to walk their dog? Could someone in the family who always does the laundry get a break as the rest of the family pitches in and does the laundry instead? Donate clothes or food. Whatever you decide to do as a family to care for and help others, remember to keep it as quiet as possible – not concerned with anyone knowing the good you are doing (God will see it for sure!).

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WEEK 5 MARCH 21 The Good and Beautiful Life

Chapter 10: Learning to Live Without Worry

Scripture Matthew 6:25-32

Spiritual practice: Prayer The practice of prayer can be quite broad- for this week, we are focusing on “turning cares into prayers.” Through prayer, we can take the things that are worrying us and give them to God. As we release them from our hearts to God’s hands, we can be sure that God hears us and that we do not carry these things alone.

This week, set aside 10 or 15 minutes to bring your worries to God in prayer. You might write them down, speak them outloud, or silently offer your prayers. A key to this kind of transformational prayer is to be as specific as possible- take the time to speak names and details during your prayer time. God has time to listen to all of these things and desires for us to share every part of our lives- the ups and downs, the worries and celebrations.

Practice as a Family: During dinner, after school, or some other time that works for your family - take 5 to 10 minutes to do the following - In a notebook, write down the date and each day pick one thing to discuss and then pray together: 1. What does prayer mean to you and how do you like to pray?

2. What are things you are worried about?

3. What are things that you are thankful for?

4. Who are people that you would like to pray for today?

5. Practice the Lord’s Prayer together. Each day you can write down or draw the answers for each number. You can then say a simple prayer about what you talked about together as a family.

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PALM SUNDAY MARCH 28 Scripture Matthew 7:13-27 This week, we want to invite you to visit the Stations of the Cross at St. Luke’s. The Stations will be located outside around the church building, and help us prepare for Holy Week as we remember Jesus’ journey to death and resurrection. This experience is open to all ages and all members of the community. See page (__) for more information and how to begin this journey.

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MAUNDY THURSDAY APRIL 1 Scripture Matthew 26:17-30 Today, take some time to read the story of Jesus’ final meal with his disciples.

What does this story tell us about the way that Jesus loves us? What might it have to teach us about the way we love others?

Practice as a Family: Share Communion together during the Maundy Thursday Service at 7pm. Allow family members to serve one another the bread and juice.

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GOOD FRIDAY APRIL 2 Scripture Matthew 26:36 - 27:56 Read the story of Jesus’ crucifixion and join for Good Friday worship online at noon and 7pm. During the service, you will extinguish the candles we have been lighting during the season of Lent, to signify Jesus’ death.

Practice as a Family: Involve different family members in extinguishing the candles during the worship service.

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HOLY SATURDAY APRIL 3 Scripture Matthew 27:57-66 The Saturday between Good Friday and Easter is an “in-between” space- time in-between death and new life, despair and hope, loss and recovery. We have the benefit of knowing how this story ends, but for the disciples, this would have been a grief-filled and painful time. Maybe you have experienced this same feeling in your own life- not knowing how a challenging situation will resolve, not even knowing how God is working in the middle of the struggle. Maybe you find yourself in this type of in-between space right now. Invite God into this space, and know that hope is possible, even when we cannot yet see it.

Practice as a Family: Explore the idea of “in-between” space by talking as a family about something you have or are currently waiting for. What does it feel like to wait? What are the challenges to waiting? How can we trust God while we wait? Pray together about something that feels “in-between” and ask that God would be present with you and that you would find ways to trust that God is at work.

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EASTER SUNDAY APRIL 3 Scripture Matthew 28:10 Today is the day! Today, we celebrate the Good News that Jesus is alive. Hope is real and God’s light is brighter than any of the darkness we encounter. This is a great day to celebrate and reflect on your journey this Lenten season. Conclude your journey by journaling or discussing the following questions with friends or family: • •

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What was the most meaningful spiritual practice you tried?

What did you learn about yourself during these 40 days?

What did you learn about God? What new practice would you like to keep trying beyond Lent?

How will you do this?

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