This last week we heard the scripture read, then we sang about it w/ a song that our own Dave Phillips put together, then we saw it acted out in a really moving way w/ a group of our youth put together by our own Christine Spivey.
I'm so grateful for the work so many of you did to help lead us into a deep time of hearing Jesus' words from the cross when He spoke to His Father pleading for us saying, "Father forgive them, they don't know what they're doing."
To help me prepare for these times I am reading Will Willimon's book, Thank God It's Friday: Encountering the Seven Last Words from the Cross.
If you're looking for a book to help you make the journey through lent w/ your eyes fixed on Christ and His cross, this book is very helpful.
What do you use/read to help guide you through this season of Lent?
In case the annoyance comes through in my tone, I have to confess that I just typed a big ol' thing and lost it when I tried to 'sign in'. I'll do my best to retype it:
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately our library doesn't have the book you referenced. Maybe I'll order it for so at least I'll have it for next year!
We are doing a lent calendar as a family. We are 'studying' different saints (both official ones and other Christians we admire and want to teach our kids about). I put little pictures on the calendar for the day we'll study them (on the feast days for the real saints and random days for the posers). The kids actually get excited about hearing the stories. They can't wait until St. Joseph...I think because it is the only name they recognize!
We're also doing a revised version of this idea http://showerofroses.blogspot.com/2008/02/jesus-tree-week-three.html We don't have the tree, but I read the scripture while the kids do the coloring and then we discuss in 3, 4, and 5 year old fashion. It has been great so far. Isaac told me he didn't really believe that Jesus was right in what He said in the beatitudes, so we got to have a further conversation about the idea of asking Jesus for more faith when we don't jive with what He is saying. Eli kept saying, "Give me more faith!" It was one of those rare, affirming moments of spiritual formation.
I'm pretty disappointed in my personal lent journey, aside from our corporate family activities. Mostly because there isn't really anything happening there.
So, that is me actually answering the question that I read at the end of someone's blog post!
~Beth
I went to that website w/ the stuff ya'll are doing w/ the kiddos. It looks good and fun. I like Isaac's comments about Jesus' sermon on the mount. They make me think that perhaps he is doing something not many other Christians are doing... Listening closely enough to Jesus' words w/ the idea in mind that we're then supposed to let these words guide our living. When I take the time to do that and read things like the sermon on the mount I feel the same way as Isaac! So I think that's super cool!
ReplyDeleteMy lent has been the opposite of yours... and I don't think that is a good thing! We have done very little w/ our kiddos while I am spending a good bit of time in personal reflection and prayer. Wish the Jeck lent could meet the Stipp lent somewhere in the middle -- Diamond Rio knows what I'm talking about!