Farewell to the A-word!

Last Sunday we bid farewell to our old friend "A______a."  We have observed the tradition of putting away the A-word on the last Sunday before Lent begins for many years, which reflects our Church's liturgical practice of ceasing to use that festive word during the contemplative season of Lent.

It was a quiet Sunday due to yet another Sunday morning snow fall, but the children enjoyed decorating the letters during Christian formation and we all processed up the aisle with the word during the final hymn.

After putting the letters together so that the congregation could see the word, Rev. Peter walked down the line and collected them in a basket and we covered them with a piece of black felt. They were left on the altar and later moved to the Sacristy.

The letters the children decorated will reappear on Easter morning as a large banner across the front of the Church. Until then, keep the A-word to yourself!

As We Approach Holy Week...

Last Sunday in the True Vine Atrium the children created some lovely artwork. We used it decorate our prayer table and the children shared their work during our prayer. When I first read the psalm to the left with the artist I asked her "when do we open our eyes?" I was thinking of waking up each morning, as I always do with this scripture reading. The child surprised me by saying "when we are born!" We thought together about the beauty of the newborn proclaiming God's praise for the gift of life. I  was still pondering this response at prayer time, when I asked the group the same question. Wasn't I surprised when another child's first thought was for the moment of our birth?  It is such a blessing to ponder scripture with children!

We are drawing close to Holy Week! This Sunday we will be participating in the Last Supper Celebration in atrium. I love walking through the scripture together with the children as we share matzo and drink grape juice. You can learn more about this celebration in the post Last Supper Celebration. You can also see photos of last year's celebration here.

Our Family Maundy Thursday Service is coming up! We will gather at 5:30 pm in the Chapel on Thursday, March 28th for foot washing and Holy Communion. Holy Week is not an easy fit for the spirituality of young children, but this service speaks to them in a meaningful way with scripture they know and an acknowledgement of the death and resurrection of Jesus in a way that isn't frightening. It was designed especially with young children in mind - short and to the point! If you are local please plan to bring your family to this special gathering.

Lent Photo-a-Day Project

"Lift"

Lent is underway! I love this season of reflection, in the atrium and at home. For our Wednesday evening gatherings at Christ Church we've been reading and discussing "Naked Spirituality: A Life with God in 12 Simple Words" by Brian D. McLaren, which has been challenging and interesting.

"Settle"

I've also been participating in the Lenten Photo-a-Day Challenge from Rethink Church of the United Methodist Church. For each day in Lent, a word and a reflection on that word are offered.

"Injustice"

The challenge is to find or create an image that embodies what the day's word means to you. Generally I've been trying to take a new photo each day, but I've also used past photos for some words.

"Cover"

This practice has been so meaningful to me. I love reading the reflection and pondering the word throughout the day until some idea or image comes to mind. I thought I would share some of my photos with you here.

"Vision"

I've also enjoyed seeing the photos other people have been taking. You can view photos by people participating in the challenge from around the world on the Rethink Church Pinterest page.

"Hear"

Have you found any special ways to mark the days of Lent this year? I pray that this season will be one of renewal and blessing for all of us!

"Return"

Saying Goodbye to Alleluia!

It's that time again! Lent begins on Wednesday and so on Sunday we said goodbye to our old friend "Alleluia." At Christ Church, we refrain from using this word of celebration throughout the more sober season of Lent and find that it makes our Easter "alleluias" all the more joyful.

During the recessional hymn, children gathered in the front hall to get ready!

The children processed up the aisle and lined up in front of the Church so that we could see the "alleluia."

Then Rev. Peter collected our butterflys and tucked them away in the sacristy. We won't see them again until Easter morning.

This year the "alleluia" we put away looked a little different than in the past. You can see pictures of last year's "Farewell to Alleluia!"  and the final alleluia banner in other posts. We have something new planned for Easter morning this year! Stay tuned!

Living Lent As A Family

Lent is just around the corner! It begins on Ash Wednesday, which is February 13th this year. As you prepare for the season, here are some ideas from Thoughts From the Sheepfold to consider.

Farewell Alleluia!

The children in our Church create an alleluia banner each year and "bury" it the Sunday before Lent begins. As a Church we forego the use of this celebratory word for the season of Lent and bring it (and the banner!) out again on Easter Sunday! This is an idea that you could easily adapt for your family at home!

Lenten Prayer Garden

Check out the link above for an directions for creating a meditation garden in your home, and ideas for using it in Lent. We bring ours out every Lent and really love having it for prayer. You can see how I adapted this idea last year in the post Try This: Lenten Prayer Garden.

Lenten Prayer Chain

We made these simple prayer chains two years ago at our Shrove Tuesday pancake supper and found them to be a really meaningful way to pray together as a family in Lent. I'm making some adaptations to the prayers to share with the Church again this year.

Prayer Beads for Lent

Last year, we made these prayer beads on Shrove Tuesday and in atrium and enjoyed having them as a reminder to draw closer to God in Lent. Easy instructions for making prayer beads are linked to the post.

Easter Garden

My daughter and I made this Easter Garden last year during Holy Week, but it would be a great project to begin in Lent and could be added to throughout the season. For example you could add a new plant each week, and the tomb and the pathway as the season progresses. The cross could be brought into the garden on Good Friday, and the butterfly on Easter Sunday. It would also be lovely to bring some blooms into the arrangement for the season of Easter. 

Practical Life in Lent

We love to create practical life work that is appropriate to the Church season for our atria. Here is a look at some trays we put together for Lent several years ago.

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Ash Wednesday Service for Families

Each year Rev. Peter and I offer a very short Ash Wednesday service for children at 5:30 pm in our Chapel. It is such a beautiful child-centered service and a wonderful way to begin Lent with children. If you are local I hope to see you there on February 13th!

Peace to you as you prepare to live a Holy Lent!

Holy Week with Children

As we make our way through Holy Week, I thought I would repost some great advice from last year on talking about the events of Good Friday and Easter with children. 

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Today I am so happy to share a very helpful article reposted from the blog "So Who's Hosanna Anyway?" Confessions of a Christian Educator and Mother, by Dr. Elizabeth L. Windsor. 

Thinking Ahead to Holy Week

  by Dr. Elizabeth L. Windsor

It is hard to believe that Palm Sunday is almost here (April 17th). And if Palm Sunday is almost here, then Holy Week isn’t far behind! Parents, especially those of young children, are often confused as to how best handle the crucifixion as we tell the story of the Easter miracle.

The events of Jesus' death are shocking and violent, but we cannot fully live into Easter if we have not experienced Jesus' death. There are ways to approach this with children that make it easier to share the whole story. Here are some of the things I have learned in twenty-five years as an educator and a parent:

1. Children - even very young ones - know that bad things happen. The Easter message is that good always triumphs over evil - even if it doesn't seem to at the moment. This is a message children can hear and understand.

2. When you talk about the crucifixion, always continue immediately with the Resurrection. I have found the following kinds of language helpful: "Jesus loved people so much that some people were scared by it and they put Jesus to death on a cross. But love is so strong, that not even death can destroy it, so God raised Jesus from the dead.”

3. If your children are visual learner, you may only want to share the story in words - the shorter the better. Use art that reveals the empty tomb instead of Jesus on the Cross as you tell the story.

4. Some children are curious about how crucifixion actually kills. They will ask questions such as "Did it hurt?" ("Yes"), "How does crucifixion kill someone?" ("Slow suffocation"). You do not need to dwell on the gore, but an honest answer that is short and to the point is helpful to children and allows you to move on to the resurrection.

5. Other children worry that Jesus was alone. He wasn't - his mother and the Beloved Disciple were there, along with other women. Two other men were crucified with him. And most importantly, God was with Jesus.

Experiencing the events of Holy Week and Easter can be a powerful way for children to share in the defining moment of our Christian faith while being held in a safe and familiar environment. The events of Holy Week are all great places for embodied learning – we shout and parade with Jesus on Palm Sunday, have our feet washed, taste bread and wine, strip the altar and raise the joyous “Alleluias” on Easter Day. With careful planning, parents can help children experience the mystery and wonder of both Holy Week and Easter.

Dr. Elizabeth L. Windsor is the Director of Christian Education at Sudbury United Methodist Church, in Sudbury, Massachusetts. The mother of two (22 and 11), and step-mother of one (16), she has been a professional Christian educator for the past 22 years. She blogs at “So Who’s Hosanna Anyway?" and is a contributor to the online Christian Education Community Building Faith. 

Thanks so much Dr. Elizabeth for sharing your wisdom with us on Thoughts from the Sheepfold!

Holy Water

Have you noticed that the baptismal font has water in it for Lent? Rev. Peter blessed a basin of water and placed it in the font for us to use in this holy season. As we enter Church we are invited to dip our fingers into the water and make the sign of the cross on our bodies or on our foreheads, as a reminder of our baptism, when we were marked as Christ's own forever.

This has been a meaningful practice for me in this season of Lent. I was already in the habit of doing this on baptism days when I pass the font to go to communion. But I enjoy seeing the font full, and it calls to mind all of the baptisms we have celebrated at Church. So many of these babies have grown up in our midst - what a blessing!

In the Good Shepherd Atrium we talk about gestures as a way of praying with our bodies. We show the children the gesture of making the sign of the cross and wonder with them about what it might mean. The image that has stayed with me, and that is brought to mind as I make the sign of the cross with the sanctified water is that of a shield - I am covering my whole body with the presence of Jesus and it goes before me into the world in all that I do.

When you see water in the font, feel free to dip your fingers in and make a cross on your forehead or over your body as a reminder of the blessing of baptism and the joy of belonging to God.

Pictures from our Celebration!

John, Jesus, and Peter!

We held the Last Supper Celebration today in the atrium. It was a lovely morning, and fun to have the different age groups together. You can learn more about our morning by reading this previous post on the Last Supper Celebration.

This is such a quiet and intimate celebration that I didn't want to interrupt by taking photos. But I managed to snap some pictures as we drank juice and ate lots and lots of matzo at the end. I seriously doubt anyone needed lunch today!

The Last Supper, Revisited

Last Sunday, children in the Good Shepherd and True Vine Atria saw the Cenacle Presentation. Today I am re-posting a description of the work, that appeared in the blog last Lent. I hope you enjoy it!

Recently children in the Good Shepherd and True Vine Atria saw the Cenacle (or Last Supper) Presentation. The Cenacle is a Latin name for the Upper Room, where the Last Supper took place. This is one of my favorite works in the atrium and one that the children return to again and again. With this work, we read a scriptural account of Jesus' Last Supper with his disciples (which is actually a compilation of several accounts), pausing to move the figures accordingly.

The highlight of the reading is this moment when Jesus is gathered around the table celebrating the Passover with his friends. We hear anew the words he said over the bread and wine--words that hadn't been said before. "Take, this is my body." and "This is my blood which is poured out for many."

In the presentation, the catechist narrates the time after Jesus and the disciples go to the Mount of Olives, including Jesus' death and resurrection. She hangs a cross behind the table, and lights the candles to remember those two moments.

And suddenly the children are presented with another tableau - one that is very familiar to them! Several times, I have had the pleasure of hearing children suck in their breath as they recognize the altar. I've also heard children call out "The Church!!" As catechists, we leave this lovely connection for the children to discover. Whenever it comes, I've found that this work enables the children to make a profound connection between the way Jesus loved his disciples and his desire to be with them always, and the way that Jesus loves us and expresses his love in the bread and wine that we are blessed to receive each week.

My daughter working with the Cenacle many years ago!

Every Lent we hold a Last Supper Celebration with the children. This is a wonderful gathering which draws upon the children's experience of the Cenacle material. I'll be sure to post about it when it comes along.


We will be holding our Last Supper Celebration for 2012 this Sunday, March 18th for the children in all three atria! For a description of this special day read the Last Supper Celebration.


Two wonderful blogging friends of mine, Sheila at Explore and Express, and Storyteller at Wonderful in an Easter kind of Way are collecting links with ideas for preparing for Easter. I am listing this post in their Lenten Link-Up Party. Click here to see all of the great posts they have collected!  

Try This! Lenten Prayer Garden

Last year I wrote about a meditation garden I made for my family to explore during the season of Lent. You can see photos of it and read about the supplies I collected to use in the garden in this post on observing Lent at Home. This year, I revisited the idea and made a few changes.

Last Lent, I set the meditation garden, prayer ideas, and supplies on a table in a quiet corner of our dining room for family members to use during the day.  Just before Lent began this year, my husband Mark asked if there were any candles we could light at dinner time as we do in Advent. I thought again of our meditation garden and decided to adapt it for meal time use. I found a smaller bowl to hold the sand, and bought some purple tea light candles to use in the garden. I kept a small bowl of stones on the kitchen table with the garden but left the other supplies in the dinning room to be brought out as needed.

Each night at dinner we light a candle and pray together. I have been adapting the prayer ideas I created for individual use for our little group, and bringing in supplies as needed. Most often, we each choose a rock and pray for a special concern or a thanksgiving before adding it to the garden. Other times I have left a little verse of scripture in the garden and we have prayed with it before adding our rocks.

There are so many ways to pray with this garden before meals! I love using it this way. It has really set Lent apart for our family and it is helping us to pray together in new ways.

Two wonderful blogging friends of mine, Sheila at Explore and Express, and Storyteller at Wonderful in an Easter kind of Way are collecting links with ideas for preparing for Easter. I am listing this post in their Lenten Link-Up Party. Click here to see all of the great posts they have collected!  

Resources for Lent

Lent is underway! Has the more quiet, contemplative feeling of the season taken hold in your life and family yet? Here are a few resources to help you on your Lenten journey!

• Read previous posts from Thoughts from the Sheepfold that teach about Lent, or that share ideas for living Lent with your family.

• Follow Christ Church parishioners and our priest, the Rev. Peter Faass who are blogging daily reflections on the book "A Practical Christianity" by Jane Shaw at Peter's Musings. 

• Join Christ Church in a Carbon Fast for Lent! Check out the daily calendar of ideas and participate!

• Explore a beautiful blog written by catechists from St. Philip's Episcopal Church, in Durham, NC called St. Philip's Atrium. I particularly recommend a recent post Beyond Chocolate: Parent Empower-Lent.

• Take part in Lent Madness! Each day you can learn about two saints and vote for your favorite! This is a tournament-like single elimination bracket like March Madness and would be fun for youth as well as adults.

• Check out these wonderful two minute videos by the Brothers of the Society of St. John the Evangelist on Living a Rule of Life. They are posting a new video each day in Lent.

• Visit Journey to the Cross for a beautiful online devotion each day in Lent.

Bring the season of Lent to life for yourself and for your family!