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!

The Good Samaritan

The Sunday before last we had a very small group, and I presented the Good Samaritan material to a few children for the first time. The children were really engaged with the work and made some wonderful observations. I've been enjoying one reflection ever since.

We've talked a lot about the History of the Kingdom of God, and the children know about parousia - the time yet to be when Christ will come again and God will be all in all. I was thinking of this when I wondered with the children what it would be like if everyone was like the Good Samaritan. In a joyful voice, one child said, "it would be the Earth of God - all in all!"

I just love that!

Epiphany Star

My friend Betty reminded me that I wanted to post an update on our Epiphany star on the blog this year. I decided to buy this star last year when I was putting away the Christmas decorations. You can read about the idea in the post Try This: Epiphany.

I brought out the Epiphany star on January 6th this year. It did exactly what I hoped it would do! I love having this beautiful light in our home, especially when it is cold and dark outside. I also love having a visual reminder of the season of Epiphany and a sign of the light of Christ in our living room. I keep it on all day and evening and we have really been enjoying it.

For a refresher on the season of Epiphany, read Epiphany - Growing Time! I'm praying for many blessings for you and yours this season!

Epiphany Celebration

With Epiphany falling on a Sunday, we had to work with several interruptions in the True Vine Atrium last week. Children and catechists were coming and going to lead and to observe the Chalking of the Church and procession at the 10:30 service.  Somehow, we still managed to have a very nice morning together!

In honor of Epiphany, we prepared a little celebration for our atrium. To be clear - this is not a Catechesis of the Good Shepherd work, but something we put together ourselves based on an idea from a friend.

We had pondered the scripture and worked with the material of the three wise men the Sunday before Christmas. In atrium last week we remembered the significance of strangers from a foreign land coming to honor Jesus. We wondered at this sign that Jesus' light wasn't just for people in one country or even in one time but for all people and all time. In fact, since that day Jesus' light has spread around the world and across time to us today!

To celebrate this good news, children who were not involved in the Church celebration had the time to choose a country and make a flag to represent it and it's people. We hung these flags in our prayer corner.

After returning from the celebration downstairs, we talked again about the gifts the wise men brought to Jesus and their significance and passed around little samples of each gift. For our celebration, everyone took part in a procession, led by children carrying the Good Shepherd statue and our star lantern. Children carried the three gifts and we sang "We Three Kings" as we processed in and set the prayer table. Once gathered we prayed together, with the children offering special prayers for the countries represented by the flags, and other countries of the world.

It was a sweet morning, and a welcome reminder to me that God can work through imperfect plans and less than ideal schedules!

Happy Epiphany!

Happy Epiphany! Because it is unusual for Epiphany to fall on a Sunday, we had a special celebration in our 10:30 service today led by Rev. Peter.

The three Magi, the Royal Page and the Star from our Christmas Eve Pageant reappeared! We began our service with a blessing of our sanctuary. Each Magi wrote her initial on the lintel of the door.

Caspar

Melchior

and Balthasar.

Rev. Peter added the years. (He didn't need the step ladder!)

The Star led the way down the aisle as we sang "We Three Kings."

To learn more about the season of Epiphany, read Epiphany - Growing Time! Many blessings to you as we head into this lovely season! 

Merry Christmas 2012!

Away in a manger

Our Christmas Eve service was beautiful again this year! I love the way that we weave the pageant and Holy Eucharist together. I'm posting the few pictures I have and I am so sorry if you can't find your favorite angel or shepherd here. I'll keep looking for more photos. Meanwhile enjoy the season of Christmas! May the wonder and joy of this season be a blessing for all of us, and may we be blessings for one another and for the world!

The Junior Choir!

Shepherds and animals wait...

The Heavenly Host share the good news!

Mary and Joseph stand with Rev. Peter at Communion.

The three Magi and their Royal Page.

Mary and Joseph after their big day.

Mary and our precious baby Jesus.

Our wonderful Narrators!