Preparing for Lent

Today I have been cleaning the house preparing for a Shrove Tuesday feast, however, as I clean, I realize I am really cleaning in preparation for Lent. And will continue to clean as I engage Lent; cleaning my house and cleaning my heart and mind. As a mom I also am thinking about ways to usher my kids through Lent. If you are familiar with pinterest you will find a number of ways to do meaningful things with your children through Lent. Honestly, I get overwhelmed by all the ideas so I stick to a few that work for our family.

1) Count down to Easter
I think it is really helpful for kids to understand how long this season is, 40 days+ is an eternity to them.  Connecting Ash Wednesday to Holy Week and Easter is very difficult in the mind of a little one.  (it is even hard for me!)  We have a count down that lays out on our buffet; I write out the numbers 1-40 on butcher paper and the kids take a rock each day and lay it over the next number.  Sometimes I put other things around the numbers like a vase of sticks (that will be replaced with flowers on Easter morning), or an empty bird nest, things that may represent the waiting.  At the '40' end of the paper we put a tomb that closes on Good Friday.  One thing to keep in mind; lent is 40 days, but Sundays are not included in the counting, so when I write the numbers I leave a space for Sundays and we put a tea light candle there to represent the feast day.

2) Daily Family Prayer
One of our family disciplines is a time of prayer together every day.  This can be done with the Book of Common Prayer, a daily devotional, or something that you put together.  The liturgy we used last year was a compilation from a few different places, it is short and easy with the intention that the kids would be able to memorize it easily and join in at all ages.

Prayer all together

I turn to you, O Lord, with all my heart, for you are gracious and merciful, slow to anger abounding in steadfast Love and relenting from punishment.  Amen

Read Scripture Together

“Yet Even now, says the Lord, return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; rend your hearts and not your clothing.” Joel 2:12

Confess Together

I have sinned.  Have mercy on me, O God.  Amen

Sing 

Create in me a clean heart, O God.

And renew a right spirit within me.

Create in me a clean heart, O God.

And renew a right spirit within me.

Cast me not away from thy presence O Lord.

Take not thy holy spirit from me.

Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation,

And renew a right spirit within me.

Pray together:

Father God, you so loved the world that you grave your Son that we might have eternal life in him.  O Jesus, you allowed yourself to be lifted up on a cross for us.  O Spirit, you blow as you will and bring new birth to those who are open to you.  And since you resist the proud and give grace to the humble, O Lord, help me grow in humility and imitate your self-giving love.  Amen.

3) Making Room for Jesus

This is a simple way to talk with our kids about how we observe Lent.  (Many of these ideas I got from a book called Make Room.)  But the idea is simple, Jesus made space for God and his people when he was on earth and as we walk through Lent we should make space for Jesus and his people as well. This can happen physically, emotionally, and spiritually by praying, fasting, and giving of our time and possessions.

Some great ideas
- making a meal for neighbors
- eating more simple meals at home
- cleaning out the toy room
- memorizing scripture