What Do You See in the Sanctuary During Lent?

The Ash Wednesday Table of Blue Ridge Presbyterian Church
is signed with crosses by worshipers of all ages.

During Advent there is the Advent wreath, maybe a crèche or Chrismon tree, often special banners, and then the greenery and poinsettias.  There is a lot to see.  Worshipers of all ages respond deeply to all those visuals.  We use them to tell children the stories of Advent and Christmas and teach them the meaning of the season.

So, the question as Lent – Easter approaches is what in the sanctuary calls attention to the season and helps interpret it?  Too often it is just the unmentioned purple paraments during Lent followed by and an explosion of lilies on Easter Sunday.  What else could you add to draw young worshipers into the seasons?

Make a big deal of hanging new paraments for Lent.  Explain the change in colors and any symbols in the hangings.  Hang all those that can be easily reached in the presence of the congregation as worship begins the first Sunday of Lent. 

If you do not have any banners or hangings for Lent and Easter commission them.  This could involve a paid artist or a team of stitchers in the congregation.  A very young church that worships in its one big room hangs a series of panels of purple fabric.  They go from deepest purple at the outside to bright white at the center.  One panel is added each week.

Drape worshipers with purple stoles every Sunday in Lent.  Begin the season explaining the meaning of the stoles worship leaders wear.  Point out that Lent is not something just the worship leaders do.  All worshipers “keep Lent.”  Pass out stoles for them to wear that day.  Collect them as worshipers leave the sanctuary and pass them out as they enter the next week.  These stoles could be wide cloth ribbons or simply crepe paper streamers.  Enlist the help of a class of older children to draw a cross on each end of each stole. And of course, this leads to the possibility of white satiny stoles for Easter Sunday!

Recycle a Christmas tree to link baby Jesus to the risen Christ. 

Strip the branches for the tree to form a cross.  This cross can be displayed in the sanctuary draped with purple throughout Lent.  On Good Friday it is draped in black.  On Easter it is wrapped in chicken wire into which worshipers of all ages tuck flowers brought from home.  (Telling children where the wood for this cross came from is a good thing to do.  But, inviting them to view the process gives it much greater power.)

Cut the trunk of the tree into two lengths.  Notch them so that they fit together to form a cross that lies flat on the table.  On this cross mount a purple candle for each Sunday of Lent.  Begin worship lighting candles as you lit the candles of the Advent wreath.

Feature a prop connected to the main text for each week.  This prop may be displayed by itself in a prominent place.  Or, a table draped in purple may hold all the props for the season as they are added.  Refer to the prop directly during the service explaining why it is there.  This could be done in a children’s time or at different times each week as deemed appropriate.  Below is a list of prop series for each year of the RCL.  I suspect they could be adapted to other texts.

For Year A collect symbols or props related to the gospel story for each week.   See Observing Lent and Easter in Year A for the list.

For Year B display a growing collection of crosses related to the gospel stories or follow a large Jesus figure around the sanctuary reading the gospel stories from wherever Jesus is that week.  See Observing Lent and Easter in Year B.

For Year C explore the sacrificial love of the texts by adding a heart related to that week's texts to a seasonal display.  See Observing Lent and Easter in Year C for an overview.. 

If you bury an “Alleluia!” banner for lent, leave the box you put it in in full view in the worship area for all of Lent.  Some put it under the Table.

What can you add?  How can we make Lent and Easter visible in our worship spaces?

Year C - First Sunday in Lent (February 17, 2013)

If you have not already visited Year C - Observing Lent and Celebrating Easter (2013), go there now to get the long view of the season with children.  On the first Sunday in Lent remember that many children will not have been at Ash Wednesday services, so will need an introduction to the new season.  Change the paraments to purple together as worship begins or note the changes from last week.  Give out Lenten resources to use at home.  And, bury the Alleluia. 

For this year, there are two strong themes that work through all the Sundays of Lent.  Sacrificial love is a theme found in many of the stories and there is a connection to the one of the phrases of the Lord’s Prayer each Sunday.  Go to Year C - Observing Lent and Celebrating Easter (2013) to get the overview and then watch for details each Sunday.

U  The Love theme in the texts is magnified by the fact that Lent starts this year the day before Valentine’s Day.  (The next time it falls close is in 2018 when it falls on Valentine’s Day.)  That makes this an opportunity to explore the fact that loving is more than cards, candy, and flowers.  Those are all nice.  But loving means with sticking with each other – even when it not easy or pleasant. Jesus shows how it is done most fully.

U  It would be wonderful if there were a universally recognized story in which St. Valentine displays this love, but there is not.  There are three martyrs named Valentine, none with widely accepted stories.  One MIGHT have married Christians during a time when that was illegal.  Another MIGHT have been either a prisoner who was well cared for by a jailer or a jailer who cared well for his prisoners.  No one is sure.  So, there is no story to read.  Instead, …

U  Feature  large red valentine hearts with a black cross drawn on each one. 

Talk it through:  Start with a large plain red paper heart reminding worshipers of Valentine’s last Thursday.  Say that the baby Jesus was like God’s valentine telling us that God loves us.  God became one of us and lived among us as a baby who grew into a man who talked about God’s love and really loved every person he met.  One would think everyone would like Jesus.  But, they did not.  Jesus’ love made them feel like they should be more loving than they wanted to be.  Jesus talked about forgiving love and loving EVERYONE.  Enough people got angry enough that they killed Jesus.  The totally amazing thing is that Jesus did not get angry.  Jesus FORGAVE them.  He still loved them.  After he rose and was no longer dead, Jesus still loved them and reached out to them.  Draw a large black cross on the red heart and say THAT is love.     

Another way to talk it through:  Start with the red plain paper heart.  Talk about what we mean when we say “I love you.”  Include such meanings as “I think you are pretty/handsome/cool/neat,” “I want to be your friend,”  “I am glad I know you,”  “I am glad you are my teacher/coach/sister….  Note that it feels great to get and give valentines.  Then, talk about what happens as you try to hang on to that valentine love day after day.  Imagine what it would take to hold on to that love if the person you gave it to got sick or broke a bone and needed LOTS of help.   Ponder what it takes to hold on to the love when the person you share it with says or does something mean or hurts your feelings.   Finally, draw a large black cross on the heart.   Note that real love is not easy.  Introduce Lent as a season in which we try to love better.  Point to some opportunities for families to work on loving and ways your congregation will explore loving in worship during Lent.

OK, when I went looking for sports equipment, ping pong
was all I found.  I am sure some people give their hearts
 to ping pong as well as to basketball and soccer.

To tie the heart directly to the temptation stories today, present a red heart and briefly talk about deciding who we give our hearts to on Valentine’s Day.  Then, note that we sometimes give our hearts to things as well as to people.  Display a soccer ball and put the heart on it.  Talk about what we mean if we say we give our heart to soccer.  Repeat the process with several other items – maybe a musical instrument, a soft fuzzy sweater or pair of cool shoes (giving our hearts to clothes), even a pizza box (loving only certain foods and wanting them all the time), etc.  Note that in this story, Jesus is deciding to what he will give his heart.  He decides he will not give it to food or to trying to be boss of the world or to being a superstar.  Instead he will give it to loving God.

Give children (all worshipers?) a valentine heart with a cross drawn on it to display in their home during Lent to remind them to love others even when it is not easy.  You might give the hearts out with the crosses already drawn on them or give out the hearts as you begin the conversation, then invite worshipers to draw a cross on their heart as a way of committing themselves to work on loving during Lent.  (Black crayons can be passed around to do this.)

U  Each Lenten Sunday this year has a clear connection to one of the phrases of the Lord’s Prayer.  They are not in order, but are all there.  Today’s connection is to “lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.”  The key to understanding this petition is knowing what temptation is.  For children that is best grasped with a list of familiar temptations such as

A plate of cookies left on the counter

A cool item (maybe an ipod) left unattended in a very public place

A set of test answers in such plain view that you can hardly help but see them on the desk of the student next to you 

U  After describing the situations, point out that sometimes we see what is there and automatically do the right thing without even thinking about it.  But other times we do the wrong thing.   Describe how we want to have or do what we know we should not and how we talk ourselves into doing anyway.  Ponder the difference between those two reactions to the same situation.  Then put “lead us not into temptation” into your own words – something like “God, help me know what is right and wrong and be able to do what is right without even thinking about it.” 

U  Go to The First Sunday in Lent (Year A) for suggestions about

Using Temptation or another key word as the sponsor of the day (a la Sesame Street)

 

Exploring prayers of confession as they are used in worship every week

The temptations Jesus faced put into words that make sense to children

Using Jiminy Cricket or the Little Mermaid to explore temptation

Using a credit card, a crown, and a metal star as sermon props

(BTW there is no need to check out Year B because Mark does not include any of the details of the temptation story.)

Luke 4:1-13

U  Dramatize the reading of this story using 3 readers: a Narrator in the pulpit and Jesus in the center with the Devil.  If Jesus and the Devil are comfortable with doing so, the Devil can gesture with his hands as he tempts Jesus and Jesus can look on skeptically before responding with words and “no way” hand positions.

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Luke 4:1-13

Narrator:  Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing at all during those days, and when they were over, he was famished.   The devil said to him,

Devil:  If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become a loaf of bread.

Narrator:  Jesus answered him,

Jesus:  It is written, ‘One does not live by bread alone.’ 

Narrator:  Then the devil led him up and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world.  And the devil said to him,

Devil:  To you I will give their glory and all this authority; for it has been given over to me, and I give it to anyone I please.   If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.

Narrator:   Jesus answered him,

Jesus:   “It is written, ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.’

Narrator:   Then the devil took him to Jerusalem, and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, saying to him,

Devil:   If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, for it is written,

‘He will command his angels concerning you, to protect you,’

             and

‘On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.’

Narrator:  Jesus answered him,

Jesus:   It is said, ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’  

Narrator:   When the devil had finished every test, he departed from him until an opportune time.

               from the NRSV

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U  There is a wonderful cartoon telling of Jesus’ 40 days in the wilderness that both adults and children appreciate in their own ways.  Find it at   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-6a25Yo2wE .  It is just over four minutes long.  Introduce it by reading the biblical text, then wondering with worshipers what Jesus did during those 40 days.  Encourage them to watch thinking about what Jesus was feeling and doing each day. 

U  To most children (and many worshipers) Satan or the Devil is the bad guy.  Take time to introduce him as the tester before reading this story in which he tests and actually helps Jesus decide clearly how he will spend his life.  To take it further, talk about the picture of a red devil with horns, a tail and a pitchfork.  Insist that such pictures are not photographs and that the Devil is actually invisible or can take many forms.  Suggest that in this story the Devil might have been more like a voice inside Jesus’ thinking.  Compare it with the silent conversations we often hold with ourselves as we try to decide about doing something we know we should not.

U  Oh No, George!, by Chris Haughton, is a picture book with very few words.  It begins with Harry leaving his dog George at home telling him to be good. George reminds himself that he wants to be good but when he sees a cake on the counter, the cat, and a planter full of dirt he does everything he should not.  Harry is distressed when he comes home to the mess.  Later when they go for a walk George sees a cake on a picnic blanket, a cat, and a huge flower bed but resolutely passes by all of them.  The book ends with George looking at a trash can and thinking how he loves to dig in trash, then looking up in surprise as Harry shouts “George?” It reads in about 3 minutes.  Showing the pictures is essential!

With 4 – 6 year olds, just read the story.  Ask if only dogs want to do things they should not.  Make a list of a few things people sometimes want to do and have that they should not.  Close with a prayer for God to help us when we want to do things we know we should not.  Don’t even mention the word temptation.

With 7-10 year olds, read the story and quickly have the same discussion.  Then, introduce the word temptation as a big word for all those things we want but should not have or do.  The cake, the cat, the dirt, and the trash can were all temptations.  Point out “lead us not into temptation” in the Lord’s Prayer noting that every time we pray this prayer we are praying for God to help us walk past the things we should not take or do.

10-12 year olds are ready to do all of the above and to explore the word temptation more fully.  Using the story, define “tempted,” “tempting” and finally “temptation.”  Have fun making sentences using the three words. Close by putting the “lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil” into your own words.

Deuteronomy 26:1-11

U  Children instinctively understand what it means to define yourself by the group to which you belong.  When meeting someone new children start with their name and age but quickly begin naming the groups to which they belong.  The unstated assumption is that if you know which groups I belong to you know who I am.  Usually they name sports teams and activity groups in which they participate.  The trick is to help them look to larger groups of which they are apart – in this case the people of God.   With older children it would be possible to walk through one of the story creeds said often in worship pointing out that we join people who have said the creed for years.  It would also be possible to have one person bring in a basket of fruit to place on the Table reciting the creed from this text followed by a person bringing money to put in the offering basket reciting one of the creeds.  Either of these could be interesting to explore with older children.  However, I doubt they will get much attention on the first Sunday of Lent.

 

Psalm 91:1-2, 9-16

U This psalm is here because it echoes Jesus’ experiences in the wilderness and calls us to trust God as he did.  Children will not get that echo as the psalm is read.  Even if all the connections are explained, it won’t mean much to them.

 

Romans 10:8b-13

U  This is a very abstract message that uses lots of words that are hard to define for children – confess, believe, justified, saved.  I’d wait to deal with each of the words in texts that are more focused than this one.

U   The one word that can be quickly given to older children is CONFESS.  To most children today CONFESS means to admit that you did something, usually something you should not have done.  So, before reading this text point out that CONFESS means to tell what you believe or know about something. 

Year C - Transfiguration of the Lord (February 10, 2013)

R The liturgical color for Transfiguration Sunday is white – usually decorated with shiny gold.  It is the color for the days we see God’s glory brightest – like Christmas, Easter and today.  Before the call to worship point out all the white and gold paraments.  Imagine the whole sanctuary filled with floaty gold glitter swirling around you (rather like being inside a snow globe).   Urge worshipers to listen for stories about God’s incredible more than we can ever understand power in the Bible readings and in the songs and prayers.  Then invite the congregation to join you in a Call to Worship composed of selected phrases from Psalm 99.  (The first four lines of the one below could stand alone.  Adding the rest gives a little more content.)

RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

One:   The Lord is king!

All:      The Lord is mighty!
One:   Everyone praise his great and majestic name.
All:      The Lord is the Holy One!
One:   Mighty king, you love what is right.
All:      You have brought righteousness and fairness.
One:   Praise the Lord, our God.
All:      The Lord is Holy!

                                     Based on selected phrases from the TEV

RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

R Display all the candles of the liturgical year (Advent candles, little candle lighting services candles, regular Sunday candles, paschal candle, baptism candles, etc.)  Name them and light them telling what each one says to us as we light it. Then urge worshipers to watch for God’s glory and light in worship today.

 

R Especially if you are going to bury the Alleluia for Lent, use lots of Alleluias today.

Create a call to worship in which the congregation replies “Alleluia” to selected phrases from Psalm 99.

Work through the section of the Apostles’ Creed about Jesus one phrase at a time with worshipers responding "Alleluia" to each phrase.  (This could be a children’s time reviewing Jesus life or an affirmation of faith following a sermon about Jesus’ glory.)

Choose hymns with lots of alleluias.  Point them out and encourage even non-readers to sing the alleluias if they can’t sing the other words."Come Christians Join to Sing" is in many hymnals.  There is also a Taize chant of Alleluias that could be used during communion. 

TRANSFIGURATION

R It would be possible to fully celebrate this day without using the word “transfiguration.”  The dictionary defines it only with reference to this story.  And since it is used only one day a year at church, it is not word children need to know.  So, I'd avoid using the word at all.  There is however one connection that might make me bring it up.  In the Harry potter books transfiguration is a required class at Hogwarts.  There it is a matter of changing one thing into another using your wand, charms, and spells.  Go do Harry Potter Wiki for detailed information about the course including a video clip of a raven being turned into a goblet before the amazed young Harry and Ron.  Unlike the bird, Jesus was not changed into something else (say a goblet).  Jesus became more who he really was.  He shone with the glory of God.

 

Exodus 34:29-35

R Read this story and the gospel story back to back, maybe with different readers.  Before reading them, point out that these stories are very similar.  In one Moses who lived way back at the beginning of the Old Testament spent time with God and came away with a face that shone.  In the second Jesus who lived hundreds of years later became shiny all over while he talked with God.

To make this the “real” reading for the morning, have the readers stand beside each other and pass the Bible or flip the pages of the lectern Bible between readings.  Or, invite the children forward for the readings.  Take the big Bible with you to the steps.  Introduce and read the stories there, briefly asking the children

      * was the same and different about the stories

                 * how do they think Jesus and Moses looked like when
                     they were shiny, and
                 * why do they think they were shiny.  

There are no right or wrong answers to these questions.  They are simply ways to imagine together something that was very mysterious.

 

Psalm 99

This psalm is a series of short phrases praising God who is the glorious king of the universe.  Unfortunately it is filled with the names of people and references to Biblical stories that will not make immediate sense to children (or many adults).  Use selected phrases that are clear in the call to worship like the one at the top of the post and responses throughout worship. 

 

2 Corinthians 3:12 – 4:2

R There is no way children will get any of this text as it is read.  In fact, a group of seminary professors suggested not reading it all and concentrating instead on the two stories for the day.

R To explore Paul’s message that we can refuse to see what is right in front of us, begin with a couple of examples.  You can see the dog sitting by the door looking at you with anxious eyes and just see the dog or you can see that the dog needs to go for a walk.  Or, you can see a child eating alone in the lunchroom without seeing that the child needs someone to be a friend and eat with her.  Then go to the transfiguration story noting that disciples had been living with Jesus for a long time.  They knew he was special.  He said wonderful things, he told important stories, he healed people, and even walked on water once.  But, in this story, God is telling them Jesus is more than just a special person.  Jesus is part of God.  He shines like no person ever has or will.  Finally, go to Paul’s insistence that though we do not live with Jesus like the disciples did, we still have all the stories about him.  We know who Jesus is and what he is teaching us.  We can either ignore him and do whatever we want to do.  Or, we can who he is and try to be who he wants us to be.

R Create a responsive prayer in which worshipers use their hands to cover and uncover their eyes.  A leader describes a series of things we would rather not see while worshipers hold their hands over their eyes.  Worshipers reply by removing their hands and saying a set phrase.  For example,

Leader:   God, when we see a person begging by the side of the road, we try not to see them.

People:   Open our eyes.  Help us see clearly.

Leader:   Creator of the world, when we see mountains and beaches and trees sometimes we just see stuff we can use.

People:   Open our eyes.  Help us see clearly.

 R “Open My Eyes” is filled with images children understand especially after exploring Paul’s message here.

 

Luke 9:28-36, (37-43a)

R Omit verses 37-43 for the sake of the children.  Focus instead on the first story.



Angelico, fra, ca. 1400-1455.

Transfiguration, from Art in the Christian Tradition,

 a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN.

http://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=47774

[retrieved January 23, 2013].

R Before reading this story, note that something very mysterious happens in it.  Invite worshipers to close their eyes as it is read and to see with their imaginations what happens.  Display several rather different artist’s drawings of what they thought happened.  (Google “transfiguration images” and choose from the many pictures there.)  Then, challenge the children to draw their own pictures of what they think happened.  Make sure lots of white and gold crayons are available.  Encourage children to post their drawings in a designated spot.  Talk with children about any drawings they have with them as they leave the sanctuary.

R To celebrate the “more than we can understand” glory of God and Jesus, sing “Immortal, Invisible, God only Wise.”  Read through the first verse briefly defining some of the really big words and ideas before inviting the congregation to sing the whole song. 

R Or to praise Jesus in more concrete language that also describes his awesome glory, sing “Fairest Lord, Jesus.”

 

R This is a good Sunday to look more carefully at the hymn “Holy, Holy, Holy.”  It describes the glory of God that shone all around Jesus at the transfiguration.  Ask worshipers to open their hymnals and follow with you as you explore some of the song.  Start with verses 1 and 4 that describe us singing to God who has done wonderful things.  Then go to verse 2.  Note that all the saints in heaven and the heavenly seraphim and cherubim bow before God who is forever.  (Reminds us of Moses and Elijah joining Jesus on the mountain.)  Before reading verse 3 aloud, recall the awestruck, somewhat confused disciples who were trying to figure out who Jesus really was and note that we are sometimes just as confused about who Jesus is.  Conclude by going back to the first three words of every verse, “Holy, Holy, Holy” that describe God and Jesus.  Then invite everyone to sing it.  Encourage even non-readers to sing the most important words in the hymn, “Holy, Holy, Holy.”    

(Close-up of the Disciples) Angelico, fra, ca. 1400-1455. Transfiguration,

from Art in the Christian Tradition,

a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN.

http://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=47774

[retrieved January 23, 2013].

 

R To unpack this story with children, show them a transfiguration picture that includes the disciples watching at the side.   Tell them that God did this not for Jesus, but for the disciples.  Note that the disciples had been living with Jesus every day for several years.  They went everywhere with him, even slept near him.   Recall some of the things they had seen him say and do.  Looking at their faces in the picture, point out that they looked that puzzled and amazed.  Insist that they looked that way most of the time.  They knew Jesus was special, but they were never quite sure what that meant.  By wrapping Jesus in a shiny cloud and incredible clothes, God was telling the disciples, “Jesus is more than a special person.  Jesus is God with you.”   Conclude with a WOW or some ALLELUIAS.

R If you are focusing on God’s command to “Listen to him,” go to Transfiguration of the Lord (Year B) for ideas about unpacking this on this day and possibly as a Lenten theme.

"Playing Church" at Home

Winter weather and illnesses are great opportunities for families to build their understanding and appreciation of worship by “playing church” at home. Every family does it differently and how they do it will change as the children get older.  Some set chairs in rows and create an altar.  Others sit in circle on the floor or at the table.  Some plan it out carefully even making an order of worship to follow.  Other make it up as they go.  If there are musicians, they might play for some of the singing or the quiet times.  If there are no musicians, the family can choose recorded music to sing along with OR sing on their own OR not sing at all.  The goal is to worship God together in a way that feels appropriate and links the family worshiping at home to the church family worshiping in the sanctuary.

Use the generic order of worship below as a starter.

*****************************************************************************************

* Call to Worship :  Say together, “O come let us worship God together!”

* Sing one or more songs for God/Jesus

* A parent reminds the family that each one of them have things they need tell God they are sorry about, maybe from the last week, maybe from a long time ago.  Allow a full minute of silence for everyone to close their eyes and talk to God  about the ways they have messed up.  The same parent then says, “God promises us that whenever we mess up and are truly sorry, God forgives us.  God always loves us no matter what.  Because God loves us no matter what, we can love each other no matter what.  So…”  Pass the peace as you do in the sanctuary.

* Read from the Bible or a Bible storybook. Either select a favorite story or go to the church’s web site to see what is being read in the sanctuary this week.  After reading the story, together make up a list of questions you have about it.  (Use the words Who?, What?,  When?  and Why?  to help think of questions.)  When the list is complete, work on answering the questions together.  Look things up on the internet if you need to.  If there are questions that feel important and that you cannot answer, email the question to someone you think might know.

The Offering:  Think of one gift you can give God as a family during the coming week.  It might be how you treat each other cooped up with sickness or bad weather or something you can do for someone beyond your family.  (Even a homebound family can make cards, send emails, or Skype someone who needs attention.)  You don’t have to do the gift now, just decide what it will be and when you will do it.  Then, in a prayer promise God you will do it. 

* Collect prayers for your family, your church and the world by drawing or writing phrases on a shared piece of paper (the bigger the paper, the better).  When it is complete, pray it together with each person pointing to one item on the page and praying aloud a prayer about it.  (Each family member may take one or several turns praying aloud.)

* Sing at least one more song for God.

* As a benediction, each member of the family says to at least one other person, “Go in peace.  God loves you and I love you.”  This may be done by going around the circle or with each member of the family saying it to every other member of the family.

**************************************************************************************

 

Obviously, this plan is just a starter.  Use it to bring the ways you worship in your sanctuary into your home.  Add songs and responses used regularly at church.  Delete things with which you are not familiar.  Actually, you may be surprised when children add ones that slipped past you.  In the process you will not only worship as a family, but you will probably answer a few lingering children’s questions about different parts of worship and help them grow in their understanding of worship.

Note to congregations:  To encourage families to “play church” at home on bad weather or flu Sundays, create an order of worship based on the regular Sunday order and including the Bible stories or texts to read with minimalist directions for doing them all at home.  If possible use the texts to be read in the sanctuary.  Email them to families or post them on the church’s website.   Invite families to share their experiences with doing this in emails or on a special place for comments about this on the church’s web page.

And, share with the rest of us ways your congregation or family “plays church” at home in the comments for this post.