Introduction: A little about Easter...
Introduction: A little about Easter...
Signs of spring are here.
Birds are beginning to build nests.
Flowers are starting to bloom. Soon farmers will be turning the soil and
preparing the ground for seed. All around us nature is waking up. Preparation
is being made for another growth cycle.
Within this growth cycle of spring, Easter is coming. It
finds its way into the spring calendar every year, its date moving like a
Mexican jumping bean. Have you ever wondered why? Why don't we have a fixed
date for Easter as we do for Christmas?
In the early church, bishops in the East and those in Rome
were celebrating the Easter feast on different Sundays. Apparently there was no
unanimity on the date of Jesus' resurrection. So when the bishops came together
to address some deep theological matters in Nicaea in 325 A.D., they addressed
this practical issue of ensuring the same day was chosen to celebrate the
Easter feast every year. Since there was no strong consensus on the original
date, they felt that Sunday was the most appropriate date to celebrate.
Changing to a uniform date did away with any future arguments about the true
Easter date.
The new system, determined by the moon's phases, ensured
that the Easter feasts would jump around within a small window of dates. Tying
the dates to the moon phases ensured that no one could get the dates wrong
again. Such dating sounds strange to modern ears, but it made very good sense
to people of the fourth century who were tied to the land and the heavens. The
council of Nicaea decided that Easter would be celebrated on the Sunday
following the first full moon that occurred after the spring equinox. Because
of the way the lunar calendar cycles, Easter must occur between March 22 and
April 25.
...And a little about Lent
The preparation for Easter became known as Lent, which comes
from the Old English word "lencten," meaning "lengthen" as
the days do as winter gives way to spring.
According to the liturgical calendar, Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, seven Wednesdays before
Easter. Ash Wednesday is a day when we remember our mortality, our finite nature.
Our time on this earth is brief. The Psalmist says, "Men and women don't
live very long; like wildflowers they spring up and blossom, But a storm snuffs
them out just as quickly, leaving nothing to show they were here" (Psalms
103:15). Lent continues for 40 days (not
counting Sundays) moving through six weeks at the beginning of Spring to Holy
Week's Maundy Thursday and Good Friday, and concluding the Saturday before
Easter.
The 40 days of Lent were being observed by the early church
by the 4th century. Easter
was the primary celebration of the early church and a period of intense fasting
before the celebration of Easter was instituted very shortly after Jesus’ death
and resurrection. As time went on, that
time of fasting was lengthened. In the
early church, Lent became a time of preparation for those who were to be
baptized, a time of concentrated study and prayer before their baptism at the
Easter Vigil. Those who had become believers during the year were baptized
early Easter Sunday morning. As these new members were received into a living
community of faith, the entire community was called to preparation. This also
became a time when those who had been separated from the Church would prepare
to rejoin the community.
The number 40 is connected with many biblical events, but
especially with the 40 days Jesus spent in the wilderness preparing for his
ministry, overcoming temptations that could have led him to abandon his mission
and calling. Christians today use this period for introspection,
self-examination and repentance.
Why celebrate Lent as a Family?
At this time of year, preparations are being made all around
us for another growth cycle. The Earth
is warming and greening. New life is
beginning to bud and bloom. Why should it be any different within our
spiritual lives? Spiritual growth is more intentional than not. Jesus modeled
that spiritual growth involves spiritual disciplines.
Easter is on the calendar and Easter Day will come and go
whether we do any planning. However, Easter will not produce much spiritual
growth in us without preparation. We may find ourselves stooping down to peer
inside the empty tomb on Easter morning without a great deal of excitement or
awe, since we've heard the story so many times before, unless we prepare
ourselves for that morning and for the words of the angel: "He is not here
for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay" (Matthew
28:6).
If a farmer misses the window to plant a crop, he will not
have time to reap a harvest. If we waste precious days or precious years, we
can't get them back. Lent reminds us to seize the moment. Make the season of
Lent an intentional season of growth. Make Lent a spiritual journey toward the
cross, and then you'll bend down and be in awe of the empty tomb. Easter will
be a day of celebration and not just another day!
Adapted for my purposes (with my biases and research but with borrowed verbiage) from “Explaining Lent to Non-Liturgical Christians” by Michael Helms (please click through to read his much-more-eloquent explanation).
Lenten Worship
Fasting, Prayer and Almsgiving
Traditionally, these three spiritual disciplines form the pillars of
Lenten practice. All three are meant to
unite different aspects of our lives with Christ’s suffering. Many people give up a favorite practice such
as eating an indulgent food (i.e. sugar, caffeine, chocolate, etc.) using a
debit card, swearing, etc. Others fast
for a certain day of the week, or skip a certain meal, or eat a simple dinner. Others adopt a certain prayer focus such as
praying for missionaries, a certain country, the persecuted church, etc. All of these things are designed to make us
conscious of Christ’s work in the world and in ourselves. As a family, you may wish to think of one
practice in each of these areas that would enhance your preparation for
Easter.
Devotionals, readings, crafts and music
There are many wonderful Lenten devotional books and readings
available. A Bible reading plan that
focuses on the Gospels can also be a wonderful way to be reminded of who Jesus
is and what He did that led to His crucifixion and Resurrection. A family might choose to read through one of
the Gospels in the weeks before Easter or use a children’s devotional to make
projects that remind you of the path Jesus took to the cross.
There are also many wonderful choices available when it
comes to worshipful music. Lent is an
excellent time to introduce kids to music they might not have experienced
before like chant, oratory, or classical pieces. The titles listed below are a very, very small sampling of the many resources available. These all have child-relatable elements. I find myself using them again and again. Use your discernment as to whether these fit your family's theological convictions.
Family Activities
Worship, Prayer and Devotionals
Lent and Easter Wisdom from Thomas Merton (this is one of an entire series of "Wisdom" from some wonderful authors
Music
Worship Space
Worship Space
You may wish to create your own space for contemplation or
observation. A purple cloth on a table,
a chair
with a Bible and a journal… these things communicate that there is
something different about this time, something special. You may want to decorate differently than you
do the rest of the year. Adding pictures
or books in a special basket for little ones to enjoy incorporates them into
the space. This space doesn’t have to be
complicated. Rocks, wood, a nail, a
small cross…thing that children can touch and hold makes a difference in their
understanding of the Jesus story!
Lenten wreath, cross or spiral
Just as an Advent wreath helps to count the days or weeks to
Christmas in a very visible, tactile, sense-engaging way, so do candles in some
form help to create anticipation during Lent.
A weekly countdown should include 6 candles. A daily countdown would need 40 (if Sundays
are not included). A Lenten cross can be
made from wood, or can simply be a poster board cross, onto which candles in
votive holders are set. Simple wreaths are also available at many Christian
bookstores or online (try Catholic bookstores). An Advent to Lent spiral is an especially
beautiful way to remember the days.
Repentance box
A repentance box is a very visible reminder of God’s pardon for
us. Mistakes, errors and sins are
written on slips of paper and put in the box.
On Good Friday, the pieces of paper can be nailed to the cross. Or, another option is to write the word
“FORGIVEN” on each slip of paper and throw them away or burn the pieces. Or, a parent may wish to empty the box so it
can be presented on Easter morning.
“Dust” bowl
“Dust” bowl
A bowl with flour in it is a tactile way to remember that
“we are dust, and to dust we shall return”.
Playing in the dust is a great way to redirect an older child (or adult)
by asking them to draw something representing their sins in the dust and then
erase it. Another great take on this can be found at this link.
Forced blooms
A beautiful way to recognize new life is to cut some
branches from a flowering bush such as forsythia or a cherry tree, place in
water and allow the branches to open in time.
These, inevitably, will open before Easter. If you want to control the bloom, you may
wish to use barren branches and then replace them with flowering branches at
Easter.
Jesus Tree
Jesus Tree
Similar to a Jesse Tree at Advent, a Jesus tree is a lovely
way to contemplate Jesus’ way to the cross by using scripture and art to tell the
story. You can make your own versions,
but an excellent free (and gorgeous) version is available at Holy Experience from Ann Voskamp
Holy Week
The week leading to the Crucifixion and Resurrection is
among the most ancient of Christian celebrations. Observing this week can bring
the love, sacrifice, pain and exhilaration of Easter into sharp focus.
Palm Sunday
The week begins on Palm Sunday, a week before Easter, when the
church remembers Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem amidst waving palms and shouts of
“Hosanna!” This is an excellent day to
act out the Easter story. A young child
will not soon forget taking a turn on a Daddy-donkey or waving homemade palms
of construction paper. I love this idea to use peg people and blocks to act out the story and we will be using it weekly throughout Lent this year. Older kids might
like to make crosses of palms. A great
family activity is to spend some time thinking about how you will observe the
coming week.
Maundy Thursday
From the Latin “maundatum” or “mandate,” Maundy Thursday is celebrated as the day
Jesus met with the disciples in the Upper Room for the passover together. The “mandate” comes from his command that his
disciples “Love one another as I have loved you”. Different ways to mark this day include
reading the account from John and celebrating communion as a family; or,
perhaps, reading the account in Luke and Matthew that include Jesus washing His
disciples’ feet and a family footwashing followed by a discussion on servant
leadership. Another idea is to have a
Seder meal celebrating the Passover as Jesus did. There are many, many resources on observing a
family Seder meal available on the internet. Start here for some great ideas.
Good Friday
Jesus was crucified before the Jewish celebration of the Sabbath, so
we recognize this day on the Friday before Easter. It is a solemn day and many Christians choose
to fast on Good Friday. One of the most
meaningful ways to remember the crucifixion is to construct a cross and allow
all members of the family to nail it together.
If you create a repentance box, it can be incorporated into this
activity, too.
Another very beautiful and meaningful way to observe Good
Friday is with a Tenebrae Service. “Tenebrae” is the Latin for “darkness” and
this service is often referred to as “the service of shadows”. Generally, the crucifixion account from
Matthew is read as candles are extinguished one by one. The service ends in darkness.
In many churches, the cross that is in front of the church during
Lent and even the altar, is draped in black at this service. A family might consider adding black to their
worship space or creating a “crown of thorns” from a wreath.
Easter day
Many families have very specific Easter celebration
traditions, but you may want to incorporate a renewed focus on
the Resurrection into
your morning. A table that was barren on
Friday and Saturday set with flowers and bright colors on Easter communicates
the joy of the day. Resurrection rolls
(rolls baked with marshmallows inside) are a nice breakfast treat. You may want to practice the ancient
greeting, “Christ is Risen!” followed by the response, “He is risen, indeed!”
Or, blasting the Hallelujah chorus as the kids come downstairs might appeal to
you. If you made a cross, you may want
to put fresh flowers and a white cloth on it.
Whatever, you do, do it for Him! Remember, His resurrection changes everything!
For more great information church year activities check out my Kairos board on Pinterest. There's lots there on observing "God's time" with your family.
