The Lenten season is upon us. This forty-day season of fasting and prayer prior to the Easter celebration is extremely important in the lives of Christians, because it helps us to make way in our hearts and lives for the great events of Holy Week and the celebration of Jesus’ resurrection. As Christian parents seeking to raise children who are strong in their faith, it is important for us to create an atmosphere that conveys the meaning of Lent to our children. Without this preparation, it is nearly impossible to appreciate the immeasurable blessing which we receive through Jesus’ victory over the grave and our salvation through Him.
While young children may not fully understand all of the traditional Lenten activities of the Church, parents can help to impart the meaning of Lent to their children through age-appropriate activities. Here are a few suggestions that you might want to include in Lenten observances with your children.
Participate in daily Lenten devotions with your family. Choose a time of day during which you will remember to “do” your devotion, such as before the family meal or just before your children go to bed. There are many good Lenten devotional books and booklets that are appropriate for young children. A few suggestions are: Leap Into Lentby Julia Schloss, I Am Jesus’ Little Lamb by Arden Mead, and Landscapes of Lent by Gordon Beck. For more ideas, visit your local Christian bookstore or online Christian booksellers such as www.christianbooks.com and www.creativecommunications.com.
Attend worship together as a family as often as possible, participating in Sunday services as well as any special Lenten services that occur at your home church. If you do not have a home church, the Lenten season is an excellent time to visit a new church and make a renewed commitment to worshiping the Lord as a family.
Set up a home altar for Lent with your children. Choose a small table or even a cardboard box. Cover it with a piece of purple cloth or construction paper. Set a cross, a Bible, and perhaps your Lenten devotional book on it. Make this the gathering place for your Lenten family devotions.
As a family, give up luxury food items such as soft drinks or other sweets during Lent. Place the money that would have been spent on these items in a gar and keep the jar in a visible place (such as the home altar). At the end of the Lenten season, donate the money to a Christian charity. This activity will help to make the Lenten practices of fasting and almsgiving meaningful to children.
Look for Lenten “Earth Angels”. Explain Simon of Cyrene helped Jesus carry the cross. Ask the children to think of people who have helped them in difficult times (such as teachers, grandparents, coaches, friends). Have them write a thank you note and/or make a small gift that they can present to their “Earth Angel” on or around Palm Sunday.
Choose activities that highlight things coming to life, such as planting flowers. Plant an amaryllis bulb at the beginning of the Lenten season (don’t forget to water it). Compare what happens to the bulb with what happens to us when we draw closer to Jesus. Point out that there is much going on under the soil that the children cannot see. In the same way, there is much going on in our souls that we cannot see. In about six weeks (just in time for Easter), the children will be amazed when the bulb is transformed into a beautiful flower. Point out that the preparations that we make in our hearts and lives during Lent are used by Jesus to transform our souls.
Make Lenten pretzels! The pretzel was the traditional Christian Lenten bread as far back as the fourth century. In the old Roman Empire, Christians kept a very strict fast during Lent: no milk, butter, cheese, eggs or meat. They made small breads of flour, water, and salt. To remind themselves that Lent was a time of prayer, they shaped these breads in the form of crossed arms because in those days they crossed their arms over the breast while praying. The breads were called “little arms” (bracellae). From this Latin word, the Germanic people later coined the term “pretzel.” So make and enjoy Lenten pretzels with your children. Use the activity as a springboard for discussing prayer and fasting during the Lenten season.
This is just a small sampling of ideas for observing Lent with your children. There are many more out there. However you choose to observe Lent with your children, remember that Lent should always point toward Easter. Remember also that, as Christian parents, we are planting seeds. You may not always see immediate results in your efforts to point your children toward Christ. However, in His time, God will bless what has been lovingly planted and tenderly cared for in His name.
