Welcome. Each week I compile a number of resources to help you, your family or your congregation contemplate the RCL readings. While designed to be used during a Sunday service at church or by zoom, these readings can also be used during the week to help your family’s faith formation.
My objective is for faith to be a lived experience and for children to learn how to worship, explore the Bible, and pray by participating in Worship with others. The goal here is not for them to learn names or facts, though they may want to do that for themselves, but, rather to find ways of connecting with the text and sharing that with others. The idea is to form a lifelong love of Christ, for the Word of God, and to participate in Worship.
Faith is portable, we live it and share it, every day. I hope these simple ideas help your family or congregation form their faith.
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f you are a small congregation, that suddenly has children in your pews, these can also be used in your services, shared direct from this site, or copied into your order of service. Create an area as close as possible to where the major liturgies of the service occur, for parents/guardians to worship with their children, and fill this area with books and toys in it that will enhance their spiritual experience. (Ie not toys for “keeping them quiet”). You will find some ideas in these posts Spiritual Delights or Toy Box tat! and Make the books appealing.
Suggest that visiting families pack a special backpack, filled with a children’s storybook bible, other books that speak about ideas in today’s readings, and drawing or craft materials that children can use to respond to today’s readings.
For adults and older students, you might like to use a journal with which to record anything that grabs your attention during the service. This could be a special, bound book or you can use your iPad or iPhone. You could write a precis of the message (traditional words or pictures), draw, and keep a record of emotions and hymns that you did or did not like. You could use a template like this free download. Remember, this is for you, you do not have to show anyone what is in it unless you want to, and you feel safe to do so.
You might like to introduce THE LORDS PRAYER IN ACTIONS https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOugEQpcc_k OR https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMjm93ylL2w
We are now in the season of LENT the liturgical colour is PURPLE (closer to the red spectrum, Advent’s purple is closer to the blue spectrum)
If worshipping from home you might like to set up a table or space with a purple cloth, a cross, and some things that remind you of your time in Lent, or from today’s readings.
LITURGY FOR LENT
Lent is 40 Days, (spread your fingers out and push them in front of yourself 4X)
it’s a long long way (shield your eyes and look around the horizon)
but with each step (walk on the spot)
We get closer,
closer to the JOY of EASTER, (star jump)
Closer to God (give yourself a hug)
We learn more about ourselves (point to yourself)
Like Jesus did in his 40 days in the Wilderness,
Today we only have 12 days left (spread your fingers out and count off 12 fingers)
We are getting closer
(Some visual learning suggestions, place 40 stepping stones around the church/or home, these can be made from non-slip tiles or mats (try Bunnings or Spotlight for ideas) such as these or if your church/home has cobble stones or timber stepping stones around them, number them and cross off the days. Another option is to use the Praying in Color steps template, especially good for those with small spaces or where you want people to stay connected away from the communal space.)
NOTE: though we say that LENT is 40 days we do not count the Sundays
This Liturgy can be said daily in the home, counting each day down as you say the second last line.
FIRST READING: Ezekiel 37:1-14
WATCH: Don’t forget to answer the wondering Questions.
DRAW: a picture of a person, watch your drawing becoming different from those you have drawn before or that others are drawing around you. (I have included a link if you would like instructions on how to draw) or you could use a person shape and dress them (here are some ideas from RIOT).
ACTIVITY: Have you ever seen a plant you thought might be dead, come to life when it is cared for.
Is there such a plant in your home, that you can care for?
OR have you cooked a cake and it has fallen in the middle, instead of throwing it out what other uses have you found for it?
OR recycle or repurpose something
PSALM 130
READ Psalms for Young Children by Marie-Helene Delval
SING Liturgical Folk Psalm Settings album, Number 8
SECOND READING: Romans 8:6-11
READ: The Biggest Story Bible,
OR
READ: Would you rather be a Bullfrog by Dr Suess
A Storypath Suggestion
READ: The Biggest Story Bible
PLAY: with Babushka dolls, or anything that nests one inside the other.
PRAY:
Creator God,
help me to rest in you
for you are in me
Amen
GOSPEL READING: John 11:1-45
READ: The Whirl Story Bible, Jesus raises Lazarus, pp.298-301
OR The Spark Story Bible, Lazarus, pp.354-357
WATCH: Make sure you answer the Wondering Questions
SING: Totally God-Totally Man by Sovereign Grace Music
BENEDICTION/LEAVING SONG Heather Price’s Benediction Song on her Full of the Spirit Album
Blessings
Wendy L.
Please check local guidelines before using items that are not mine especially if you are using this page for congregational use. Please acknowledge this page if you find it useful. Thank you.
I am writing this on Wurundjeri land and wish to pay respect to all Elders, past, present, and emerging.
If you are in Australia and would like to teach your children to Acknowledge Country here is a video that will help, and a great book to help understand, We love Country. Most Uniting Church Congregations will say an Acknowledgement of Country towards the start of the service.
The Cross in My Backyard 