We are developing some reflection resources to help guide children and families through Lent. This year we thought we would share some extracts from the reflections with you. We will add to this thread on the blog each week as we move towards Easter.
If you would like to know more about inspire for children and families you can contact our inspire4kids Missioner Team: [email protected]
Getting Started
Wednesday 26 February 2020
Today is Ash Wednesday. The first day of Lent.
Lent is the season in the Christian calendar when we prepare for Easter. It is a good time to reflect on Jesus’ command to Fast, Pray and Give (Matthew 6:1-18)
The word Lent comes from the Latin quadragesima which means fortieth. The English root of the word Lent means spring or lengthen. So, the six weeks leading up to Easter are called Lent because the days are lengthening during Spring and there are 40 days from Ash Wednesday to Easter Day. Actually there are 46 days, but we don’t count Sundays because that’s when we celebrate God’s love and faithfulness, so they are feast days!
We can use the season of Lent to help us:
- Seeking Growth, so we become more like Jesus,
- Using Spiritual Disciplines that Jesus taught us, so that we can live like him
- Sharing Fellowship, so we can help one another become like Jesus
- Engaging Mission, to show others God’s love, so that they can know Jesus for themselves
Throughout Lent it is good to …
- GIVE: (take something up) to help us to:
- share all that God has given to us
- show Jesus’ love to others
- demonstrate the power of the Spirit in us
- FAST: (give something up) to help us to:
- develop a hunger for more of God in our lives
- remember what Jesus did during his 40 days in the desert
- take on spiritual battle in the power of the Spirit and be ready to celebrate the fullness of that resurrection power on Easter Day!
- PRAY: (practice the presence of Jesus) to help us to:
- draw near to God
- grow to be more like Jesus
- allow the Spirit to work in and through us
Each day we invite you to:
- Renew your connection to God’s presence by finding a quiet time and place to sit with Him. You could say the Lord’s Prayer as a way of centring your attention.
- Recall what you resolved the day before and think about how you got along with the Lord in that.
- Read the Living Word and the Way of Life question for the day.
- Reflect on what God is saying to you today.
- Resolve what you are going to do today to help you to be more like Jesus. How will you be fasting, praying and giving?
- Relate what you think God has said, by making a note in a journal and/or telling others in your fellowship band/group/family. Perhaps you could email us too. We would love to hear from you: [email protected]
- Respond by going and doing what God has said!
