Eastern Hills Community Church

Decorate your easter tree with leaves. Paper leaves work well with the following activity:

Explanation: Last Sunday we celebrated Palm Sunday. On Palm Sunday Christians celebrate the special entry Jesus made into Jerusalem on the back of a colt the week before his death and resurrection.

The Bible tells us that when Jesus entered Jerusalem, the crowds greeted him with waving palm branches, and by covering his path with palm branches. Immediately following this great time of celebration in the ministry of Jesus, he begins his journey to the cross.

Activity: As we remember this time where Jesus began this journey to the cross. You may like to draw or cut out of a piece of paper, a branch or flower that represents yourself. You may like to write on it a letter of prayer to Jesus. Perhaps begin each line with the first letters of your name. We know that Jesus loves our different personalities and ways of being and relating to him.

Decorate your tree with purple. You can do purple bows, purple balls, purple paper crosses or crown shapes.

Explanation: Purple is the symbolic colour used in churches throughout this season of Lent. The colour purple – the colour of bruising, reminds us of both the pain and suffering that Jesus went through as well as the suffering of the whole world because of sin. But purple is also the colour of royalty, and so we look forward to celebrating the hope of newness and that Jesus conquered all death and sin in the Resurrection on Easter Sunday. This Sunday Megan sang us a song she wrote on this theme and we looked at beautiful pictures that went with it.

‘Your Love Overcomes’

by Megan Woods

I’ve heard how people have suffered

Since we turned our backs on the Father

And chose our own despair

And I’ve heard how we’re burning this world down

I see it everywhere

Since we turned our backs on His calling

Destroying earth for our greed and wealth

Pre Chorus:

But I know Jesus has risen

And I know He has conquered death

I know our sins are forgiven

And I know we can start again

Chorus:

Hallelujah You have called us

To bring life where

there’s death and fear

And no power can

stand against Your love

Your love, that overcomes

Chorus:

Hallelujah You have called us

To bring life where there’s death and fear

And no power can

stand against Your love

Your love, that overcomes

Bridge:

Your love is wider than our sin

Your love is deeper than our fear

Your love, Your love,

has overcome

For Adults: Creating ‘a morning dedication.’

George Stewart in his book ‘The Lower Levels of Prayer’ from 1939 talks about something called ‘a morning dedication.’ He says this..

“It is of vital importance that the first waking moments of each day be directed towards God. Instantly, with the return of thought and awareness after sleep, the good and evil influences which affect life become operative in a specially forceful way. Many a day is made or marred by these first moments and by the response we make then to the calls of life…If God is in our first thoughts, the day will be coloured and affected by that choice through all its hours… He challenges us to “Begin the day by offering it and yourself to God..”

We invite you to write down a short form of morning dedication that you can recite or read each morning, that has meaning to you at this time and helps you to orientate your thoughts and your ways to God.  Here is one old pattern George suggests that you may like to follow;

“Lord of my life and God of my salvation, I offer this day to you. I seek in all things to do your will, and use its hours as you would guide.”

Week 5 –

Decorate your tree with pretzels. Real or fake. (chenille stick or cardboard and glitter ones are fun!)

Explanation: Pretzels have an important meaning during Lent. Pretzels were made in the fifth century as a Lenten food in Austria, Germany, and Poland. People began to make them on Ash Wednesday, the very first day of Lent. The word “pretzel” is a German word meaning “little arms.” The dough was shaped in such a way to look like two arms crossed in prayer. In those days they crossed their arms over the chest while praying. Pretzels were made to take the place of bread, since milk, eggs, and fats were not used during Lent. On certain days during Lent it was the custom to give pretzels to the townspeople who were poor.

For Kids: Perhaps you would like to draw a picture of someone you would like to pray for this week and put it somewhere special so you remember to pray for them each day!

Pretzel prayer

Dear God, we ask you to bless these pretzels which we are about to eat.  Each time we eat them from now on may we be reminded of the season of Lent, a time of prayer. Help us to remember to put our arms around others, to pray for those who need our prayers each day. Keep your loving arms around us, O God, to protect us. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

For Adults: A Meditation

Spend some time soaking in God’s presence,

This is a time to Invite him into your company and ask for his and then to sit quietly together.

“And because we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, ““Abba, Father.” Abba is an Aramaic term for “father.”

Simply ask God, “who shall I hold in my prayers this week?” Write the answer just as it rises to the mind. Don’t be deliberate, Be open to His spirit guiding you, giving you love for others.

Into your presence we come, Lord

a few moments of quietness

closeness

in a busy world

Such sanctuary

We come to honour, to hear and to serve you.

Breathe on us now

that we might know you

your power

together

to see this week through.

Decorate around the base of your tree with cups. Mugs, egg cups, pretty ones, funny ones.. (That can be filled with goodies on Easter Sunday!)

Explanation: Cups remind us of lots of things and have a special place in lots of stories, prayers and conversations in the bible. Today our cups remind us to share with others in this season of Lent. Just as we love having a meal or picnic with other people, this cup reminds us to do nice things with others.

Think of something nice you can do with or for someone this week! Maybe you could play with someone who is a bit lonely or visit someone in a nursing home. Maybe you could write a letter, draw a picture, pick flowers or make a gift for someone who could do with a nice surprise!

The Lenten Hospitality Challenge For Adults:

How are you going so far?

Just as Lent is about opening your life to God’s Spirit working in you and renewing you from within, it is also a valuable time to put more time into others. Sit down and think about how you can bless the people God has placed around you. Maybe you could invite those neighbours you’ve been getting to know over for a meal, maybe you know someone that is going through a lonely time and you know they would love a visit. Perhaps you have other gifts and resources at your fingertips that can be a real blessing to those around you in ways i can’t even imagine. Just do it! Get out there and give it a go. And once you get a taste for it, I’m sure it will quickly turn from a discipline into a passion.

Cup Meditation

Close your eyes and relax your body.

Picture your past week as a cup, what has it held? What do you taste? What do you want to pour down the drain? what do you ask God to cleanse you of? What joys do you savour and give thanks for?

Hold your hand out as a cup and receive from God now. Invite him into your life, to fill you.

Lord let our prayers today be accepted as sweet-smelling incense in your presence. We offer up our prayers, our whole selves and our best affections. May your will be done here in this place and around the world today.

Week 3 –

Decorate your tree with eggs.

You can buy decorative ones to hang (spotlight), you can colour paper ones, or you can cut egg shapes out of old greeting cards and thread them with ribbon.

Explanation:  Throughout history, eggs are special in Easter celebrations. The egg reminds us of new life and new beginnings just as a chick hatches from the egg. Jesus gives everyone a chance to start again like a chick coming out of an egg. Even if we have stuffed things up he can help us to live a life that is full of love and joy!

The tradition of giving eggs as Easter greetings continues all around the world today and there are many fun traditions involved with breaking the eggs, hunting for them, singing for them and eating them. The tradition of colouring eggs in bright colours – representing the sunlight of spring – goes back to the Middle Ages when easter began to be celebrated in spring – the season of change and new beginning.

You could read together the story of the prodigal son who gets a wonderful new start!

Here are some Easter Egg pictures for the kids to colour.  http://www.coloringpages.net/easter5.html

On Sunday we spent some time allowing God to bring some pictures to our mind – images of renewal, life and warmth. We invited God to open our imaginations as we listened to the words of this old song and drew or wrote down any prayers that floated to our minds.

Easter Song

Come, sing of the springtime, God’s pledge of new birth.

The snows are all melted which shrouded the earth;

old root-ends, deep hidden, send shoots to the light;

and long-dormant insects burst out into flight.

Come, sing of Christ’s rising, the joyful surprise,

which lifted low spirits and opened blind eyes,

reviving numb hope with its heart-warming call:

‘My love is not dead; it is stronger than all.’

Come, sing of the son who struck out on his own,

but came to his senses when lost and alone;

and sing of the father’s delight to forgive,

for he who was dead is back home and alive.

Come, sing of the countless disciples today

who live in Christ’s spirit and walk in his way,

who sometimes laid low by life’s hardships and pains,

yet rise above self with its deadening chains.

DAVID TURNER