Lent Week 1 – All-age meditation & action


Lent
Lent is the time from this coming Wednesday that goes until Easter. It’s a special time when we get ready for Easter. A time when God’s people all over the world really think about our friendship with God and spend more time with God. The word Lent means “Spring” or “springtime”. A time of growing and changing. A time when we work at planting ourselves in God so we can grow and become a thing of beauty and restoration to the world around us.
Lent week 1 – Weeding and Cleaning
This first week of Lent is often called ‘clean week.’ A time where we get rid of the weeds or things that are not healthy in our lives, making room for the good things.
Our ‘cleaning’ passage to spend time with is Isaiah 1:16-19.
Kids may like to read the story of Zacchaeus and remember how Jesus’ love ‘cleaned’ Zacchaeus’ life.
Isaiah 1:16-19 The Voice (VOICE)
16     Wash yourselves, clean up your lives;
remove every speck of evil in what you do before Me.
Put an end to all your evil.
17     Learn to do good;
commit yourselves to seeking justice.
Make right for the world’s most vulnerable—
the oppressed, the orphaned, the widow.
18     Come on now, let’s walk and talk; let’s work this out.
Your wrongdoings are bloodred,
But they can turn as white as snow.
Your sins are red like crimson,
But they can be made clean again like new wool.
19     If you pay attention now and change your ways,
you can eat good things from a healthy earth.
Reflection: Read through this passage a few times. Spend some time with your heart open to any ‘cleaning’ or ‘weeding’ the Holy Spirit might be prompting you to in your life or neighbourhood.
All-age Action: Clean an area in your home or garden and recreate it as a focus for Lent. This action of cleaning can be a quality time of communing (deep chatting) with God about things you want to clean up together. (This could be something you struggle with, a broken thing in your heart, an attitude, something you need to stop doing/start doing or a place in your world that is run down or broken. See what God brings to your heart.) Cleaning and transforming this space can create a place or display that draws you to time with God, enjoying this gardening season together.
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Inspired by Christine Sine’s posts 
https://godspace-msa.com/2015/02/16/meditation-monday-clean-up-your-act/
https://godspace-msa.com/2015/02/03/seven-tips-for-creating-sacred-space-for-lent/
 


3 responses to “Lent Week 1 – All-age meditation & action”

  1. The incredible, unbelievable words from the Almighty in Isaiah 1:18a have repeated themselves over and over in my head these last few days – “Come on now, let’s walk and talk; let’s work this out.” Friendship words! So grateful, Em, that you talked about our friendship with God in your intro.