Lent Week 1

Here we are! Ash Wednesday

You can find all of the prep you need and links discussed HERE!

This week, we'll be focusing on John 6:35 "I am the bread of life."

The way we structure our time is what works for us. Our kids are 9 and 5 and have a pretty decent attention span. They also have tasks assigned during our family Lenten time. You also can meet together as a family as many days a week as you want to/can/remember/can get everyone on the same page. Lee will be gone several evenings this week, so I will do the Lent devotion with the kids and he'll join in with us when he gets back! Whatever works for you!

Here is a basic formula of what we will do this week. These concepts are fun for the kids (And adults) to remember and recall. Words in italics are things I may say to help guide conversation!

• Light a candle and pull out the toy piece of bread.

For our first week of Lent, we are going to be looking at a verse in the book of John. Chapter 6 verse 35. If your kids have their own Bibles, this is a great way for them to navigate that massive book with your help. Help them turn to the scripture.

"Then Jesus declared, I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty."

Have you ever been hungry? How about thirsty? 

We all have. But the type of hunger Jesus is talking about here isn't when our stomachs are empty. Jesus is telling people that he is going to be the only one who can make us not want anything else. He loves us so much that he gives us everything we need. Maybe that thing that we need is our food! He makes sure we have it. But maybe it's something else. Jesus gives us something that no one else can give us. He gives us love, and peace, and joy, and hope. But Jesus also gave us LIFE!! He made each of us and because of Jesus, we get to always be in a relationship with Him if we believe in Him! 

For us, at this point, we will read the Lenten devotion by Erin Moon and do The Divine Hour. Nina and I take turns reading and Brooks leads the Lord's prayer. We do The Gloria together.

Other options to elaborate on the story throughout the week:
- Memorize John 6:35 together as a family this week.
- Discuss Jesus feeding the multitudes in the Gospels
- Discuss manna in the Old Testament
- Talk about Jesus being born in Bethlehem which was called "The House of Bread"
- Make a loaf of bread and take it to a friend

Please comment if you make any changes so others can see and share what you're doing!

Happy Ash Wednesday everyone! (That sounds like a contradiction...)

"To everything there is a season and a time for every purpose under the heavens." - Ecclesiastes 3:1