Well, it’s Ash Wednesday, so the Lent season is upon us. I thought I would share how we plan to observe Lent this year. This is our first year observing the liturgical calendar, but I’m hoping to make it a family tradition. We don’t adhere to a rigid observation of the liturgical calendar, but see it more as a “tour-guide” to our devotionals and studies.
For Lent, I will be changing things in our family worship pattern to focus more on the Cross and Resurrection.
This is what our family worship looks like normally:
We typically sing one hymn a week (we keep one for a whole week to help actually learn the hymns). We are currently reading from the Psalms. We start family worship by singing a hymn. Then we do our Bible reading. Then I break apart the Psalm and explain it. Next, we read from The Childrens Story Bible (which is excellent).
Then, we’ve been reading through Beautiful Girlhood. (Since Emma is at an age where this book is very helpful).
Then we sing the hymn again and close in prayer. Family worship is a rather new adventure for us. We only started this about a month or so ago. So, this may not seem like much – but it is what works for us now.
What are we changing for Lent?
First off, we will be choosing hymns that focus on the Cross & Resurrection. I need to look through my hymnal tonight and finalize these choices. For now, we will stay in the Psalms Mon- Sat. On Sundays we will be using the devotional Lenten Lights from Desiring God. Here’s a link. We’ll be using seven candles and will start out with all seven lit and snuff one out after each reading. Good Friday they will all be dark. Then on Resurrection Sunday they will all be light again. Instead of reading Beautiful Girlhood we are reading from John Piper’s Fifty Reasons Christ Came To Die. You can download a PDF version for free 🙂 I also plan to incorporate The Cross of Christ by Paul Washer. And listen to the sermon by the same title.
We plan to make Resurrection Cookies. Also, we are going to make disciple cookies (basically gingerbread men). On Easter morning, before the girls wake up I will hide the cookies. Then, upon waking, the girls will have to find all the disciples and tell them, “Christ is risen!” This might sound too silly for some, but I think it’s good for my girls at their ages.
So that’s our plans thus far. What special traditions you do for Lent and Easter?
Be Blessed,
reformedredhead.wordpress.com 
Great Christ-honoring plans! I will check out those links, thank you! Love and blessings!
Hollie,Wonderful! I love The Children's Story Bible. It's still my favorite among all of them out there.Family Worship will soon become (if not already) one of your favorite times of the day. :)Lent is new to us, too, and I appreciate the link to the Paul Washer's sermon.Your girls will delight in those Resurrection cookies, and it's amazing how something so simple will make such lasting memories for them.Great job, Mama! 🙂
Love your ideas! I have to check the link about the candles; and I really like the idea of the Resurrection cookies. I should keep that in mind, because I still have a little one who will certainly enjoy waking up to a resurrection celebration!I haven't hear Washer's sermon, so I will have to listen that too.Much love to you!
Trisha – We love The Children's Story Bible too. It's such a good one. And family worship is becoming our favorite time! I hope you all enjoy the links 🙂 Much love!