Prayer
A Prayer for Noticing New Life
Thank you, God, for the gifts of sunshine, air, and water. Thank you for the gifts of smiles and words and each other. Help us to recognize these free and simple gifts you freely give us, all around us, and every day. Amen.
Easter Prayer (A Prayer for Sharing Easter with Others)
Resurrection is a gift to be enjoyed, and also to be shared. God help us share the gift of resurrection by loving one another well, caring for one another, and offering gifts of resurrection. Amen!
Simplicity
Plant a Plant
Instead of: Watching someone else plant a plant
Try: Planting a plant
What better way to represent than planting a plant. Planting a plant helps us to remember that it might not always work out the way that we planned. However. Once we work at something long enough. It will turn into something amazing. Once you plant your plant. You have to take care of it. Just like how God takes care of us each and every moment of the day. We have to water the plant, put it in the sunshine, and check on it in a few days. God gives us tools like water and sunlight to help us grow in our faith and belief in our Lord to help us to understand how we should be to others.
Read 1 Corinthians 6-9:
I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. The one who plants and the one who waters have a common purpose, and each will receive wages according to the labor of each. For we are God’s servants, working together; you are God’s field, God’s building
Try: Planting a plant
What better way to represent than planting a plant. Planting a plant helps us to remember that it might not always work out the way that we planned. However. Once we work at something long enough. It will turn into something amazing. Once you plant your plant. You have to take care of it. Just like how God takes care of us each and every moment of the day. We have to water the plant, put it in the sunshine, and check on it in a few days. God gives us tools like water and sunlight to help us grow in our faith and belief in our Lord to help us to understand how we should be to others.
Read 1 Corinthians 6-9:
I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. The one who plants and the one who waters have a common purpose, and each will receive wages according to the labor of each. For we are God’s servants, working together; you are God’s field, God’s building
Say Kind Words to Your Body
Instead of: Speaking negatively about my body
Try: Saying Kind Words to Your Body
It is hard in this day in age to compare your body to other people’s bodies. We have social media and the tv to remind us everyday what the social norms are for what our bodies are supposed to be. However, Jesus did not care if our bodies look a certain way. Jesus loves us no matter what our skin color, gender orientation, sex, hair color, size, etc… God wants us to know that we are made in God’s image and that our Lord made us the way that we are supposed to be.
Lenten challenge for Saying Kind Words to Your Body: Try saying “I’m fearfully and wonderfully made. I bless and love my body.” once a day.
Try: Saying Kind Words to Your Body
It is hard in this day in age to compare your body to other people’s bodies. We have social media and the tv to remind us everyday what the social norms are for what our bodies are supposed to be. However, Jesus did not care if our bodies look a certain way. Jesus loves us no matter what our skin color, gender orientation, sex, hair color, size, etc… God wants us to know that we are made in God’s image and that our Lord made us the way that we are supposed to be.
Lenten challenge for Saying Kind Words to Your Body: Try saying “I’m fearfully and wonderfully made. I bless and love my body.” once a day.
Act
Plant an Easter Garden
When Mary saw the resurrected Jesus in the garden, she thought he was the gardener. Many people say this is symbolism. It reminds us of the Garden of Eden God created in the very beginning of the Bible, which was a good and perfect place. There are many ways in which a garden can be a spiritual practice. Every time you look at your garden, you can remember the good news of Jesus'' resurrection. Planting a garden, like many things, can be simple or complicated, big or small. I suggest starting with a very small garden, perhaps an herb garden in a pot with two different herbs. As you learn more about plants and gardening, your garden can grow, and you can add to it. Try to remain hopeful and encouraged if your garden struggles or you need to start over. Gardening takes practice and patience.
Making Something New Again: Upcycle or Recycle
Another way to make resurrection tangible is to make something old and worn-out new again by recycling or "upcycling" it. Something that may have been discarded for a long time can be given a new life. The internet is full of ideas for this, but here are some very simple ones you might try.
- Turn old and broken crayons into new creations by melting them down in mini muffin tins.
- Make a bird feeder from a milk jug or paper towel roll.
- Use recyclables such as paper egg cartons and plastic lids to create art.
- Save old glass jars for storage.
Source
Materials taken from excerpts of:
- Faithful Families for Lent, Easter, and Resurrection by Traci Smith (Chalice Press; 2021, All Reserved Rights)