A Message About the Season of Lent in
Our Children's Programming
“Thanks be to God. Alleluia, Alleluia.” Right after saying these final words at the end of last week's worship, my son turned to me and (loudly) said “Well, I guess we won't be saying that for a while.”
He (and his stellar memory) are right. We stop saying Alleluias during the season of Lent. This season of six weeks proceeding Easter is more solemn than the joy and rejoicing embedded in the word Alleluia, and we build our anticipation for the celebration of Christ’s resurrection on Easter by “burying the alleluias” between now and then.
Sometimes, the story of Easter gets buried, too. Unlike Christmas and Jesus's birth, the story of Jesus's arrest, crucifixion, and resurrection isn't really part of popular culture. But Easter is just as important (or even more important) than Christmas in the church and in our faith.
Throughout Lent, our Church Schoolers will learn about the coming holy days. Palm Sunday, when Jesus entered Jerusalem for the final time; Maundy Thursday, the last supper, and Jesus’s arrest; the sorrow of his death; and the joy of the resurrection on Easter. Our stories will explore, in age appropriate ways, the life and ministry of Jesus. We'll let our feet trod the walk into Jerusalem, and we’ll put our hands into the city walls. We'll wonder about the connection to Easter eggs. Throughout, we’ll explore the mystery that is Easter.
We begin this Sunday, with a mixed-age Church School in the Chapel. Our story will lead us all through Jesus's life, ministry, arrest, crucifixion, and resurrection – because with little ones, we never stop on Good Friday. God’s great story told in Jesus Christ has joy and sorrow, and even though the alleluias are buried in our worship, our children will know for certain they are coming.
~Bryn
