In the rush of everyday life it can be tough to settle our hearts and focus on the spiritual season or holiday that is on the way. You may not have even been aware that since Easter is so early this year, the season of lent (leading up to Easter) begins this Wednesday, February 14th. This year Fellowship isn’t doing an Easter common life journal and for most week’s we’ll be continuing in our new sermon series in the book of Ephesians rather than diverting to an Easter-centric series. So we wanted to suggest a way for you, your family, or maybe even your community group to begin focusing your hearts toward Easter. Below are two great video series you have access to through Rightnow Media that offer weekly videos for devotion, thought, discussion and even action.
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The Lent Experience
What happens when you take 2,000 years of a Christian tradition, capture the heart of it, and reimagine it? Whether you’re a veteran of observing Lent or a rookie who is jumping in for the first time, you can join thousands of people for an experience that just may surprise you.
It’s simple. You watch a short video on Ash Wednesday that kicks the whole thing off. Then, each Sunday until Easter you will watch a short video that will give you your Lent Experience challenge for the week. The challenges are based on things that have been a part of Lent for centuries. There is an optional participation journal you can buy to follow along with the series.
Holy Week Pilgrimage
The virtual pilgrimage consists of 9 short Bible reflections on the following topics:
- – Blind Bartimaeus – Jericho
- – Palm Sunday – Mount of Olives
- – Cleansing the Temple – Temple Mount
- – The Last Supper – The Upper Room (Cenacle)
- – The Agony – Garden of Gethsemane itself
- – Jesus under arrest – Caiaphas’ House
- – The Cross – Holy Sepulchre – Golgotha
- – Holy Saturday – Garden Tomb
- – Resurrection – Holy Sepulchre – the Anastasis
Bonus Option:
Here’s a printable, free, 5 lesson devotional for families by Focus on the Family.
For the most part, children in our culture are privileged enough to be insulated from the reality and “scariness” of death.
Death and life, however, are at the core of the Christian message exemplified by Good Friday and Easter and remembered each Sunday. How much does your child understand that message?
Children need to know that dying was Jesus Christ’s reason for living on earth. Also, they need to know about Jesus’ resurrection three days later. As a parent, you can have the wonderful privilege of talking with your child about these important truths. Ultimately, the Easter season is great time to do this.
We hope you can use these resources to make this a special season of reflection.