It may sound strange, but for me, the most meaningful Lenten services have become the kids' services at St. Aidan's. We had a wonderful interactive pre-Holy Week service last night.
Our children's Holy Week service walks through the main events of Jesus' last days from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday. Older kids take roles that help us place ourselves in the scene. We begin outside and hear a story about Jesus coming into Jerusalem in triumph and one kid finds a "donkey colt" that we follow into the Church while waving palms. Then we hear about how Jesus and his friends were coming to celebrate Passover and remind them of the story of Moses leading the people of Egypt out of slavery. When we look for someone carrying a water jug who will lead us to the room where we'll have our Last Supper, a kid dressed the part comes to lead the way. We sit at beautiful tables to have a kid-friendly meal together (usually mac and cheese, carrots and grapes).
During dinner we hear the story of Jesus sharing bread and wine with his friends and then we share bread and wine. Then we enact the story of Jesus washing the feet of his disciples as the kids have their feet washed and wash their parents' feet. (Interestingly, far more adults have their feet washed at this service than at our traditional service, and it is beautiful to watch the kids serving their parents in this way.)
Next we walk to the altar and stand under the cross as we hear about Jesus going up the mountain with his friends to pray. We talk briefly about his arrest, crucifixion, and death and how the sky turned dark and the earth stopped breathing. A kid dressed as a Roman soldier pushes the stone in front of our make-shift tomb. But they are assures that isn't the end of the story. The saddest day of all becomes the happiest as the women visit the tomb and discover it is empty.
A kid dressed as Mary Magdalene looks into the empty tomb and then a child dressed as an angel comes out from behind and announces, "He is not here! He is risen!" They hear how the women rushed back to tell Jesus' other friends the news, and then the risen Jesus begins to meet them in funny places, like beaches, as they walk along the road, and in locked rooms. He is present and alive with them in a new way. And on Easter we celebrate how he is present and alive with us in a new way too.
Our children's Holy Week service walks through the main events of Jesus' last days from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday. Older kids take roles that help us place ourselves in the scene. We begin outside and hear a story about Jesus coming into Jerusalem in triumph and one kid finds a "donkey colt" that we follow into the Church while waving palms. Then we hear about how Jesus and his friends were coming to celebrate Passover and remind them of the story of Moses leading the people of Egypt out of slavery. When we look for someone carrying a water jug who will lead us to the room where we'll have our Last Supper, a kid dressed the part comes to lead the way. We sit at beautiful tables to have a kid-friendly meal together (usually mac and cheese, carrots and grapes).
During dinner we hear the story of Jesus sharing bread and wine with his friends and then we share bread and wine. Then we enact the story of Jesus washing the feet of his disciples as the kids have their feet washed and wash their parents' feet. (Interestingly, far more adults have their feet washed at this service than at our traditional service, and it is beautiful to watch the kids serving their parents in this way.)
Next we walk to the altar and stand under the cross as we hear about Jesus going up the mountain with his friends to pray. We talk briefly about his arrest, crucifixion, and death and how the sky turned dark and the earth stopped breathing. A kid dressed as a Roman soldier pushes the stone in front of our make-shift tomb. But they are assures that isn't the end of the story. The saddest day of all becomes the happiest as the women visit the tomb and discover it is empty.
A kid dressed as Mary Magdalene looks into the empty tomb and then a child dressed as an angel comes out from behind and announces, "He is not here! He is risen!" They hear how the women rushed back to tell Jesus' other friends the news, and then the risen Jesus begins to meet them in funny places, like beaches, as they walk along the road, and in locked rooms. He is present and alive with them in a new way. And on Easter we celebrate how he is present and alive with us in a new way too.
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