I remember early in my ministry sharing the story of Jesus in the Wilderness. We looked through famous paintings of Jesus in the wilderness, and several of the students seemed surprised by the doleful expression and crouching Jesus. “Shouldn’t he be exploring?”
In their mind, the idea of spending 40 days in the wilderness was an invitation to climb rocks, chase lizards, find hidden water sources, build forts, and more. They heard the 40 days as an adventure. That response has stayed with me. What if, in between debates with the devil, Jesus was practicing his bouldering skills on some of the rocks or sketching out a giant pattern in the sand? What if Jesus spent just a few of those 960 hours imagining the Israelites crossing the same space on their way to the promised land or praying by stacking one stone on top of the other?
This year in children’s ministry, we are inviting our families to explore their faith during Lent: to run through the wilderness, to search for God in surprising places, to practice and build new skills. We invite you to join us on this adventure. All of our children have received Lenten Passports filled with ideas and activities for families to complete together. You can learn more about our passports by watching our How to Use Your Lenten Passport video. If you’re looking for a few Lenten Adventures of your own, consider one of the following:
- Join families for Fellowship After Worship in the Education Building.
- Come to Quizzo on Wednesday, March 4, at 6:15 p.m. in Congregational Hall
- Pack meals for neighbors on Saturday, March 14
- Walk the Labyrinth in the Children’s Chapel
- Join a Sunday morning class
- Go to a Tuesday Organ Concert
- Enjoy the artwork in the Gallery
- Pause and pray by the fountain
There are just 768 hours left! Happy exploring!