Lent 8a - Monday

Isaiah 42:1-9 •

Here is another story about the Holy Spirit. We also hear about justice.

Someone is special. Someone is "chosen." Children know about that. Here is someone who "will not cry or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street. . ." What does that look like? sound like? He won't break "a bruised reed". He won't quench "a dimly burning wick. . ." What does that look like? For your older kids, your teens, do these qualities have something to do with justice?

Something more about justice and a promise, "He will not grow faint or be crushed until he has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands wait for his teaching. "

In verse 5 we have visual imagery perhaps reminding us of the creation story. Children know what it means for someone to take them by the hand. "I have taken you by the hand and kept you; I have given you as a covenant to the people, a light to the nations, to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness."

vs 9 "See, the former things have come to pass, and new things I now declare; before they spring forth, I tell you of them." When God does what He says He will do, share it with your children.


Psalm 36:5-11 • Look up at the heavens. God's love extends to the heavens. Look up at the clouds. God's faithfulness extends to the clouds. Look at mighty mountains. God's righteousness is like that. Look at the ocean depths. God's judgments are like that.

And the Psalmist says, "you save humans and animals alike, O LORD." I can never find that verse when I'm looking for it but there it is.

Hiding in the shadow of His wings - a fun fort to create for little ones. Special food, special drink & lots of it.

"...you give them drink from the river of your delights..." what does that look like? Taste like? Sound like? Not my delights or your delights but God's delights...What can you do with fountains? What can you do with " in your light we see light"

Hebrews 9:11-15 •

Jesus -" high priest of the good things to come" . What does that mean? What's a priest? What's a high priest? Israelite children would know what a high priest is and they would have life associations.

the blood of Jesus...offered to God...to "purify our conscience from dead works to worship the living God!"

Look at the nouns. "blood," "calves," "goats," "mediator," "covenant". . . Go through the list of nouns in this passage. Even the action words. Without using theological Christianese...what do they mean to you? What did they mean to the Israelites? What do they mean to children in your faith community? What did they mean to Israelite children?

Is there something to be said about "high church" helping us understand more of the scriptures? How about "low church?"

John 12:1-11

Passover meant something to Israelite children and adults. Bethany. The place where ___ happened. There was a memory associated with this place. Jesus did something. I think I posted about this passage but retell the story. You have a home, dinner, people, perfume ...what 5 senses are engaged? How? What can we learn about Jesus and what He was teaching us about His father?