Day 1- Ash Wednesday

Create in me a clean heart, O God: and renew a right spirit within me."

Psalm 51:10

Read Psalm 51 with older children.

Discussion

Ask if there is a place in the house that needs to be cleaned, maybe a closet? In the Bible there was a man named David who wanted to do some cleaning. He didn't want to clean a room in his house, he wanted to clean his heart. He felt bad for the things he did that were wrong, so he prayed for God to help give him a clean heart.

Ask if there is something anyone is sorry for, or for something they might have said. Remind the children that God always loves us and wants to help. Tell them that God gave us the Bible to help show us what to do.

Quick Prayer:

Dear loving God, I am sorry for my mistakes. Teach me Your way and help me follow You. Amen

Lenten Symbol for your Easter Tree

Ash Cross

Activity Idea:

*Join  a church for a prayerful service Lent. 

*Let everyone write wrongs or bad habits on slips of paper. Place a small votive candle in a small shallow metal bowl or pan. Light the candle and say a prayer asking for God's help to change the bad things. Carefully place the paper slips in the bowl and let it burn to ashes. Talk about how many christians place the sign of cross on their foreheads with ashes to symbolize that they belong to Christ and that they are sorry for their sins. This act could help your child begin his or her journey to the cross.

Just as I am -Hymn words byCharlotte Elliott

youtube hymn here

What is Lent?... find out here.

Great Lent 101 article here.

Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent. It marks the beginning of a period of reflection and penance. In the Bible, sprinkling oneself with ashes was traditionally a sign of one's sorrow for having committed sins. In the Christian tradition, Ash Wednesday also marked the beginning of preparation for the understanding of the death and resurrection of Christ. The particular symbolism of ashes for this day comes from a practice in the Roman Catholic churches in which the ashes from the palms used in the preceding year's Palm Sunday celebration are blessed. With these ashes, the priest on the first day of Lent marks a cross on the forehead of each worshiper. This practice has become a part of Ash Wednesday services in many United Methodist churches. Also another interesting bit of info on Methodist practice is found here.