Hosted by the Faith To Go team in the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego, David Tremaine and Charlette Preslar, and joined the each week by a special guest, the Faith To Go Podcast highlights themes from the Sunday Gospel reading for you to take into your faith discussions and reflections throughout the week.
Activity Time: Lent Desert Box Week 5 - Salty Tears
Supplies: two small glasses of water, salt shaker, small bowl for water (This activity utilizes the desert box that we created in week one of Lent. If you did not have the opportunity to create the box, you can find the instructions for making it HERE)
Place two cups of water and the small bowl of water on the table in front of you. Ask, “Have you ever tasted your tears?” (yes, they’re salty)”Do you think Jesus tears taste like that?” “Let’s add some salt to one of these glasses of water.”
Allow children to shake salt into the water, and stir it. “Now let’s taste the two glasses of water and see if we can tell the difference. Dip your finger in one, and touch it to your tongue. Now dip your finger in the other and touch it to your tongue. How do they taste? How does the salty one feel on your tongue? Why do you think tears taste different than water?”
After a few minutes of reflection and conversation, close with adding salt to the small bowl for the desert box. “Let’s add some salt to the small bowl of water in the desert box to remind us that Jesus cried just like we do.” Allow children to add salt to the water bowl and place it back in the desert box.
Story Time: Jesus Brings Lazarus Back from the Dead
Watch this video together and then use the discussion questions below to reflect as a family.
Discussion Questions:
1. Who were Jesus’ friends in this story? (Mary, Martha, Lazarus, the disciples)
2. Who are your closest friends?
3. When Lazarus died, and Mary and Martha were so sad, it made Jesus sad too. How do you feel when your friends are hurt?
4. How do you think Mary and Martha felt after Jesus resurrected Lazarus?
5. What do you think the crowd thought when they saw Lazarus come out of the tomb?
Dinner Time: New Life
Below is a prayer with which to start your meal and then discussion questions to explore this week’s topic with your family while you eat.
Prayer -
Dear God, We know that every day you are making things new, healing things that are damaged, and comforting people who are hurt. Remind us that we can help people too and that we need to be careful with our words and actions. We ask this in Jesus name. Amen Questions: 1. What do you think “new life” means? 2. Have you ever seen a plant when it first comes up from the ground? Can you describe it? 3. Have you ever seen a plant that is withered and dying? Why does that happen? 4. What are ways that we could help that plant be strong again? 5. When things are hard in our lives, what are ways that God can help us be strong again?
Bedtime: Reflections for Children at the End of the Day
During your bedtime routine, invite your children into a time of reflection about their day, maybe by saying, "Did you know that God really wants to know what happened in your day today, and that God is always listening whenever you need to tell God something?" Then continue with these questions:
1) What are some things that happened today that you want to tell God about?
2) What is one happy thing that happened today? What is one sad thing that happened today?
3) Did you see God or feel God with you when those things were happening? Where did you see or feel God when those things happened today?
4) Read to your children this week’s scripture selection, then ask the questions that follows.
John 11:1-45 (God’s Word, My Voice)
Lazarus lived with his sisters Martha and Mary. They were all good friends of Jesus. Lazarus got very sick and his sisters sent word to Jesus that he was sick. When Jesus heard this, he said, “I think this sickness will allow God’s glory to show through, even if Lazarus dies.” So Jesus stayed put where he was rather than going to see Lazarus right away. A couple of days later, Jesus said to his disciples, “Let’s go to Judea.” His disciples said, “But the last time we were there, they tried to stone you. And you want to go back?” Jesus replied, “We’ve only got so much time on this earth to do good. Lazarus is sleeping and I want to go wake him up.” The disciples said, “Well, if he’s sleeping, there’s really no reason to go. He’ll be fine.” Jesus said, “No, I meant that Lazarus has died. I’m glad I wasn’t there when he died, because now I've got something I was to show you so you can believe. Let’s go.” Thomas the Twin said to his fellow followers, “Oh well, here we go. Might as well go with him and die with him.” When they got there, Lazarus had been in his grave for four days. Many people had come to comfort his sisters. Martha heard Jesus had come and ran out to meet him, while Mary stayed at the house. Martha said, “Jesus, if you’d been here, my brother wouldn’t have died. I know even now that God will do whatever you ask of him.” Jesus said, “Martha, you know your brother will rise again.” “Of course, I believe in the resurrection on the last day,” Martha said. Jesus looked at her and said, “Martha, I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me will be alive, whether they live or they die. Do you believe this?” Martha said, “Yes, Lord. I believe that you are the one God has sent into the world, the Messiah.” She went back and told Mary that Jesus was asking for her. Mary knelt at Jesus’ feet saying, “Lord, if only you’d been here, my brother wouldn’t have died.” When Jesus saw her crying, and saw that all the people at the house were crying, he felt the deep pain of losing Lazarus to death. The pain shook him to his core. “Where is his grave? Show me.” Jesus said. “Come and see, Lord.” And Jesus started to cry. Some people could see how much Jesus had loved his friend Lazarus. Others wondered why, if he could open the eyes of a blind man, he couldn't have kept Lazarus from dying. Jesus came to the grave, which was in the side of a cave with a big stone rolled against the opening. He told them to roll away the stone. Martha said, “Don’t do that. He’s been in there four days and the smell will be awful.” Jesus said, “Haven’t I told you that if you believed, you would see God’s glory?” So they took the stone away. Jesus looked up to heaven and said, “Father, thank you for hearing me.” and he yelled really loud, “Lazarus, come out of there!” And the dead man came out, his hands and feet still bound with strips of cloth and his face wrapped up. Jesus said to the people around, “Set him free from the cloth that is binding him, and let him go.” Many of the people who saw what happened believed in Jesus after that.
Did the story remind you of anything that happened in your day today?
5) What are some things that you want to tell God that you are grateful for today?
Share some of your conversations in the comments below:
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