February 17
Study & Activity: Ash Wednesday
Bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. Isaiah 61:3
In Isaiah 61:3, we read that those who mourned and sought repentance would sprinkle ashes upon their heads, as a sign of their grief. This was an act of humility, making visible their heart and desire to seek God’s forgiveness. We can join in that symbolism, marking our foreheads with ashes, to remember and mourn our sinful hearts.
God says that He will replace that ash with beauty. In Hebrew, beauty is closely translated to an ornamental headdress, a crown or a diadem. A crown is a symbol of triumph. Jesus is our triumph! He is crowned Lord of all, and saves us by His grace. He offers us forgiveness of our sins.
Just as there was symbolism for those who mourn, there was symbolism for those with joy, by being anointed with oil in times of rejoicing. We see the fulfillment of the Hebrew Scriptures when we see Jesus receiving the anointing of the Spirit of the Lord. Christ then gives us the oil of gladness, in the Holy Spirit. Garments or clothing were another way people expressed themselves symbolically. There were certain garments one would wear if they were in grief, or if they were rejoicing. Christ gives us the garment of salvation. His Spirit dwells in us. Because of this, we are clothed in righteousness, therefore, we have every reason to live in praise.
Here, we can see the beautiful work of the Trinity–God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit, working together for our redemption, for the glory of God.
Jesus gives beauty for ashes, strength for fear, gladness for mourning, peace for despair.
God says that He will replace that ash with beauty. In Hebrew, beauty is closely translated to an ornamental headdress, a crown or a diadem. A crown is a symbol of triumph. Jesus is our triumph! He is crowned Lord of all, and saves us by His grace. He offers us forgiveness of our sins.
Just as there was symbolism for those who mourn, there was symbolism for those with joy, by being anointed with oil in times of rejoicing. We see the fulfillment of the Hebrew Scriptures when we see Jesus receiving the anointing of the Spirit of the Lord. Christ then gives us the oil of gladness, in the Holy Spirit. Garments or clothing were another way people expressed themselves symbolically. There were certain garments one would wear if they were in grief, or if they were rejoicing. Christ gives us the garment of salvation. His Spirit dwells in us. Because of this, we are clothed in righteousness, therefore, we have every reason to live in praise.
Here, we can see the beautiful work of the Trinity–God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit, working together for our redemption, for the glory of God.
Jesus gives beauty for ashes, strength for fear, gladness for mourning, peace for despair.
Activity:
• Have your children consider a sin they would like to seek repentance from.
• Write out the sin on a small piece of paper. Fold it up.
• Put the paper in a fire safe container, such as a large bucket or an old coffee mug.
• Light a match and toss the match into your container.
• After your burnt paper has cooled, smash up the ashes with the back of a spoon.
• Dip your finger into the ashes and spread some ash on your children’s foreheads.
• Have them look in the mirror. Have them say a prayer about their sin and give thanks for forgiveness.
• Pour some oil on a cloth (olive oil, coconut oil, or other cooking oil works well)
• Rub off the ash on your children’s forehead with the oil.
• Create a crown with construction paper. Decorate with drawings or stickers.
• Write the word ‘Righteous’ on it.
• Give thanks for Jesus who transforms our sorrow, brings us gladness, and crowns us with beauty instead of ashes.
• Have your children consider a sin they would like to seek repentance from.
• Write out the sin on a small piece of paper. Fold it up.
• Put the paper in a fire safe container, such as a large bucket or an old coffee mug.
• Light a match and toss the match into your container.
• After your burnt paper has cooled, smash up the ashes with the back of a spoon.
• Dip your finger into the ashes and spread some ash on your children’s foreheads.
• Have them look in the mirror. Have them say a prayer about their sin and give thanks for forgiveness.
• Pour some oil on a cloth (olive oil, coconut oil, or other cooking oil works well)
• Rub off the ash on your children’s forehead with the oil.
• Create a crown with construction paper. Decorate with drawings or stickers.
• Write the word ‘Righteous’ on it.
• Give thanks for Jesus who transforms our sorrow, brings us gladness, and crowns us with beauty instead of ashes.
February 20
Feasting: Capirotada
Capirotada is a classic Mexican bread pudding that is traditionally eaten during Lent. Several of the ingredients are symbolic of the suffering of Christ–cloves for nails, cinnamon sticks for the wooden cross, and bread for the body of Christ.
Ingredients: 4 1⁄2 Cups of water 4 whole cinnamon sticks 6 whole cloves 1 1⁄2 Cups brown sugar 1⁄4 Cup of butter 4 French rolls, or your favorite bread 3⁄4 Cup of raisins, golden or your favorite 1 Cup of shredded sharp Cheddar cheese 1 Cup of walnuts |
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a pot, boil 4 1⁄2 Cups of water, 4 whole cinnamon sticks, 6 whole cloves and 1 1⁄2 Cups of brown sugar. If you would like to use this as an illustration with your children, you can talk about how the cinnamon sticks represent the cross, and how the cloves represent the nails. Stir liquid occasionally. Bring liquid to a boil, boil for 10 minutes, then reduce to simmer and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes. Strain liquid to remove cloves and cinnamon. Measure out 2 1⁄2 Cups of liquid and set aside. Cut 1⁄2 inch slices (or cubes if you are using a larger loaf) of your favorite bread, enough to cover the bottom of a cast iron skillet. I used 4 French rolls. You can use a small casserole dish if you do not have a cast iron skillet. If you would like to use this as an illustration with your children, you can talk about how the bread represents the body of Christ. In a small pan, melt 1⁄4 Cup of butter. Once the butter is melted, dip the cut bread into the butter and line the cast iron skillet with the buttered slices of bread. Drizzle any remaining butter over the top of the bread. Pour 3⁄4 Cup of raisins (I used golden raisins) over the buttered bread. Pour 1 Cup of grated sharp Cheddar cheese over bread and raisins. Put 1 Cup of walnuts into a Ziploc bag. Use a rolling pin to beat the walnuts into small pieces. If you would like to use this as an illustration with your children, you can talk about how Jesus was beaten before He died on the cross. Pour the walnuts over the top of the bread, raisins and cheese. Pour the 2 1⁄2 Cups of liquid over the top. Cover with aluminum foil. Be sure the foil does not touch the mixture. If it does, butter up that aluminum foil so that the ingredients do not stick. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil, and broil very quickly, just to slightly brown top. Do not leave the oven while you are broiling. Beware, the raisins and walnuts will burn quickly. Keep an eye on it, and take it out when it has a nice golden color. Let stand for 15 minutes. Enjoy! |