Faith +
Open: In
Lent we focus on repentance, renewal and community. A beloved story from the
Old Testament that is often drawn upon in this season is that of Jonah and the
big fish. Jonah is a prophet who runs away from God’s command to preach
repentance to the people of Nineveh. He spends three days (note the same span
that Jesus is dead) before being released from the fish. Jesus uses the
metaphor of Jonah being in the fish for three days for his own death and
resurrection. Read the whole book of Jonah as a family either in one sitting
(it is not long) or in two or three installments. It is found on page 190 of
the Spark Story Bible. Begin your devotion time by lighting a candle and a
prayer.
Faith +
Share: For adults: Was there a time when
you know you ran from God? Why did you “hide”? Or how did you “hide”? We don’t
all physically run away, sometimes we choose activities that keep us from God.
What are the things that keep you from a close relationship with God? TV, food,
work, hobbies? These things in and of themselves are not bad but when they keep
us from devotion, worship and service they can be an obstacle. The old trite
saying is true that we sometimes have to hit rock bottom (or get swallowed by a
whale!) before we know that we need God to save us and we need to remember our
identity as God’s child. Has someone ever told you something or asked you
something that made you realize that you were in need of confession and
repentance like the Ninevites? How did you react?
For
children: Sometimes
it’s hard to do the things that God wants us to do. Have you ever tried to be
nice to someone who was not being nice to you? What did that feel like? Hard,
easy, scary? Jonah felt that it was too hard to go to Nineveh to tell them that
God wanted them to say they were sorry for the things they had done so he went
on a boat instead! But God had a big fish swallow him and Jonah knew that he
had to listen to God. So Jonah went to Nineveh (after being spit out by the
fish! EWWW!) and told the Ninevites to say they were sorry to God. Jonah still
wanted the people of Nineveh to be punished by God though. But God forgave them
instead! This surprised Jonah! God forgives us even when we may not deserve it!
Have you ever been forgiven by someone even when maybe you didn’t deserve it?
When?
Faith
+Serve: Just
as Jonah was sent to proclaim God’s love to people he didn’t know in Nineveh,
so we too are sent to tell people all over the world that God loves them! One
way that we do that in the ELCA is to help people in malaria infested countries
receive nets to protect them from mosquitoes. For only $10 a net can be given
to a family and can save a life! For Lent have a change jar on a kitchen
counter or some other prominent place. Every time you pray for a meal or pray
at church, or anywhere, put some change in the jar. Have a family goal of 2 or
3 nets for the six week period!
Faith +
Blessing: Anytime
someone leaves the house offer this blessing: No matter where you go, God is with you!
