Monday, March 21

Lenten Cross


Sunday morning six squirmy (and I mean really squirmy - I think it was the warm weather) children gathered around our godly play circle and I took a purply burlap sack from the shelves.  We wondered together... I wonder why this bag is so rough?  I wonder why it is purple?  I wonder what is inside?


I wonder if the pieces make anything?  There are six pieces, just like there are six Sundays in Lent. ,
I wonder why they make a cross?  I wonder why it is rough and purple?  

I wonder what the other side is like?  It is smooth and white.  Look, the inside of the bag is smooth and white too.  This is a mystery - why would it be smooth and white?

The children then went to their work for the day.  It was interesting because the three things they chose were new to the class room in the past couple weeks.

Most of the children colored a cross purple to make their own lenten cross.  I had made these small bags Sunday morning before church.  They would be so much nicer with a drawstrings so little hands could open and close them, but there just wasn't time.  This lesson came from Young Children in Worship, but I changed it a bit (for one reason we didn't do it the first Sunday of lent, but the second).  The bag is to be of a rough purple cloth and as I ended up using fabric paints on burlap to make the big purple bag.  It is also supposed to have a gold ribbon to tie it, but I had to make do with what I had on hand.  For the children's bags I painted a purple cross as I was running out of paint.  

Jonah played with the circle of the church year for most of the work time.  I just completed painting and sealing it this week.  It was timely as we were talking about lent.  I got it out briefly during the circle time and the children were a bit in awe of it.  I must say it is a lot nicer than the cardboard one I made.  (This is made from the kit from St. Michael's workshop.)

We've also just added a baby, that was found at a charity shop by a friend.  I made the baby a gown from a vintage pillowcase I picked up in a box at the auction.  We added a spice jar labeled oil and a shell and the children are practicing baptizing and saying the liturgy.  It is beautiful.

Rowan at home baptizing the baby.

1 comment:

stf said...

love the purple cross