Our Lent/ Easter basket

Today is Ash Wednesday, and each year on this day the boys wake up to find the Lent/ Easter basket full of books and activities. There are books and items from previous years, some new books from the library, and books and bargains I found post Easter that were on sale last year. The basket sits out for the 40 days of Lent, so it not only provides easy access to our devotional books, but the boys can browse through it anytime. It also helps me stay intentional about keeping the season of Lent at the forefront of hearts and home.

I've used different books each year for my own devotional time. I have come to greatly appreciate the yearly cycle of holy days in the church calendar and the opportunity to use the seasons to frame our traditions and continually be teaching our kids about God, Christ, the Holy Spirit, and the church. The calendar is simply one tool that helps us in this often busy and hectic age to keep the rhythms of our life testifying to His greatness. The Book of Worship is one I refer to throughout the year that has special readings and hymns during the different seasons.

This year I'll be using a devotional from The Gospel Coalition, Journey To the Cross. It is laid out beautifully and explains Lent well...

"Likewise, Lent is a season of preparation and repentance during which we anticipate the death (Good Friday) and resurrection (Easter Sunday) of Jesus. It is this very preparation and repentance – aimed at grasping the intense significance of the crucifixion – that gives us a deep and powerful longing for the resurrection, the joy of Easter. 

Each week of the devotional is focused on a different theme: repentance, humility, suffering, lament, sacrifice, and death. Although not exclusive to Lent, these themes capture the content and tone of the season. They point us to Jesus, and to put it simply: Lent is about Jesus. Our aim is to reflect meaningfully on his journey to the cross, so that we might take up our cross and follow him. "

Other children's resources we use during Lent/ Passover/ Easter