Children and Lent: Family resources make it real

Lent is a season neglected by many evangelicals. But you don't have to be a member of a liturgical church to enrich your family's spiritual life through observing the 40 day preparation for Easter. See 10 Lenten Traditions to Enrich Your Family's Easter Celebration, which I wrote in 1997 - long before I became Catholic. As a Christian parent, I was always looking for ways to make faith real for my children.

Lent is a time of spiritual housecleaning. A time of meditating on Jesus's life and trying to bring our own in more conformance with it. In imitation of Christ's sacrifice for us, many people give up something for Lent. This is a tangible way to teach children the spiritual basis for the control of their impulses.

A reader's Amazon order yesterday sparked this round-up of Lenten resources for families. She (or he) ordered the first book - which looks great and has very positive comments (I think readers' comments are the most important part of the Amazon listing). I've researched to come up with a few more.

Lent begins February 22:

Keep in mind that for something to become real to children, their senses must be involved. They need to hear the story of the events leading up to the Crucifixion and Resurrection, see images, and to touch, smell and taste through crafts and spiritual exercises.

By spending 40 days leading up to Easter in spiritual preparation, you will set a foundation for them that will last a lifetime.

By the way, I know there are a lot of Jotham's Journey fans out there. Did you know there is now a book in the series that focuses on Easter?

It's thirty years later and Jotham now has a son of his own. The smartest boy in Jerusalem, and inventor of many strange and wonderful machines, Amon has just turned thirteen -- the age a Jewish boy officially becomes a man. But is he ready for that responsibility?

Amon is torn between playing childhood games with his friends, and visiting the temple court, where only Jewish men are allowed. His life is further complicated when he must host Tamar, the daughter of his father's friend, in Jerusalem for the Passover. But Amon's life is completely ripped apart when his father is falsely accused of a terrible crime and sentenced to death. Amon thinks that only the cleverness of his mind can save his father. In the end, he must admit that he is powerless without God.