Dear St. John’s parents,
During Holy Week, I wanted to share some resources with you.
Bedtime Chapel is a new podcast that was started by our former Deacon, Natalie Thomas, and her husband James (also a Deacon). They started this podcast to help families bring prayer and spirituality into their daily lives. Their special guest this week was the Rev. Dr. Libby Catania. In this episode Dr. Catania leads a thoughtful exploration of how to observe Holy Week as a family and she suggests practical and meaningful ways to celebrate Holy Days. Take a listen here!
A few ideas Dr. Cantania mentions include reading the stories of Holy Week from a children’s Bible and attending Holy Week services. In addition, a great resource is the book pictured here, Holy Week, An Emotions Primer. I happen to have a copy of this book; let me know if you’d like to borrow it! There is a lot going on in Holy Week and it can be hard to process it all. It may be easier to to approach it from an emotions standpoint—something children can more easily understand and connect with. How do you think Jesus might have felt during this time; what do you think his friends were feeling? What does it mean that Jesus, our Lord and savior, viewed by some as a king, humbled himself to wash his friend’s feet? Fun fact: Maundy Thursday, the service where we remember this event, refers to Jesus’ commandment to love one another, as “maundy” means mandate.
Alexis MacElhiney
Sunday School Director & Youth Coordinator