Lent through all our Senses and Children's/Youth Ministry

This past Sunday at worship we looked into the story of Mary anointing Jesus. We talked about our favourite smells and some mentioned included lily-of-the-valley, bread baking, spaghetti sauce cooking, lilacs and cut grass.

When I walked into my apartment yesterday after being out for a couple of hours, I was quickly reminded that I’d left soup simmering on the stove – cauliflower and broccoli soup to be exact. The smell was…pungent. As I try to eat more veggies in creative ways I thought it would be a good combination. Now that the soup is blended and ready it’s not nearly so strong!

I would imagine that no one could have missed the intense fragrance of Mary’s pound of perfume that was poured out all at once. The closest thing I could imagine to what it would be like was when a male teen brought Axe deodorant spray to a 30 hr famine and thought it was hilarious to spray people with the overpowering product. The male chaperon quickly communicated that this was going to stop.

I would imagine too that no one who was at Jesus’ anointing ever forgot the smell of that perfume. It would have lingered with him until his death and anytime anyone caught a whiff of something similar after that they were probably transported back to Lazarus’ house, remembering this costly preparation for Jesus’ ultimate sacrifice.

God has given us our senses as a gift to help us experience our world and also our faith story. We know that using as many senses as possible helps learning to stick. It is no different as we journey towards the cross and try to navigate the tangled issues of Jesus’ last days. In recent years, the Resurrection Eggs have provided a hands-on miniature version of symbols to help in retelling the story of Holy week and Easter.

Here are some other ideas for engaging the senses of children and youth as you make this journey to the cross:

1. If possible, have active participation in retelling the story this Sunday of Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem. If you don’t have real palm branches, make flags from dollar store tablecloths or whatever else you have around. A hobbyhorse on a stick is great for Jesus to ride. Talk about what your learners would be willing to do to honour Jesus.

2. As part of a program or lesson, set out foods for them to try linked to Jesus’ time and that relate to his last days – flatbread, hummus, olive oil, figs (Matt. 24:32-35), grapes, lamb.   

3. Take part in a hand or foot washing as Jesus taught his disciples to do. Talk about how in caring for each other we are being like him.

4. Encourage children to take part in a seder meal. If your church isn’t offering one, consider it or find out what other churches nearby are doing this. It grounds us in the Jewish realities of Jesus’ life as well as helping to understand Passover. It also sets the stage for the Lord’s Supper.

5. Consider setting up a few simple props in places around the church or outside and walk to each place to recount the different parts of the Holy week story. Or, do the stations of the cross using icons or other pictures and talking about each one on the way.  

6. As you tell and relive the story, ask learners to close their eyes and imagine being there. What would their senses tell them? What would it smell, sound, taste, look and feel like?

Remember to take the time you need to savour the story so that you can share it with sincerity and compassion for your learners. Without these steps Easter loses its meaning. The whole story, with all its twists and turns, shows us the lengths God went to in order to offer us wholeness and restored relationships.

Continue to pray for others who provide leadership that they will be able to take the time to reflect on what this Holy season means for them.