In a way, Lent is kind of an easy one for “Take Home Faith”, because Lent already has its own well-known practice. We give up something for Lent. In imitation of Jesus’ fasting in the desert for 40 days (which also pays homage to God’s people wandering in the desert for 40 years), we choose to give up a comfort.

This is something that makes sense to us adults, but can be harder to take on for children. So here’s another way to think about what Jesus was doing in the desert: he was LISTENING. Jesus was listening for God’s call. He was listening for guidance. He wasn’t fasting to be mean to himself, but to make sure he was open enough, empty enough, to hear the subtle voice of God.

So here’s a way to frame a Lent home practice: figure out just ONE thing that stops us from listening, and commit to replacing that thing with time listening for God. And for children, this needn’t be an absolute. If TV stops you from listening sometimes (I know it does that to me on occasion), commit to the idea that you’ll trade 5 minutes of TV time for 5 minutes of prayer time each day. Or maybe those 5 minutes are minutes away from social media. Whatever it is, name something you will “swap” for just a little time with God. Even 2 minutes each day can be a wonderful practice.

And this practice works really well in a group. You might gather as a family to decide what each of you will commit to for Lent, and come together as a group each day for those 2-5 minutes of quiet listening time with God. 40 days straight might reveal some pretty special things. Amen.

Did you know that in Jesus’ time, Samaritans were a despised group among the people in his audience? Over the years, this parable has been “tamed”, and it has become easy for us to forget just what a radical and challenging teaching this story really is.

To bring this story home, here is a simple practice you might try at home. Think of who YOUR “Samaritan” is. It might be someone you don’t get along with at school. It might be someone who you think is just plain “wrong” about everything. For us adults, it might be someone on the opposite end of the political spectrum. It might be someone who has done real harm to the world. The idea is to stretch ourselves to include someone we don’t WANT to include. Once you have figured out WHO your Samaritan is, make a practice of honestly praying FOR them morning and evening. And I don’t mean “praying they stop being a jerk”. I mean praying for their wellbeing, happiness, and comfort.

“Seeds of kindness” is a simple idea based on the parable of the Sower. Jesus talks a lot about seeds in His teaching. The Kingdom of Heaven always seems to begin with small acts, small moments, small seeds. We don’t need to solve the WHOLE world to inherit the Kingdom – we just need to be sowers. 

One way I have found to be a sower is to plant “seeds of kindness”. Figure out ONE small thing you’re going to do each day that will plant a seed of kindness. It might be a compliment for a classmate, or forgiving someone you’re irritated with. You might create a card for a family member, or join us on Saturday to create cards for hour unhoused neighbors! The world is actually FULL of chances to plant these seeds of kindness, so make it a practice and see where it leads you!