While our circumstances surrounding this Holy Week are unprecedented in our time, they may change how we celebrate, but they certainly will not keep us from doing so!  Here's a list of simple activities you can do each day to remember and participate in the story of Easter...and maybe even bring it closer to your heart than ever.

Palm Sunday
-Create or collect branches to hang on the door of your home.
-Join our online Palm Sunday worship service at 8:30 or 11:00 AM.
-Read Matthew 22 with a friend/family member (in-house or virtually).

Monday
-Make and serve only simple meals today.
-Plant seeds in eggshells full of dirt and place them in a window (grass seeds will sprout fastest).
-Read Matthew 23. Write down any areas of hypocrisy in your own life and pray for forgiveness...then throw them away/destroy them!

Tuesday
-Make a playlist of Easter/spring music.
-Go for a (safe) Prayer Walk in your neighborhood. Pray for the people represented by each home.
-Read Matthew 24:3. Why do you think the disciples asked Jesus these questions? What would YOU like to ask him?  Discuss with a friend.

Wednesday
-Make your own soap/hand sanitizer. Discuss with your family or a friend what it means to be clean.
-Clean house in preparation for the holy days to come.
-Read Matthew 25. These stories are all about being ready for Jesus; do you feel ready for Jesus to do new things in your life? Why or why not?

Maundy Thursday
-Perform a "Stripping of the Table" ceremony in your home (steps listed at the end of this article).
-Make and serve a version of the Passover/Seder Meal. Share with others in-house and/or virtually with friends.
-Read Matthew 26, then join our online Maundy Thursday worship service at 6:00 PM.

Good Friday
-Make a Paschal Candle and set it in a place of prominence where it will be noticed daily.
-From noon to 3:00 PM, "go dark" with all technology in your home. Spend your screen-free time remembering and discussing Jesus's sacrifice for us.
-Read Matthew 27, then join our online Good Friday worship service at 6:00 PM.

Saturday
-Make Easter Eggs!
-Visit the Drive-Thru Easter Egg Hunt at Lebanon FUMC. Can you find the golden egg? Take and share a pic of it!
-Read Isaiah 52:13-53:12, then watch your favorite movie about Jesus's life.

Easter Sunday
-Greet each other with, "Alleluia, the Lord is risen!" and answer, "He is risen indeed!"
-Listen to the song, "He's Alive" and discuss with family or a friend. What do YOU think it was like that first Easter morning?
-Read Matthew 28, then join our online Easter worship service at 8:30 or 11:00 AM.

Happy Easter, Church!

 

Stripping of the Table (from buildfaith.org)
Stripping of the altar (removing all ornaments, linens, candles, plants, flowers, etc.) is an ancient custom of the Church. Congregations mark the way Christ’s life was stripped from him by stripping the altar of all signs of life and beauty during a special service This almost-bare worship space reminds us of the bareness of life without the hope of Christ that we have through His resurrection. This beautiful and powerful ceremony can also be practiced in the home, as our homes are also places of worship.

•  Materials needed: Bible or Prayer Book, storage box or bin, dark cloth, cleaning supplies.
• Read Psalm 22 together (or just the first two verses, if attention spans are short).
• Explain the ancient custom of stripping and washing the altar, what it symbolizes, and how your family will now do a similar stripping in your home – focusing on icons and symbols of your faith.
• Send your family through the house to gather all icons and religious symbols that can be easily moved (crosses, statues, candles, prayer beads, etc.). Ask everyone to work silently as a sign of respect for the task. Pack these items away in the storage bins.
• Use the dark cloth to drape any other items that are too large or permanent to pack away (wall art, door wreaths, Easter Tree and so forth.)
• Finally, remove all items from your dining or kitchen table and together wash the table thoroughly.
• Leave the table bare until Easter morning.
• After all the icons have been packed away or covered, and the table has been washed, take a moment to notice how your home looks and feels. Help kids make the connection between a home without these beautiful and meaningful items and a life without Christ.
• Saturday night, after everyone is in bed, do your best to unpack and uncover all of the religious items, so that when the family wakes up on Easter morning there will be more than just Easter baskets to celebrate!