Lent Devotions for kids from someone who knows nothing about Lent

Today is Ash Wednesday and also the beginning of Lent.  Admittedly, I know little to nothing about Lent because I grew up Baptist (Independent Fundamental Baptist) and we did not celebrate Lent.  Quite honestly the only thing I really know is that people party like crazy on Fat Tuesday because they are about to give up something for 40 days for Lent.

Nonetheless, I bought this book last year, The Lenten Tree.

I bought it because we loved The Jesse Tree book that we have been doing during Advent.  But we did not do it last year at least not consistently and so this year I am attempting to do it.  I don't plan on actually participating or giving up anything for Lent as I am an "Evangelical Protestants" and come from a "low church" tradition."

"Low Church" is a neutral term that simply describes a type of worship that does not follow a prescribed order of service, that does not follow certain liturgical patterns, and does not make use of developed ritual, ceremony, or worship accouterments  like vestments. From Webster's Dictionary: "Low Church (1710) tending esp. in Anglican worship to minimize emphasis on the priesthood, sacraments, and the ceremonial in worship and often to emphasize evangelical principles." By contrast: "High Church (1687) tending esp. in Anglican worship to stress the sacerdotal [priestly], liturgical, ceremonial, traditional, and Catholic elements in worship."  (Source)

Actually I did not know anything about low church or high church until yesterday when someone posted a comment on one of my posts on facebook.  Are you learning something today or what?

Moving on, I am doing this book with the kids and maybe we will all learn something.  Having said that, our first lesson starts with Psalm 51:1-2 and we will be talking about creating in us a clean heart.  We will talk about the ashes and what they symbolized.  I think we will use brown paint and finger paint it on a piece of paper instead of our foreheads since I think burning something for ashes could be dangerous at least at this house.

Psalm 51:1-2  - Have mercy upon me, O God,
According to Your lovingkindness;
According to the multitude of Your tender mercies,
Blot out my transgressions.
² Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
And cleanse me from my sin.

Tomorrow - we make Hot Cross Buns!  I will try to blog about what we do each day.

How about you - what do you know about Lent or what do you do for Lent?