This week in Sunday school, our children will explore Holy Week through the readings of Mark 11:1-11; 15:1-39.  One week from Sunday we celebrate Easter.  However, between now and then, several important events are marked by the Christian church.  Without these events, there would be no Easter.

Lent is impossibly long for children, almost six weeks with no real story to go with it.  However, Holy Week is just eight days and is filled with action and tension.  Holy Week begins with our Palm Sunday procession and continues daily with stories about Jesus.  I encourage you to bring Holy Week into your home so that Easter is even more meaningful for you and for your children.  Here are a few suggestions for doing just that (from www.worshipingwithchildren.blogspot.com):

Bring some palm branches home on Sunday.  Display them prominently either in a vase on the table where you eat, pinned on the family’s message center, or on the refrigerator door with magnets.

Create a small worship center by spreading out palm branches, add a Bible or a few story books about Jesus, a cross or other symbol and a coloring-book picture of Jesus colored just for this space.

Pray the Lord’s Prayer together each day this week.  For younger children this may be an introduction to the prayer Jesus taught us.  For older children it could be an opportunity to talk about one specific phrase each day.

Plan for your family to attend one or more of the week’s worship services.  These story oriented services allow children to be aware of the events taking place during Holy Week on the anniversaries of the very day or night they occurred.   A wonderful and moving service that the children might appreciate is on Maundy Thursday at the Church of the Holy Spirit (169 Rice Road, Wayland) with Peace at 7:00 PM.  An agape meal served by members of CHS will follow.