5th Sunday of Lent

Then Jesus said to them all, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.  For those who want to save their life will lose it and those who lose their life for my sake will save it.” Luke 9:23-24

Family Activity:  Create a large cross – you could just put one on an existing bulletin board or actually create the cross out of pieces of cork or something similar (foam core?) that you can pin into.  Cut out smaller crosses of construction paper and when a family member feels that they’ve done something they’d like to improve on or ask forgiveness for, they can take  one of the small crosses and pin it to the larger one to “crucify” their sins (symbolizing the nails Jesus bore for our sins on the cross).  Have some small hearts also cut out of construction paper so that once a sin has been pinned to the cross, a heart can be added on top of it as a way of symbolizing their desire and intentions to work to overcome their sins. This activity can also be done as part of a family reconciliation celebration, encouraging each family member to “sit, think, and THAW”:  sit in reflection and think of the ways that we have disappointed God in our THoughts, Actions, and Words.  These items could be written on the small crosses and then their plans for overcoming this problem or atoning for it could be written on the hearts if desired.