3 Ways Into Sunday’s Stories for Children: Stillness

The Fifth Sunday in Lent

This week we are practicing Stillness. For children, it may be the most difficult of all. But just like with all of our Lenten practices, the hard parts open us up for something new!

Each week in Children’s Time, we will be reading pages from Lara Alary’s lovely book for children about Lent, Make Room. You can order your own hard copy, or the eBook, which you can view on an e-reader or computer in a cloud reader app.

1. Sing and Dance

This week, we will be practicing some stillness of the mind, body, and spirit. Follow along with Dr. Kathy Bozzuti-Jones in this guided preparation for stillness from Sitting Still Like a Frog. 

2. Play and Pray

It’s hard to be still and play at the same time. Visio divina is a very different way for your imagination and feelings to play without moving your body.

Find a quiet and comfortable space. Prepare yourself with the video above. Take out the strip of images, if you have the printed copies from your take-home kit. If not, open the digital files on your screen. Choose one of the visio divina images and follow these prompts. You can do this with your family, by yourself, or with a friend. Try to set aside distracting thoughts or conversations.

Listen or sing along with this psalm and prayer:

3. Create

Start a Tenebrae candle holder that you can use during Holy Week, which begins next Sunday. Ms. Jean demonstrates it here: