3 Ways Into Sunday’s Stories for Children: Watch and See

The Third Sunday in Lent

Last week, we began a Lenten practice called Watch. This week, our practice is See. I wonder what the difference is between watching and seeing? In our Gospel stories, Jesus healed many blind people. I wonder what those stories could really mean? And in one of our most famous hymns, Amazing Grace, is about a person whose heart changed when he could see Jesus in other people. The chorus ends with, “…was blind, but now I see.” 

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

Sing Open My Eyes, Lord with Kathy Bozzuti-Jones.

Can you see God’s love in yourself? In others? In the world? You could even try it with your eyes closed. 

2. Play and Pray

What might you see, hear, feel, learn, give, or discover? 

Play I-Spy. The player who starts picks an object that everyone can see. The player gives the first letter of the object as a clue. For example, if the player chooses a fence, they say, “I spy with my little eye something beginning with F.” Players take turns to call out guesses until someone gets the right answer.

Use the magnifying glass included in your mailing and take-home packet to help you with these Find Waldo sheets: one and two.

Pray. For week three, let us keep the stream of prayer for someone or others who we might not always remember to pray for. Even if you’re not looking at your calendar every day, we hope you’ll look at it today. Check it out here: Lenten Prayer calendar. 

3. Create

Our third week’s Lenten practice is See. Take time to see the growth and change of things around us and the growth and changes in ourselves. What details do you see on the outside of your paperwhite bulb that show what might be going on inside? What do you notice in yourself and others? Creation is all about change and transformation.

Try this Lenten word search and then try to create a sentence with some of the words.