Holding on and Letting Go: Year C, Lent 2010

During the season of Lent, God’s children reflect on the life and death of Christ in ways that set us apart from a society that celebrates Easter with chocolate bunnies and chicks. We see Lent as an opportunity to draw near to God, to ponder God’s words to us in scripture, to hold close what we value, and to identify with Jesus and his mission. This soul searching leads to confession that prepares us for rejoicing in God’s great demonstration of love and power at Easter.

This year’s texts focus on calling back believers who have fallen away and include two parallel invitations: (1) to hold on to what is most important and (2) to let go of what is peripheral or gets in the way of further growth. These invitations are no strangers to the world of parent-child relationships and help to give this year’s devotions a particular appeal for families.

This resource for the home is adapted from the congregational resource for Lent, which is available in the Mennonite Church resource: Leader – Equipping the Missional Congregation, prepared for us this year by the New York Conference. Use the resource whenever and however it fits into your home’s routines and life stage realities. If your family has younger children, feel free to simplify, shorten and paraphrase the prayers and pondering thoughts. To use this booklet for daily worship times, repeat the litany for each day of the week, and read the daily scripture recommendations. The lectionary readings have been divided into seven short readings. Both the pondering questions and the activities correspond loosely to the scripture selections listed there.