Practicing Lent 2021 with Your Family

St. John’s Vancouver and the God’s Big Story team have developed a booklet and Journey Board again this year for Lent, Holy Week and Easter.

This book is designed for family discipleship around the table. Families are encouraged to move a candle ahead each day on the accompanying Lent-Easter journey board. You can download both below.

---

From the Practicing Lent 2021 booklet’s introduction:

Jesus says: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.”

Lent is the church’s season for reflection and repentance in preparation for celebrating Jesus’ death and resurrection at Easter. The word “Lent” comes from the Old English word for “spring.” It reminds us of the season when the days lengthen, and new life is born. Lent is the church season which begins on Ash Wednesday and lasts 40 days—the same number of days that Jesus spent in the wilderness after his baptism.

Lent is a time for self-examination and joyful repentance, sometimes for fasting
and self-denial, and for seeing the glory of Christ as we meditate on God’s word. As we approach the throne of grace with honesty and humility, our Heavenly Father delights to pour out the riches of his mercy and the renewing power of his Holy Spirit. When we consider, how extravagant the grace of God is in our lives— most of all in Jesus taking the punishment for our sin on the cross—it can feel overwhelming to find an adequate response! But Lent is not the “Spiritual Olympics.” It’s not a competition to see how extraordinary our spiritual disciplines can become! Rather, it’s a chance to renew our daily dependence on God.

This book is designed for family discipleship around the table. We encourage you to move a candle ahead each day on the accompanying Lent-Easter journey board.

There’s a Lenten theme for each week’s bible readings:

Week 1: Repentance
Week 2: Self-denial
Week 3: Prayer
Week 4: Reading Scripture
Week 5: Following Jesus
Week 6: Jesus’ Sacrifice

And the last week is Holy Week, with readings chosen from Jesus’ last week in Jerusalem leading to his crucifixion and resurrection.

May these readings and the artwork from throughout church history and all over the world strengthen and equip you to love and serve the Lord in your busy everyday life this Lent-Easter season!

---

DOWNLOADS

BOOKLET

JOURNEY BOARD