Lent began on a very snowy Ash Wednesday for most of Mid-America this year. While many plans had to be adjusted for the weather, and of course for the pandemic, this holy season itself remains a special time of preparation and devotion.
Broadway Christian Church in Columbia offered “Ashes to Go” where people could drive through and pick up an ash kit to be used at home. Kits contained a cotton swab, a bag of ashes, and the liturgical wording, "Remember from dust you have come and to dust you shall return; in sure and certain hope of the resurrection." That evening they held a virtual vesper service.
First Christian Church in St. Joseph created Lent-at-Home kits to help the congregation feel connected as they observe the season. Their pastor, Rev. Brian Kirk, describes the program:
Worship for our congregation has been online since last March. In an effort to maintain a sense of shared community beyond just experiencing the Sunday morning worship videos together, we have tried to provide ways for our church members to experience worship at home throughout the week. Most recently we offered Lent-at-Home kits for our congregation. In addition to a weekly devotional (with both images and scripture for contemplation), the kit includes a variety of items to help create a "sacred space" at home: a finger labyrinth, a tealight candle, a stone with the sign of the cross, and sea glass (connecting to our worship theme for Lent and which we'll use during worship each Sunday). In addition, the kit includes a do-it-yourself "resurrection set" (sort of like an Nativity set for Easter, depicting the disciples at the tomb), coloring pages for meditation, and educational resources for parents and children. The final item is a colorful strip of cloth which worshipers are encouraged to write or draw their prayers on each Sunday during online worship. At the end of the season, those strips of cloth will be turned into a beautiful piece of community art, weaving together all of our prayers.
Our elders and staff helped to deliver about 100 kits to the homes of our members, or in some cases they were mailed as we now have regular worshippers in other cities and states who join us online each week. The shared elements help to create a sense of physical and spiritual connectedness and they invite our members to actively participate in creating their own worship experience at home.
South Street Christian Church in Springfield is participating in 40 Days of Creation Care. They are a Green Chalice congregation and decided to make creation their focus for Lent. The SSCC Green Team put together a list of daily activities/suggestions ranging from turning off the heated dry cycle of your dishwasher to taking a virtual tour of Yellowstone National Park. For each Sunday during Lent, the activity calendar lists a scripture passage having to do with creation.