A playlist? For the season of Lent? A Lenten playlist? What an odd idea. Lent is often seen as a somber and even silent season. Certainly, there is space for contemplation, for embracing the quiet, for being still to seek out God. Many of us, however, find music a helpful tool for contemplation. So, we offer this playlist as another tool for your worship experience this season. We chose a song for each worship moment in the series from Ash Wednesday through Easter Sunday. We aren’t suggesting that these are to be used in worship unless that fits your context. This is preparation work, thinking about making connections, about plumbing the depths of heart and soul, of the community of faith and the wider culture. However you use them, let the music be a guide into worship this Lent.

The Children’s Messages for this series, framed around Lent and Holy Week, will provide children and their families an opportunity to build upon contemplation with the spiritual practice of prayer. Throughout the series, the children will create prayer beads as they reflect on lyrics from the songs on the playlist. Each week, a bead will be added that connects prayer to the weekly message. This series will also connect families with the Lenten Coin Calendar and each Sunday prayer that coincides with this resource. Families can create prayer times in their homes using prayer beads. Thanks to Rev. Dr. Leanne Hadley for providing instructions on how to make prayer beads for children and their families.

Children's Message

John 12:1-8, NIRV

12 It was six days before the Passover Feast. Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived. Lazarus was the one Jesus had raised from the dead. 2A dinner was given at Bethany to honor Jesus. Martha served the food. Lazarus was among the people at the table with Jesus. 3Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard. It was an expensive perfume. She poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped them with her hair. The house was filled with the sweet smell of the perfume.

4But Judas Iscariot didn’t like what Mary did. He was one of Jesus’ disciples. Later he was going to hand Jesus over to his enemies. Judas said, 5“Why wasn’t this perfume sold? Why wasn’t the money given to poor people? It was worth a year’s pay.” 6He didn’t say this because he cared about the poor. He said it because he was a thief. Judas was in charge of the money bag. He used to help himself to what was in it.

7“Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “The perfume was meant for the day I am buried. 8You will always have the poor among you. But you won’t always have me.”

Playlist Song:

“Cover Me in Sunshine” by P!NK and Willow Sage Hart

Materials needed:

Beads
Thin ribbon
Charm in the shape of a cross.
Chapstick

Message:

How is your prayer life this week? (Allow children to provide answers.) Remember, each Sunday, we pray for people in the world and place coins in our Lenten Coin Calendar jar. Did you use your Lenten Coin Calendar this week? How many coins are currently in your jar? (Allow children to respond.) Did you use your prayer beads? What about your Lenten Playlist? Have the songs motivated you in your prayer life? (Allow children to provide examples.) On the First Sunday in Lent, we prayed for those in darkness. On the Second Sunday in Lent, we prayed for those who felt overwhelmed and asked that they find comfort and protection in Jesus. On the Third Sunday in Lent, we learned about producing fruit and how we must cling to Jesus. Last week, we heard the story of the prodigal son, and we learned about rainbows, God’s promises, and unending love.

I want to teach you a word that may be new to some of you. The word is anointed. Have you ever heard the word anointed before? (Allow children to respond.) To anoint someone is to put oil on that person. Sometimes, it is placed on their heads, shoulders, hands, or feet. In Bible stories, Israelites (people from Israel) would anoint the person who was going to be the next king. I wonder if there is a story in our Bible of when Jesus was anointed.

Today’s scripture story is a story about when Jesus was anointed. It is found in the Gospel of John.

Listen as I read John 12:1-8 (NIRV) to you. (Read directly from your Bible.)

7“Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “The perfume was meant for the day I am buried. 8You will always have the poor among you. But you won’t always have me.”

In today’s scripture passage, Mary used expensive perfumed oil and anointed Jesus’ feet. It was Mary’s way of thanking Jesus after he raised her brother, Lazarus, from the dead. Do you think that all the people watching what Mary had done were happy? (Allow children to answer.) No! Jesus was thankful for Mary’s gift, but Judas was upset. Judas showed the others just how greedy he was. But Jesus reminded Judas and the others that it was good of Mary to do.

This story also allows us to see a moment where someone gave to Jesus. We read so many times in the Bible of how much Jesus gave to others. Jesus gave the gift of healing. He gave the gift of teaching and preaching. Jesus gave the gift of love and forgiveness. But in this story, Mary gave Jesus a gift.

This story from the Gospel of John reminds us that we all can give gifts to Jesus just as Mary did. Throughout this Lenten season, we have been invited to place coins in a jar to collect money for others who need help. With each coin you drop in your jar at your home, you are giving a gift to Jesus.

Throughout scripture, we learn from Jesus. In the same way, we can learn how to give gifts to him.

The best way to give to Jesus is to live life the way he teaches us to live it. For example, when we pray, we pay attention to God and make God first in our lives. What are some other ways we can offer gifts to Jesus? (Allow children to provide examples.) Those are some great ideas. When we spend time together each week in worship, are we giving to Jesus? (Allow children to answer.) When we talk and share our Bible stories, are we giving to Jesus? (Allow children to answer.)

When we live as followers of Jesus, we see that Jesus gives us the same gifts that God gave him! We receive gifts like God’s love, grace, and forgiveness that Jesus received. Then, in turn, we share those gifts with others.

Last week, our playlist song was about rainbows. This week, our song “Cover Me in Sunshine” by Pink. As we think about the giving and receiving of gifts to and from Jesus, it makes me feel pretty good inside. Sunshine also provides us with good feelings. Have you ever felt the warmth of a sunbeam? Do bright sunny days make you feel good inside?

The lyrics from “Cover Me in Sunshine” remind us that we are covered in the warmth of God’s love and that as we live the way Jesus taught us, everything will be all right. In today’s scripture passage, Mary shows how she honors Jesus with everything she has, knowing he will supply her needs.

Mary anointed Jesus by placing perfumed oil on his feet. Today, I would like to anoint all of you as a reminder of what Mary did for Jesus and of the gifts you have to offer Jesus. I have a ChapStick in my hand, and I would like to draw a cross on the top of your hand. This cross will remind us that while we can’t see God, we can always feel God. Sometimes, we can get a “whiff” that proves that God is with us and that we are safe. What a wonderful reminder for all of us today as we feel the warmth of God’s love! (Use the “blessing balm” to draw a cross on the hand of each child.)

Prayer:

(Each week during the prayer, affix the bead to the ribbon when you begin the prayer. Because you are applying the ChapStick, recruit someone else to affix the bead this week.) God, who provides and supplies us with everything we need and who covers us in sunshine: Teach us to turn to you as we learn from you how to live our lives through our actions in the ways that we learned from Jesus. We give you thanks for the example of Mary and how we, too, can offer gifts to Jesus. In the way he taught us how to live, we can show others. Amen.