Put on ashes
Children's sermon
Object:
a small metal container in which to burn a few combustibles, or a small container of ashes you have prepared ahead of time
Good evening! This is Ash Wednesday. Does anybody know why
we are in church tonight? (Let them answer.) This is Ash
Wednesday and that is the first day of Lent. Lent is the forty
days before Easter, not counting the Sundays. Lent is a time for
us to remember all the events that led up to Easter. Before Jesus
could rise from the dead on Easter, he first had to die. Do you
know how Jesus died? (Let them answer.) Yes, he died on the
cross, and why did that have to happen? Why did Jesus have to die
on the cross? (Let them answer.) He died on the cross because of
our sins. He did that to pay for our sins. Wasn't that a
wonderful thing for him to do for us? (Let them answer.) Yes, it
was wonderful, and yet, it makes us sad that he had to suffer
that way for us.
In the old days, when people were sad about something, they
would put ashes on their head. So a tradition started in the
church to put ashes on our head on the first day of Lent, which
is always a Wednesday. The ashes would show that we were sad that
Jesus had to suffer for us. Would you like to do that tonight?
Would you like to put some ashes on your head? (Let them answer.)
Okay, let's do it. First we need some ashes, so I am going to
make some by starting a little fire in this container. (Burn your
combustibles to make the ashes.) Now I'm going to put some of
these ashes on each of your foreheads in a sign of the cross.
(Make the sign of the cross on each forehead with ashes.)
Now let's say a prayer thanking Jesus for what he did for
us.
Dear Jesus: We thank you so much for being willing to suffer and
die for us so that our sins can be forgiven. We are glad to wear
ashes on our foreheads to show that we are sad that you had to
suffer for us. Amen.
we are in church tonight? (Let them answer.) This is Ash
Wednesday and that is the first day of Lent. Lent is the forty
days before Easter, not counting the Sundays. Lent is a time for
us to remember all the events that led up to Easter. Before Jesus
could rise from the dead on Easter, he first had to die. Do you
know how Jesus died? (Let them answer.) Yes, he died on the
cross, and why did that have to happen? Why did Jesus have to die
on the cross? (Let them answer.) He died on the cross because of
our sins. He did that to pay for our sins. Wasn't that a
wonderful thing for him to do for us? (Let them answer.) Yes, it
was wonderful, and yet, it makes us sad that he had to suffer
that way for us.
In the old days, when people were sad about something, they
would put ashes on their head. So a tradition started in the
church to put ashes on our head on the first day of Lent, which
is always a Wednesday. The ashes would show that we were sad that
Jesus had to suffer for us. Would you like to do that tonight?
Would you like to put some ashes on your head? (Let them answer.)
Okay, let's do it. First we need some ashes, so I am going to
make some by starting a little fire in this container. (Burn your
combustibles to make the ashes.) Now I'm going to put some of
these ashes on each of your foreheads in a sign of the cross.
(Make the sign of the cross on each forehead with ashes.)
Now let's say a prayer thanking Jesus for what he did for
us.
Dear Jesus: We thank you so much for being willing to suffer and
die for us so that our sins can be forgiven. We are glad to wear
ashes on our foreheads to show that we are sad that you had to
suffer for us. Amen.
