"40 Days" Family Dinner Liturgy: "The Strong and the Weak"

During this "40 Days of Faith" (Lent), we encourage you to try the Family Dinner Liturgy once a week. We hope that this will be a fun way to take a moment to turn toward God together as a family. How do you do it? It’s easy.

1. Pick a day of the week when you are most likely to have everyone in the family at the dinner table. 
2. Take 3-5 minutes to do the liturgy below before the dinner.
3. Repeat weekly during the "40 Days of Faith."
4. Consider getting together with other families for dinner and liturgy.

For this week's "The Strong and the Weak" liturgy, click here and/or see below.

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​Family Dinner Liturgy: "The Strong and the Weak"
 
Opening Prayer
(Together holding hands)
We make room for you,
Come and fill us with your Spirit.

Candle Lighting
(Any kind of candles; as many as you want)
 
Blessing
(This is worth memorizing. A grown-up can say the blessing as she/he looks into everyone’s eyes OR everyone can recite this together for each other.)

“The Lord bless you
   and keep you;
the Lord make His face shine on you
   and be gracious to you;
the Lord turn His face toward you
   and give you peace.” (Numbers 6:24-26)

Story of the Week | Jesus’ Birth
(Families with young kids might want to skip this part)

John 1, Luke 2:7
In the very beginning, Jesus was there. Jesus was with God and Jesus was God.
He existed in the beginning with God.
God created everything through Jesus; the universe, the sun, the moon, and the stars.
Jesus gave Life to everything that was created; to trees, animals, birds, and people.
Jesus’ Life brought Light to everyone.
Jesus made everything in the world possible and was over everything.
Jesus was with God and was ONE with Him.

But to show us His Upside-Down Love, Jesus came into our world. Jesus became human and made His home among us. He was born to a young woman, Mary, by the power of the Holy Spirit. When He was born, she wrapped him in cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them.

He came into the very world He created as one of us and the world did not recognize Him. They did not understand the Upside-Down Love of God. He became small to show us how big His love for us is. He became weak and His love became stronger to reach us. Jesus was filled with never-failing and never-ending love for all. He gave Life and Light to whoever turned toward Him. No one has seen God, but Jesus, who is Himself God, has revealed God to us.

 Reflection 

• “Jesus is __________ in this story”
• Discuss how you would fill in the blank (e.g. “forever,” “loving,” “humble”).
• Together, decide on one word.
• On a post-it, draw an upside-down heart and write the word inside it.
• Stick the post-it where it will be visible for a week. Every time you see it, hold the word inside of your heart for a few moments.