Start of Lent: 2 March to 6 March

The Genesis creation accounts paint an idyllic picture of humanity all created equal, made in the image of God, in their diversity and difference, enjoying the gifts of God’s abundance. How did it all go so wrong?

Action for the week

This week, pray every morning that God would help you see his image in every person you meet.

In the evening, spend a few minutes reviewing the day. Who did you meet God in? Who did you struggle with?

You can find short video introductions to the weekly themes from Isabelle Hamley on The Big Church Read website.

There are also in-depth interviews relating to the weekly themes and group discussion resources on SPCK’s homegroups website.

For children and families

Lent is a time when Christians journey towards Easter. We try to turn away from doing wrong and ask God to help us become more like Jesus in how we treat other people and our world.

READ: Genesis 1.24-31

And God said, ‘Let the earth bring forth living creatures of every kind: cattle and creeping things and wild animals of the earth of every kind.’ And it was so. God made the wild animals of the earth of every kind, and the cattle of every kind, and everything that creeps upon the ground of every kind. And God saw that it was good.

Then God said, ‘Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the wild animals of the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.’

So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.

God blessed them, and God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.’ God said, ‘See, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit; you shall have them for food. And to every beast of the earth, and to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.’ And it was so. God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.

Prayer for the week
Generous God, help us to find you in everyone we meet and share the gifts you give us with the world and its people. Amen.