Capturing Lent

Cameras are ubiquitous and inter-generational.  Kids have ’em on their tablets and DS’s, teens and adults have ’em on their phones, grandparents and great-grandparents probably have a phone-camera too…if not…they are likely to have one lying around the house.  Why not use them for worship and faith formation?

Here is an idea we used during Lent 2015 that you might adapt for your own use (could be used in any season).

1. during Epiphany we advertised a Lenten theme of CAPTURING LENT using logo to the right:
2. we invited people to snap photos throughout Lent of people/places in need of resurrection (a broken door, a person with the flu, a flat tire, etc.).  During a children’s message we went as a whole group around the sanctuary and invited the kids take pictures of places that needed some resurrection (helping the Trustees out as well by raising awareness of chipping paint, broken pews, torn carpet, etc!)
3. after snapping those photos, we asked the photographers to post on instagram or send by email to the office (more did than we expected)
4. every Sunday, we projected a very simple PowerPoint with 6-10 photos accompanied by a music track.  The presentation lasted ~2 minutes and was projected in place of our Call to Worship
5. finally, on Easter Sunday, we printed out color copies of some of the photos and made those available to whoever wished to take them home.  I also preached an Easter sermon, titled, “Captured by Easter” to go along with this theme (you can listen to it here.)

As it turned out, we received about 50 photos from people of all ages, representing about 30 people.  A simple way to: 1)  engage multiple generations in creating worship, 2) extend the sanctuary out into the world and back again, 3) help people to deepen their Lenten journeys, 4) raise awareness and attention, 5) develop disciples of Jesus Christ.

© Rev. Kevin Goldenbogen, 2016

Kevin Goldenbogen is an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ serving an amazing congregation in the foothills of the Green Mountains of Vermont. He skis, climbs, runs, bakes bread, rides a red Vespa, and tries every day to follow Jesus. He is married to the perfect woman and has two boys who he loves beyond words.