Week 30: Holy Week, Disability Awareness

From last week:  General Math class

We played coordinate plane Battleship

A great review of positive and negative numbers.

Lit class - Disability awareness Day 1 - Visual disabilities

"Go this way" does not help much without vision

How can you guide 2 blind partners?  Annelise was creative

Buttering a cracker was quite difficult

Day 2: Auditory disablilities

How well can you lip read?

Playing close attention!

We have a greater appreciation of Helen Keller's achievements

Day 3 and 4: Cognitive and learning disabilities

Simulating Dyslexia, ADD, and math disabilities

Physical disabilities - could you cut out a star without one hand?

Holy Week

Spring is upon us! It is exciting to begin to see signs of new life:  green shoots poking through the brown earth, budding trees, flowers blooming, robins singing - even amidst a few snowflakes. Spring is the perfect time to reflect on how we, too, have been made a new creation.

This week is the time set aside by the Christian church to remember the last days of Jesus' life, as well as the pain and death he suffered taking our place to receive the punishment of our sins. In our study of "Who is Jesus" we are focusing on the events of Passion Week.  Micah H's dad, pastor at Chapel of the Cross Lutheran Church spent 5 days with us revealing parts of scripture that explain resurrection and leading us through events of the week through historical eyes. Thank you, Pastor, for being with us and teaching us God's Truth!!

We have also been watching the word-for-word enactment of The Gospel of Matthew presented by The Visual Bible.  For some students, seeing the man who has been teaching and preaching, with loving compassion and tenderness, to now be sacrificed on the cross for our sins can be quite emotional. 

I encourage you take time with your family to reflect on Jesus' life and death, both in worship and in reading the Passion account from one of the gospels.  Why would anyone take such pain upon himself?  It is amazing to think that we could be loved so much!  It's truly beyond our understanding.  And what does this mean for us?  Romans 6:4 talks about how we have been buried with Christ - our sins have been taken to the grave - so that "just as Christ was raised from the death through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life."  Celebrate this new life!!

I encourage you to worship with your children on these special days ahead.   On Maundy Thursday we see the remarkable transformation of the Passover into Holy Communion - Jesus himself became our saving Lamb of sacrifice.  Honor the Good Friday on which Christ died for our sins and the temple veil was torn in two - the separation that sin had caused between us and our Lord is no more.  And finally the glorious day of resurrection, EASTER, when we celebrate our victory in Christ over sin, death, and the devil. There is nothing we could ever do to deserve this love. What a wonderful opportunity we have before us to learn and to grow in our faith -  to praise and thank God for this glorious gift!!

To see a clip from The Gospel of Matthew click this link.  Palm Sunday begins at about 5 min 30 sec.

Church Services for Passion Week…Zion’s services for Passion Week leading up to Easter continue this week.  If you don’t have a church home, Zion would love to welcome you to experience Jesus’ journey to the cross with us!  We have services all week. :) 

Living Last Supper Thursday 3/24 at 3:30 and 7pm.
Good Friday  Friday 3/25 at 3:30 and 7pm.
Easter  Sunday 3/27 at 8, 9:30 and 11am.