An activity for Ash Wednesday
This activity can be adapted for numerous teaching sessions. It's also great fun!
It is easy to focus on the negative on Ash Wednesday, so I have tried to turn it around a bit to focus on the positive.
A “Pass the Parcel” with one of the items on each layer as indicated below. Make it easy for someone with limited dexterity to open.
If you cannot get the actual items use pictures. Here is a PDF document with some pictures you can use.
Some ashes. (Optional) Your background may make you decide to use those supplied by your church, but if this is not an issue to you, before the service, make some ashes for yourself, then add, drop by drop, some Olive Oil, so you end up with a thick paste. The ashes are used at the end if you want to. I simply put a small thin dab on the back of the people's hands, with a simple explanation
The basic outline is here (Word Document)
This activity takes some of the ideas from: Multi-Sensory Prayer, by Sue Wallace, Published by Scripture Union, 2000. ISBN 1 85999 465 2 page 13