Observing St. Patrick’s Day

One of the popular days in March is St. Patrick’s Day. There are myths and legends about St. Patrick. Use this month’s meeting to focus on the person St. Patrick was and his contribution to church history.  The following websites have information to incorporate into your meeting. You’ll also find some recipes you may wish to try—either for the meeting or with your family.

Customs and Traditions: http://wilstar.com/holidays/patrick.htm
History of St. Patrick's Day: http://www.theholidayspot.com/patrick/historyofpatrick.htm
Designed for Elementary Teachers: http://www.theholidayzone.com/stpat/
Shamrock Facts: http://www.geocities.com/EnchantedForest/Cottage/2595/shamrock.html

Decorations:  Use items related to St. Patrick’s Day.  Visit party stores, dollar stores, and teacher supply stores for ideas.  Use green table clothes with white paper ware or white tablecloths with green paper ware.

Devotional idea:  Characteristics of the Lord—Psalm 2:7-11.
I.    He is a speaking God, Psalm 2:7
II.    He is a listening God, Psalm 2:8
III.    He is an awesome God, Psalm 2:11
IV.    Conclusion

Activities:  Ask the women to wear green.  Note the variety of shades. 
Ask a woman with a “green thumb” to give tips and helps for gardening and caring for household plants.

March:  A Lion or a Lamb

There is an adage that says March comes in like a lamb and goes out like a lion. This may relate the meteorological changes that occur during the month.  Perhaps you can recall previous years when March included a wide range of weather patterns.  Living in the Midwest, I recall years when we had a major snow storm in March.  Other years, March was mild and held great promise of an early spring.  

While the weather may be difficult to predict, we can always rely on God’s nature to be true and unchanging.  Use the lion and lamb theme to talk about God’s kingship and redemption.  Lions are often described as the “king of the jungle” while lambs bring to mind a sense of meekness and gentleness.

Use these scripture references to build a devotional on the Jesus as the Lamb of God, our Redeemer.  Starting with the Prophet Isaiah, trace through scripture references to Jesus’ willingness to pay for our redemption.  Then develop the concept of the Kingship of God—Lord of our lives.  One focus could be that God wants to be King of our lives, for us to completely surrender to His control, allowing Him to form us into a faithful disciple.

The Lion of Judah (Kingliness)—The Lamb of God (redemption)
Lamb of God—Isaiah 53; John 1:29-34; 1 Peter 1: 18-25; Revelation 5:12; 7:14; 21:22-27
King of Kings—I Timothy 6:11-16; Revelation 17:14; Revelation 19:16; Isaiah 9:2-7;

Song:  “Thou Art Worthy” –eliminate the “old language” by singing “You Are Worthy”

Activity:  Spring brings thoughts—some dreaded—of spring house cleaning.  Perhaps we anticipate fresh air flowing through open windows more than the cleaning chores.  While we all live busy lives and have homes to clean, there are elderly women in your congregation who would welcome some help—inside and/or outside.  Identify these women and form teams of three or four women to give an hour on Saturday.  If the women are uncomfortable working in someone’s house, the janitorial staff of the church would welcome some help.

Spring is Coming—New Beginnings, New Life, New Energy

During the month of March, we celebrate the beginning of spring.  Perhaps it’s those of us who live in areas where we experience the “winter doldrums” that the coming of spring is anticipated.  We look forward to seeing the first tree buds, watching tree turn from brown to various shades of green, and enjoying green grass.  The gardeners can hardly wait to begin planting flowers and vegetables.  Some actually look forward to mowing the lawn, well, at least for the first few times.

We can also use spring to begin again.  We made those New Year’s resolutions and may be feeling some guilt about maintaining them.  With spring here and Easter around the corner, use this time to evaluate and renew your determination to keep some resolutions.

Use the following people to show a new beginning after an encounter with the living God:

Anticipate the Future—Prepare for Tomorrow

Most of realize we need to plan for the future. Yet, many of us postpone taking any action. With immediate needs and demands, future planning often gets pushed further and further away. One day, we suddenly realize we should have started sooner. As spring starts, take time to convert thoughts, ideas, and conversations into action steps. We need to take charge of our futures now.

More than 70 percent of the people who care for the elderly are family members, and most of them are working women. (ABC News)

Have a guest speaker to address retirement planning, a health care worker to discuss self-care, or a health care worker to discuss caring for elderly parents and family members.

A web search on “daughter track” and “elder care” should result in current information and insights, too.

Wonderful and Loving Ways to Show Care


These suggestions are adapted from Gifts from the Heart by Dolley Carlson, Chariot Victor Publishing.

Devotional Thoughts:
Proverbs 14:24, 15: 22, 20:18; Luke 14:25-35.  Center your thoughts on the importance of planning and then working the plan. Relate this to other areas of life—work, home, spiritual development, etc.