Best of Blessings: Lent, Holy Week, and Easter

Sheila Martindale is poetry editor of Canadian Author and Bookman and
the author of No Greater Love.

From 1986 to 1996 a group of Anglicans sought out Christian education
programs from various parishes, and published them for use by other
churches. This sharing of creative ideas was extremely popular, and many
churches were disappointed when Blessings ceased to be published. Best
of Blessings features eight of the back issues relating to Lent, Holy
Week and Easter.

There is a great deal of useful information here, and many practical
suggestions on how to engage children of all ages in this most sacred
time in the Christian calendar. Because of the focus, there is a certain
amount of repetition. Educators could choose one particular unit, or
pick various activities from all the units. There is sufficient material
here to keep a parish busy for several Easter seasons. Everything is
explained simply, in step-by-step fashion, with the time it takes to
accomplish the various components noted. In addition to the Christian
stories and traditions, there are a couple of units that look at the
Jewish background of Passover in some detail. The large-size format,
clear print, and illustrations make this a very user-friendly resource.