(4th Sunday of Advent)
Year A: December 19
First Reading: Isaiah 7:10-16
Mama, Will It Snow Tonight? by Nancy White Carlstrom (Written for Grades PreK-1)
Comment: Isaiah speaks of a sign from God. Signs prepare us for things that have not yet come. A simple exploration of signs can be found in the book Mama, Will It Snow Tonight? “It smells like snow. It sounds like snow. It feels like snow.” The book shares signs that snow is coming and eventually it does. Reading Isaiah, we know that eventually Immanuel will come. What are the smells, sounds, and feelings we connect to “God with us”?
Second Reading: Romans 1:1-7
I Like Myself! by Karen Beaumont (Written for Grades K-3)
Comment: In this opening salutation from the letter to the Romans, we are given “a strong and clear sense of [Paul’s] personal identity and purpose. His life is entirely shaped by his commitment and devotion to Jesus Christ.” (Feasting on the Word, Year A, Volume 1, p. 88) Paul’s identity was grounded in Christ, but his life wasn’t exactly a piece of cake. Being true to who you are can be a true struggle for most people, especially in a world that seems ready to judge others. In I Like Myself! a vibrant little girls explains that “nothing…can change what’s deep inside of us”. As children of God we can truly be grounded in this message, able to say “I like myself because I’m ME!”
Third Reading: Matthew 1:18-25
Who Is Coming To Our House? by Joseph Slate (Written for Grades PreK-1)
Comment: This week we begin to hear the Christmas Story, as the angel of the Lord comes to prepare Joseph for Jesus’ birth. In Who Is Coming To Our House? the animals prepare their house for a special guest. As Advent continues, we too are preparing. We prepare our hearts, as Jospeh did, and, like the animals, we prepare our homes for birth of Jesus.
Filed under: Lectionary Links
