Lectionary Links: Sunday, February 26, 2012

First Sunday in Lent

Year B: February 26, 2012

First Reading: Genesis 9:8-17

The Color of Me by Linda L. McDunn (Written for ages 5-9)

Comment: Jane Anne Ferguson suggests that God’s rainbow promise can serve to inspire the church “to be a place where ‘all the colors of the rainbow’ [are] welcome in God’s sight…” (Feasting on the Word, Year B, Volume 2, p 30) Linda McDunn explores this theme by following God’s use of color throughout creation. Finally people come to argue about what color God is. As they witness a rainbow following the storm they come to realize that God is the color of everyone and everything. “From that day on, the people rejoiced in the goodness of God’s colors, passing on the story of the rainbow to every generation, for it was known that God colors in love and that God is all colors.

Second Reading: 1 Peter 3: 18-22

There’s a Big, Beautiful World Out There! by Nancy Carlson (Written for ages 3-7)

Comment: In her comments on exploring this text with children, Carolyn Brown highlights “Peter’s insistence that even though at times it will look as if the bad guys are winning, God will win in the end.” (http://worshipingwithchildren.blogspot.com/2011/04/year-the-sixth-sunday-of-easter-may-29.html) This topic is one of many that might make the worry lists of children in our church families. Sometimes in the midst of fear or suffering life can seem very hopeless. There’s A Big Beautiful World Out There follows the worries and fears of a little girl. It also highlights what we’ll miss if we allow our worries and fears to keep us hidden away under the covers. Use this week’s epistle lesson to help children in your church to explore the ultimate thing worth getting out from under the covers for: the hope we find in God, through Jesus.

Gospel Reading: Mark 1:9-15

Swimming with Sharks by Bety Hicks (Written for ages 7-11)

Comment: The season of Lent is modeled on Christ’s 40 days in the wilderness. During this time, many communities take on the challenge of picking up a particular practice such as study or fasting. Taking on a new discipline can be a difficult task. Perseverance is required to endure the journey that is in front of us. In Swimming with Sharks Rita learns about perseverance. She works hard, learns new skills, and looks to friends to help inspire her so that she can accomplish her goal of making the Shark swim team.  During our Lenten journey, may our goal of focusing on Christ help us to take heart, practice and work hard so that we too can persevere.

This week’s Lectionary Links post was written by regular contributor Noell Rathbun-Cook and Union Presbyterian Seminary student Rachel Mastin.

Lectionary Links: Sunday, June 5, 2011

7^th Sunday in Easter

Year A: June 5, 2011

Two of today’s texts share a similarity in the role flower seeds play, providing hope for the characters. Watching my own garden sprout and grow from seeds is something that I always find to be an inspirational part of the Easter season.  When all seems dark and barren, life bursts miraculously from the ground. Christ is Risen! Alleluia, Amen!

First Reading: Acts 1:6-14

A Packet of Seeds by Deborah Hopkinson (Written for Ages 5-9)

Comment: When Jesus ascends into Heaven, his disciples look up towards the heavens, and are greeted with a message from angels: “This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.” Sometimes we are stuck in the pause of looking back to what has happened, feeling as if we are waiting. The disciples couldn’t stare up at Heaven until Jesus returned, they had to continue living out the life to which they had been called by Christ. When they move to the prarie, Annie’s mother is so heartbroken, it seems her life has been stopped due to the process of looking back. Annie has hope that she can restore joy to her mother, and seeks to plant a kitchen garden. When Momma comes out with seeds for the garden, hope is restored. A note from Aunt Janice falls from the packet: “Dear sister…don’t be sad. When you plant these seeds, keep me in your heart. And remember: I will be digging in this same sweet earth, thinking of you in your new prairie home.” The love of our community strengthens us and gives us hope until Christ comes again.

Second Reading: 1 Peter 4:12-14; 5:6-11

A Place Where Sunflowers Grow by Amy Lee-Tai (Written for Ages 6-11)

Comment: This selection from First Peter encourages faithfulness in the midst of suffering. It is a faithfulness that suffering will not have the final say and one day God will “restore, support, strengthen, and establish you.” It’s often hard to be hopeful in the midst of suffering, to believe that the future holds something brighter. Lee-Tai shares a story of a little girl living in a Japanese American Interment Camp during World War II. At First Mari struggles with her new reality, and does not see much hope in her new life. Over time her art teacher, family, and a new friend help her to find moments of hopefulness in the midst of her suffering. After three months of sitting fallow in the dust, Mari’s sunflowers finally bloom. “In that moment, her old life, and whatever her new life would be life after the war, didn’t feel so far away.”

Gospel Reading: John 17:1-11

Friend Jesus: Prayers for Children by Gaynell Bordes Cronin (Written for Ages 5-9)

Comment: In this passage Jesus prays that the people might know God and Jesus. He prays on their behalf, “Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one.” Remembering that God and Jesus are with us and pray for us helps children in their own developing prayer life. This scripture reminds us that God listens and Jesus cares. We can also follow Jesus’ example and pray for one another. This book of prayers is written by a Catholic Christian Educator but can be adapted for use by other denominations. In the introduction, Gaynell Bordes Cronin invites readers to pray so that we might “…become the person God is calling us to be, not all at once, but step by step.” She reminds us that God is everywhere we go, and prays that Jesus would always be our friend. The book divides into categories of prayer for self, others, the week, and special times. Each category is helpful in teaching children to make conversation with God a part of their daily routine.

This Lectionary Links post was written by regular contributor and Union Presbyterian Seminary alumna Noell Rathbun.

Lectionary Links: Sunday, May 29, 2011

6^th Sunday in Easter

Year A: May 29, 2011

First Reading: Acts 17:22-31

In God’s Name by Sandy Sasso (Written for Ages 5-9)  or

What is God’s Name? by Sandy Sasso (Written for Ages 2-4)

Comment: “…they would search for God and perhaps grope for him and find him—though indeed he is not far from each one of us.” A colleague preaching on this text was reminded of the story of the elephant and the blind men. Each describes the elephant as they experience him and though none of their descriptions are the same, they each describe a part of who the elephant is. Sandy Sasso’s books on God’s name have a similar approach to God. She explains how each person groping for God understands God related to his or her own life and needs. It is only at the end, when they come together, that the people can have a fuller understanding of God.

Second Reading: 1 Peter 3:13-22

At Your Baptism by Carrie Steenwyk (Written for Ages 3-6)

Comment: “[Baptism] now saves you—not as a removal of dirt from the body, but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ…” Baptism can be difficult to explain to children—we could use many more children’s books on the subject! In First Peter, we read that it is not about removing dirt, but about being the people God is calling us to be through our relationship to Christ. At Your Baptism is split into two story lines; the text at the top of each page is from the French Reformed liturgy for baptism, while the text at the bottom of each page seeks to describe the meaning of the liturgy above. The book focuses on the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Steenwyk explains that Jesus helps us to see God’s love for us and for others. “When you think about your baptism, remember that God loves you. Remember that you are part of God’s worldwide family. No one can ever take these promises away from you!”

Gospel Reading: John 14:15-21

The Most Important Gift of All by David Conway (Written for Ages 5-9)

Comment: “They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me; and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them.” We know that Jesus commanded us to love God and one another. Interaction with families is generally the first opportunity a child has to follow Jesus’ command to love. In this context, young children explore what it means to be loved and to share love with one another. Ama discovers the multifaceted nature of love through “the warmth of her grandma’s smile, the caring hands of her pap, and the comforting arms of her mama.” Through Ama’s journey we are reminded that love is not only a commandment, it is also a gift.

This Lectionary Links post was written by Union Presbyterian Seminary alumna Noell Rathbun.

Lectionary Links: Sunday, May 22, 2011

5^th Sunday in Easter

Year A: May 22, 2011

First Reading: Acts 7:55-60

Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy by Gary D. Schmidt (Written for Ages 10+)

Comment: Standing up for what is right isn’t always the safe thing to do. Stephen was stoned to death because he spoke truthfully to the people about the ways they failed to keep the law. Rather than hear the truth, they chose to get rid of Stephen. In Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy is a grief-filled, yet hopeful story. Like the people Stephen is speaking to in the passage from Acts, the people of Phippsburg have created their own version of right and wrong. In Chapter 10, Turner and his father, Reverend Buckminster, stand up to the Sheriff for taking the people who live on Malaga Island to an Insane Asylum. There is a struggle between the men, the Reverend is pushed over a cliff, and eventually dies from his wounds. As the book ends, Turner and his mother extend grace and forgiveness similar to Stephen’s when they invite Deacon Hurd and his family to live with them.

Second Reading: 1 Peter 2:2-10

The Three Little Pigs a traditional fairy tale (Written for Ages 5-9)

Comment: “…like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house…” Each one of us is an important building material for the house of God. When one builds a house, literally or spiritually, one must consider the materials to be used. The three little pigs learned this lesson when the wolf blew down the straw and wood homes. What materials are our spiritual houses built of—are we straw, wood, or bricks? When there is huffing and puffing will we collapse or keep standing? A stone house, build on a strong foundation does not quickly crumble. The strength of the church comes from its foundation—Jesus, our cornerstone—and the living stones that make it into a house.

Gospel Reading: John 14:1-14

Under the Quilt of Night by Deborah Hopkinson (Written for Ages 5-9)

Comment: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life.” Jesus is telling his disciples, that if they know him, they know the way to God. Jesus is our guide, or map to the place he has prepared for us. In Under the Quilt of Night, the people seeking freedom from slavery also follow non-traditional maps and guides. When a woman hangs a quilt on the fence, the little girl reads it like a map. “I know what to look for: in most quilts, center squares are red for home and hearth. But these centers are a dark, deep blue. This house hides runaways!” The runaways use their maps and guides to know whom they can trust, and in doing so, find their way to freedom. By trusting in Christ, we too will find the way.

This lectionary links post was written by Union Presbyterian Seminary graduate Noell Rathbun.

Lectionary Links: Sunday, May 15

4^th Sunday in Easter

Year A: May 15, 2011

First Reading: Acts 2:42-47

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman (Written for Ages 13+)

Comment: In this text we read of the things that bound the early church community together—devotion to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and the prayers. No matter what communities we find ourselves to be a part of, each is typically centered on devotion to a particular cause, practice, or belief. In The Graveyard Book community is built around the care, raising, and protection of Nobody “Bod” Owens, a toddler who crawls into a graveyard the night his family is murdered. As Bod grows, he wants to explore the world outside the graveyard, but different members of his community advise him against it, in a desire to keep him safe. “Us in the graveyard, we wants you to stay alive. We wants you to surprise us and disappoint us and impress us and amaze us.” (Chapter 6) Throughout the book we see the graveyard community bond together to protect Bod until the world is finally a safe place for him; because of their commitment and devotion, Bod is finally able to walk into the world “with his eyes and his heart wide open.” (Chapter 8.)

Psalm 23

The Lord Is My Shepherd illustrated by Anne Wilson

and

Psalm Twenty-Three illustrated by Tim Ladwig

Although we don’t typically include the Psalms in weekly lectionary links, these illustrated versions of Psalm 23 worth checking out. Discussing the illustrations with children is a great way to talk about the meaning of the Psalm and explore how one might have chosen to illustrate it differently.

Second Reading: 1 Peter 2:19-25

Martin’s Big Words by Doreen Rappaport (Written for Ages 6-9)

Comment: “For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you should follow in his steps.” What does it mean to follow in Christ’s footsteps? I think the text is not calling us to seek out suffering, but rather, to act in a particular way as a response to our suffering. We remember the stories of many people who followed in Jesus’ footsteps—people who advocated nonviolence in the midst of suffering. Martin’s Big Words is a simply written, yet poignant retelling of the life and message of Dr. Martin Luther King Junior. When we follow Christ’s example, we struggle through violence and suffering by focusing not on the power of our fists, but the power of love. “Love is the key to the problems of the world.” These big words of Martin, like the big words of Jesus, help us to live out the Easter message. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.  

Gospel Reading: John 10:1-10

Feeding the Sheep by Leda Schubert (Written for Ages 3-5)

Comment: “When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice.” In this story a little girl watches her mother care for sheep, and go through the steps of turning their wool into a sweater. Readers will find a similarity between the mother’s care for the girl and a shepherd’s care for the sheep. “‘What are you doing?’ the little girl asked. ‘keeping you warm,’ her mother said. Sweater snug, woolly hug.” Throughout the story the girl mimics her mother’s actions, and by the end of the story, the girl has followed in her mother’s footsteps and is caring for the sheep.

This Lectionary Links post is written by Noell Rathbun.

Lectionary Links: Sunday, May 8, 2011

3^rd Sunday in Easter

Year A: May 8, 2011

First Reading: Acts 2:14a, 36-41

The Quiltmaker’s Journey by Jeff Brumbeau (Written for Ages 5-9)

Comment: Peter says, “Repent… Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” His words are a call for action. We are to turn our lives around, and live according to Christ’s way, rather than the way of the world. Today’s text speaks of the powerful transformation of three thousand lives. What might it look like, to repent, be transformed, and begin a new life? Children are given a vision of this transformation in the story of the Quilt Maker’s Journey.  The young girl leaves a life of wealth and beauty to seek her new life. Along the way she discovers her calling—to share love, warmth, and hope with others through the quilts she makes. To repent, to turn away from the corrupt ideas of the world, gives us the opportunity to stitch beauty, warmth, love, and hope into a world desperately waiting for God’s Kingdom to come.

Second Reading: 1 Peter 1:17-23

Love: Values to Live By by Jane Belk Moncure (Written for Ages 2-4)

Comment:  The reading from First Peter addresses how we are to live out our new life in Christ. “Now that you have purified your souls by your obedience to the truth so that you have genuine mutual love, love one another deeply from the heart.” Love can be a tricky concept to explain. More often, we come to understand and know love through feeling and participating in the act of love. Moncure’s Love uses vignettes from the daily life of a young girl to help explain what it is to love. Though the pictures are dated, the text remains relevant for young children today. The story ends with a question, opening up time to explore and discuss the ways we show love.

Gospel Reading: John 20:19-31

When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead (Written for Ages 9-11)

Comment: “Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him; and he vanished from their sight. They said to each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?” The disciples’ experience with Jesus at dinner is a revelation—suddenly something to which they were blind becomes crystal clear, and it changes the meaning of the past for them. In the chapter Magic Thread, Mira’s experience is not that unlike the disciples. “…it was like an invisible hand reached out and snatched away my veil. And for almost a minute, I understood everything. When that veil isn’t hanging down right in front of a person’s face, a minute is long enough to realize a lot of things.” When Mira discovers that the crazy old man is her friend Marcus, older and having traveled back in time, she comes to understand the past few months in a new light.