Trinity Sunday

Year A:  June 15, 2014

First Reading: Genesis 1:1-2:4a

There Was an Old Man Who Painted the Sky by Teri Sloat

(Written for ages 3-7)

Comment:  The wonder of God’s works captivates us whenever we revisit the creation story. We ask: How did God create this world with all its beauty? How did God work on the details like color, texture, size, and shape? How did God breathe life into every creature? Children explore the creation story in There Was an Old Man Who Painted the Sky. Like the little girl, they will ask “how did the old man paint the whole sky? How did he do it? It’s up so high!” The little girl discovers these ancient paintings on the roof of a cave. The paintings retell the creation story. God created the night and day, creatures of the waters and land, woman and man and child alike. In the end, God hands over the brush to us with an invitation to participate in the process of creation. We are called to be care-takers of this beautiful world.

Second Reading:  2 Corinthians 13:11-13

The Storyteller’s Beads by Jane Kurtz

(Written for ages 8-12)

Comment: In this farewell blessing, Paul exhorts the Christians in Corinth to live in peace. God’s presence is manifest in a community that loves and cares for one another. Making peace with one another is not limited to one’s community but extends to other communities. Sahay and Rahel hail from different ethnic groups in Ethiopia. They grew up hearing not to trust ‘strangers.’  They first meet during their escape from Ethiopia. Sahay and her uncle left Ethiopia for the fear of being killed. Rahel is blind. She leaves Ethiopia with her brother and some of the Beta-Israel (Ethiopian Jew, literally translated as ‘House of Israel’) people. On their way to Sudan some soldiers forced both Sahay’s uncle and Rahel’s brother to return to Ethiopia. Rahel now depends on Sahay to guide her way. Sahay and Rahel were hungry, thirsty and exhausted. They did not trust each other because of their ethnic differences. Hunger, thirst, loneliness, and exhaustion bridged their ethnic differences. Gradually Sahay and Rahel start caring for each other. Sahay brings food for Rahel. Rahel’s stories and flute music ecourage Sahay. They continue their journey depending on and caring for each other.

Gospel Reading:  Matthew 28:16-20

A Mother’s Promise by Lisa Humphrey

(Written for all ages, Juvenile)

Comment: “And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” The Gospel according to Matthew ends with an assurance that Jesus would remain with his disciples forever. Jesus commissioned his disciples to share the good news with others. The book A Mother’s Promise, is about a promise a mother makes to care for and nourish her unborn child. She teaches her child to honor and respect nature. She shows her child to love the world around her. The child learns to love and care for the world. Like the mother who promised to be with her unborn child, Jesus assures his disciples that he would be with them always. Now it is the disciples’ turn to show Jesus’ love to the world.

The Lectionary Links this week are written by alumna Mary Taneti, coordinator of children’s and youth ministries at First Presbyterian Church, Goldsboro, NC.

Lectionary Links: Sunday, June 15, 2014 by Storypath is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.