First Sunday after Christmas

Year 3: January 1, 2017

Preaching Text: Luke 2:21-38

When the World Was Waiting For You by Gillian Shields

(Written for ages 4-8)

Comment: In this story of Jesus’ naming and presentation to God, joy, praise, and expectation for the future are expressed by the people who’ve been anticipating his coming. When the World Was Waiting for You also tells the story of an anticipated baby’s arrival and the people who were there to greet the baby with joy. “We held you close and spoke your name, so full of joy, so glad you came… Now the world still waits for you, to grow, and bloom, and be, and do.” This text and story invite us to share with the children of our church their own stories of their blessing and naming. Sharing these stories helps children understand more about their identity as of children of God and highlights the people in their life who love and support them on their spiritual journeys.

Thanks to Noell Rathbun-Cook for writing the Year 3 Narrative Lectionary Links.

Lectionary Links (NL): January 1, 2017 by Storypath is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.