17th Sunday After Pentecost

Year 3: October 1, 2017

Preaching Text: Exodus 2:23-25; 3:1-15; 4:10-17

The Happiest Tree: a Yoga Story by Uma Krishnaswami

(Written for ages 5-9)

Comment: “I can’t do it!” In essence this is Moses’ response to God’s call. Children will be familiar with this phrase, filling in the “I’m not… enough” blanks. Mena, like Moses, replies with “I can’t” when her teacher asks her to be a tree in the school play. She believes she is too clumsy. With the encouragement of her teacher, parents, and yoga instructor, Mena discovers a rooted stillness within herself. Likewise, with God’s encouragement, Moses sets out to say and do things he never thought himself capable of doing. As you reflect upon this text and story with the children of your church, invite them to share stories of the people who encourage them to practice and try in their “I can’t do it” moments.

Thanks to Union Presbyterian Seminary alumna Noell Rathbun for writing the Year 4 Narrative Lectionary Links.

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