Lectionary Links (NL): October 27, 2019
20th Sunday After Pentecost
Year 2: October 27, 2019
The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister
(Written for ages 4-8)
Comment: The story of Rehoboam’s rise to power is difficult for children (and adults!) to relate to, but at its heart is the advice the young king ignores: “be a servant to this people today and serve them.” In essence, the wise elders encourage Rehoboam to give up some of his power for the good of the nation. Instead, he chooses to listen to the voices of his contemporaries, who advise him to consolidate his power, keeping a tight grip on it. In a similar way, the Rainbow Fish initially wants to keep all his beautiful scales to himself, refusing to share them with the other fish. He thinks he has to hoard what makes him special. At the invitation of a wise octopus, he chooses to share his scales with the other fish in the ocean, learning that “the more he gave away, the more delighted he became” and ultimately discovering that by sharing what he has – giving up his “power” – he gains loyal friends. This story provides children an opportunity to think about servant leadership, brainstorming how they might share their gifts with those around them.
Thanks to Union Presbyterian Seminary alumnus Joshua Andrzemewski for writing the Year 2 Narrative Lectionary Links.
Lectionary Links (NL): October 27, 2019 by Storypath is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.