Lectionary Links (NL): October 6, 2019
18th Sunday After Pentecost
Year 2: October 6, 2019
The Worst Day of My Life EVER! by Julia Cook
(Written for ages 4-8)
Comment: RJ is really not living his best life. Waking up with gum in his hair, getting in trouble for running in school, and making a huge mess in the kitchen all lead up to the conclusion that this is the WORST. DAY. EVER! His mom takes time to go back over his day, pointing out the rules he failed to listen to and how these guidelines were meant to help him have a better day. This book helps children to think of rules less as abstract, meaningless directives and more as helpful guides for good living. Older kids should be able to follow the specific logic of cause and effect that connects RJ’s actions to bad or good consequences, while younger kids can recognize the simpler message that, when RJ follows the rules, things go better for him. Today’s selection from Deuteronomy pairs the Ten Commandments – God’s list of rules for the Israelite community – and the Shema – an affirmation of the dedication between God and people. By reading these passages alongside one another, we can more easily recognize the connection between the “what” of the contents of the commandments and the “why” of the relationship between God and humankind. Children can explore the idea that this list of rules in the Bible is actually designed to create a positive, close relationship between God and humankind – and between humans and our neighbors. You might ask children to share some of the rules in their household, and explore why those rules are in place. You can talk together about how rules help people understand what we need to do and how we need to act in order to share God’s love with the world.
Thanks to Union Presbyterian Seminary alumnus Joshua Andrzejewski for writing the Year 2 Narrative Lectionary Links this year.
Lectionary Links (NL): October 6, 2019 by Storypath is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
