Resurrection of the Lord/Easter

Year B:  April 1, 2018

First Reading: Acts 10:34-43

Sidewalk Flowers by JonArno Lawson

(Written for ages 5-8)

Comment: Peter preaches about Jesus Christ, telling everyone who listens that Jesus Christ was, in fact, a message himself—a message of peace from God to God’s people. God shows no partiality, and those who know and follow Jesus Christ also know the p eace which comes with him. To each person, Jesus Christ is a message of peace. In Sidewalk Flowers, a little girl and her father walk through a black and white world. The girl notices brightly colored flowers along their walk and gathers them to give to others. Every time she hands over a flower, the world around her becomes a little more colorful and bright, just like the flowers. The flowers are a bright gift to all who receive them, making the world a little different than it was before. Jesus Christ is a gift of peace to each of us, making us and our world different than it was before. He is a message of peace to us.

Second Reading: I Corinthians 15:1-11

Sweetest Kulu by Celina Kalluk

(Written for ages 2-4)

Comment: I Corinthians describes the passing of the good news which came from God, through Jesus Christ, to the apostle Paul and then to the Corinthians. This good news was handed on like a gift and a blessing to the people of Corinth, so that they can believe and hold firm in that faith. In Sweetest Kulu, a mother tells her baby, nicknamed Sweetest Kulu, about all the blessings and wisdom given at birth. Sweetest Kulu was blessed by the wind and the sea, advised by caribou and whales and birds. Each one leaves a piece of advice that blesses the baby’s life. Just as wisdom was passed on to Sweetest Kulu and to the Corinthians, we too have received the message of Jesus Christ, and the good news of his salvation. Standing firm in that faith, we, too, can carry on the tradition of passing on his good news to other people.

Gospel Reading: John 20:1-18

Lost and Found by Oliver Jeffers

(Written for ages 3-7)

Comment: In Lost and Found, a little boy discovers a penguin he believes is lost from the South Pole. He gets his rowboat and takes the penguin home, and during the long journey they enjoy just being with each other. When the little boy gets the penguin to the South Pole, he plans to leave him there, but then realizes that the penguin is more sad being home than he was when he seemed to be lost. The boy discovers that the penguin is not lost, he is just lonely. He takes the penguin back with him, so they can be in each other’s company. Mary Magdalene also is confused in our gospel passage. She is distraught over Jesus’ missing body, and forgets what Jesus told them about dying and rising again, and so she believes the man standing near her is the gardener. Only when Jesus says her name does she realize that nothing is amiss—Jesus’ body is gone, because Jesus is alive, and it is he who is standing next to her. Sometimes even in a life of faith, we get mixed up, and don’t realize what is going on. But Jesus knows us by name, and calls us through confusion and tears, so that we can be found again in his company.

Thanks to Union Presbyterian Seminary alumna Sara Anne Berger for writing the Revised Common Lectionary Links for the past 8 weeks.

Lectionary Links (RCL): April 1, 2018 by Storypath is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.