Lectionary Links (RCL): December 10, 2017
2nd Sunday In Advent
Year B: December 10, 2017
First Reading: Isaiah 40:1-11
Ophelia by Ingrid and Dieter Schubert
(Written for ages 4-8)
Comment: These words from Isaiah 40 are meant to comfort God’s people. They currently are in exile and these words come telling the people that this is a temporary state. Exile will end, the whole world will end, but God and God’s promises will last forever. When we need comfort, we can turn to God for it. Ophelia runs as quick as she can to respond to a friend in need in Ophelia. As she is runningm everyone asks where she is going and hears her answer wrong. As more and more people get involved, the story gets crazier. Ophelia makes it to her friend and is able to provide the comfort that he needs for the butterflies in his tummy. All the friends of the forest are seeking to comfort him.
Second Reading: 2 Peter 3:8-15a
Peace Week in Miss Fox’s Class By Eileen Spinelli
(Written for ages 5-8)
Comment: Our reading from 2nd Peter reminds us how we are behave while we wait for the Lord. We are urged to be found “at peace, without spot or blemish” (3:14). Our behavior should reflect the goodness and holiness of the one coming. The children in Miss Fox’s class are learning this lesson. They bicker with each other, respond in hateful ways, and are just altogether mean to each other, and to help them change their ways, Miss Fox declares an entire week peace week. During this week, the children are suppose to respond to each with love and kindness towards each other. At the end of the week transformation has happened. This book illustrates how we can live with each other despite differences of opinions, different likes, and abilities. As peace week comes to an end, the children get to celebrate. As our waiting for the Lord comes to an end, we get to celebrate, but while we are waiting we need to behave in way that reflects God’s holiness and righteousness.
Gospel Reading: Mark 1:1-8
Sleepyhead By Karma Wilson
(Written for ages 3-7)
Comment: We spend time each day preparing for things. We prepare ourselves for the day. We prepare ourselves for bed. We prepare ourselves for special celebrations. During the weeks of December, we prepare ourselves for Christmas. John the Baptist is urging everyone he meets to prepare for the Lord. The lord is coming soon, and we need to be ready. In Sleepyhead we follow the preparations for bed. The little bear keeps saying one more, as bedtime comes closer and closer. The little bear knows bed time is inevitable, but he wants the preparations to last longer. He doesn’t want to give in to the end of the day. John the Baptist reminds us that Jesus is going to come whether we have prepared for him or not. We can keep saying, I’ll start preparing tomorrow, but the inevitable is going to come whether we have prepared or not. Christmas day will come whether we have crossed off everything on our to do list. Jesus will come even if we are not ready for him.
Thanks to Union Presbyterian Seminary alumna Elizabeth Boulware Landes for writing the Lectionary Links this week.
Lectionary Links (RCL): December 10, 2017 by Storypath is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
