21^st Sunday in Ordinary Time

Year A: August 21, 2011

First Reading: Exodus 1:8-2:10

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

(Written for ages 12+)

Comment: “The Egyptians became ruthless in imposing tasks on the Israelites, and made their lives bitter with hard service in mortar and brick and in every kind of field labor. They were ruthless in all the tasks that they imposed on them.” Using cruelty to maintain power is, unfortunately, not an concept found only in ancient texts. Throughout history we have seen countless examples of societies oppressing specific groups of people out of fear of uprising. Suzanne Collins writes of a future example, not unlike the one found in today’s text, in her bestselling novel, The Hunger Games. As Pharaoh intimidated the Israelites through oppressive work and living conditions, the people living in the districts are pushed down, threatened, and controlled by the Capitol. A highly disturbing element in both the Exodus passage and The Hunger Games is the way the power brokers use the sacrifice of children in order to manipulate and control the people. “Taking kids from our districts, forcing them to kill one another while we watch—this is the Capitol’s way of reminding us how totally we are at their mercy.” (The Hunger Games, Chapter 1)

Second Reading: Romans 12:1-8

If you didn’t use the story Head, Body, Legs on Sunday, June 12, 2011, you might consider using it for this week’s passage from Romans.

The Legend of Ninja Cowboy Bear by David Bruins

(Written for ages 4-8)

Comment: “For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned… We have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us.” Part of what strengthens our community within the body of Christ is the diversity of gifts for ministry that we claim and share. It’s definitely hard to live in community when we are constantly trying to compare ourselves to one another or one-up each other concerning the gifts we bring to the table. We find a situation of one-upmanship in The Legend of Ninja Cowboy Bear—the friends’ quarrel over who is the best among them potentially threatens to destroy their friendship. Fortunately they come to the important realization that no one has to be the best and they come to appreciate each other’s gifts and the special and unique qualities that make each of them different.

Gospel Reading: Matthew 16:13-20

Jesus, This Is Your Life: Stories & Pictures by Kids edited by Jeff Kunkel

(Written for ages 4-8)

Comment: “He said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’” Who is Jesus and how do we know him? The disciples experienced life with Jesus and through their experience came to recognize him as the Messiah. We recognize Jesus as the Messiah because of experiencing life with him through the telling and hearing of the Bible stories that describe him. Jeff Kunkel is a Methodist pastor who shares Bible stories with children and provides them the opportunity to illustrate the stories and tell them in their own words. His book is a collection of stories and images of Jesus that are written and drawn by children. Interacting with this book provides the opportunity for creative thinking and wonderment, opening the door for readers to consider answering Jesus’ question in our own words and pictures.

This Lectionary Links post was written by Union Presbyterian Seminary alumna Noell Rathbun.

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22^nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Year A: August 28, 2011

First Reading: Exodus 3: 1-15

Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom, by Carole Boston Weatherford and illustrated by Kadir Nelson

(Written for ages 5-8)

This week’s Old Testament text is, in and of itself, an eye-catching, ear-grabbing story – the story of God calling Moses, from within a burning bush.  While there are a number of young children’s Bible storybooks that directly tell this call story for young children, this week we highlight a book for elementary-aged children that presents an analogous story – the story of God calling Harriet Tubman, an African American woman born into slavery but called by God to help lead the Underground Railroad, to free slaves. With spare text, easy-to-repeat central phrases, and powerful full-page illustrations, the book brings Tubman’s life and work to life, explicitly depicted as response to God’s call.

Second Reading: Romans 12:9-21

Just the Way You Are, by Max Lucado and illustrated by Sergio Martinez

(Written for ages 4-8)

The week’s text from Romans is one of Paul’s meditations on the call to “love one another.”  As with many of our Epistle texts, it rather tightly packed verbally, and not always readily understood by children.  Max Lucado’s book is not a direct meditation on the Romans text but is rather a metaphorical story that tells of a great King’s love for a little girl who has no gifts to give the King except her own love, expressed in the concrete ways she treats others.

Third Reading: Matthew 16: 21-28

Miss Tizzy, by Libba Moore Gray, illustrated by Jada Rowland

(Written for ages 4-8)

This is a “tough text” about discipleship in light of Jesus’ ultimate giving of his life.  It is a difficult text  for young children.  One way to handle it is to focus on Jesus’ call to “follow me,” within the pericope, emphasizing what it means to “follow” in the way of giving love.  Focus on the call to “follow me” is consistent with Matthew’s gospel, and paves the way for teaching children about the sacrifices involved in following, as they grow older.  Miss Tizzy tells the story of a woman who embodies love that reaches out to and embraces everyone she meets, particularly the young children in her neighborhood.  The children “follow” her literally and figuratively, participating in her life of everyday love, until they are able to embody that love for themselves, extending it in return TO Miss Tizzy.  In this story, following the way of such love clearly calls for giving of self.

This Lectionary Links post was written by Union Presbyterian Seminary professor Dr. Pamela Mitchell Legg.

Lectionary Links: Sunday, Aug. 21 and Sunday, Aug. 28, 2011 by Storypath is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.