First Sunday in Lent

Year B: February 26, 2012

First Reading: Genesis 9:8-17

The Color of Me by Linda L. McDunn (Written for ages 5-9)

Comment: Jane Anne Ferguson suggests that God’s rainbow promise can serve to inspire the church “to be a place where ‘all the colors of the rainbow’ [are] welcome in God’s sight…” (Feasting on the Word, Year B, Volume 2, p 30) Linda McDunn explores this theme by following God’s use of color throughout creation. Finally people come to argue about what color God is. As they witness a rainbow following the storm they come to realize that God is the color of everyone and everything. “From that day on, the people rejoiced in the goodness of God’s colors, passing on the story of the rainbow to every generation, for it was known that God colors in love and that God is all colors.

Second Reading: 1 Peter 3: 18-22

There’s a Big, Beautiful World Out There! by Nancy Carlson (Written for ages 3-7)

Comment: In her comments on exploring this text with children, Carolyn Brown highlights “Peter’s insistence that even though at times it will look as if the bad guys are winning, God will win in the end.” (http://worshipingwithchildren.blogspot.com/2011/04/year-the-sixth-sunday-of-easter-may-29.html) This topic is one of many that might make the worry lists of children in our church families. Sometimes in the midst of fear or suffering life can seem very hopeless. There’s A Big Beautiful World Out There follows the worries and fears of a little girl. It also highlights what we’ll miss if we allow our worries and fears to keep us hidden away under the covers. Use this week’s epistle lesson to help children in your church to explore the ultimate thing worth getting out from under the covers for: the hope we find in God, through Jesus.

Gospel Reading: Mark 1:9-15

Swimming with Sharks by Bety Hicks (Written for ages 7-11)

Comment: The season of Lent is modeled on Christ’s 40 days in the wilderness. During this time, many communities take on the challenge of picking up a particular practice such as study or fasting. Taking on a new discipline can be a difficult task. Perseverance is required to endure the journey that is in front of us. In Swimming with Sharks Rita learns about perseverance. She works hard, learns new skills, and looks to friends to help inspire her so that she can accomplish her goal of making the Shark swim team.  During our Lenten journey, may our goal of focusing on Christ help us to take heart, practice and work hard so that we too can persevere.

This week’s Lectionary Links post was written by regular contributor Noell Rathbun-Cook and Union Presbyterian Seminary student Rachel Mastin.

Lectionary Links: Sunday, February 26, 2012 by Storypath is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.