Third Sunday after the Epiphany

Year C:  January 24, 2016

First Reading: Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10

The Patchwork Torah by Allison Ofanansky

(Written for ages 5-9)

Comment: Reverend W. Carter Lester points out that this reading from Nehemiah serves to remind us that worship centered on God’s Word can transform lives. (Feasting on the Word, Year C, Vol.1, p 270) Ofanansky’s shares the story of a man whose life is transformed by his experience celebrating and honoring the Torah. Stories of other communities become woven into David’s story as he creates the Patchwork Torah assembled from various damaged scrolls. This text and story invite us to consider what our own Patchwork Bible might look like and the memories it would evoke of our own experiences of spiritual transformation.

Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 12:12-31a

Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Peña

(Written for ages 5-9)

Comment: This text serves as an invitation to explore and celebrate the diversity of people and gifts that exist in your church. The Spirit gifts people of all ages, means, and abilities to do the work of God. An example of this can be seen in de la Peña’s story of CJ and his Nana, as they leave church and travel on the bus to serve in a soup kitchen. Perhaps some of the members of your church have gifts of service like CJ and Nana, others might teach, some may make beautiful music. Use this text and story to help your congregation identify and celebrate the work of God done in your church through various gifts of the Spirit.

Gospel Reading:  Luke 4:14-21

When I Grow Up by Al Yankovic

(Written for ages 5-9)

Comment: Carolyn Brown suggests that this text is “Jesus’ answer to the question, ‘what will you be when you grow up?’” (http://www.worshipingwithchildren.blogspot.com/2013/01/year-c-3rd-sunday-after-epiphany-3rd.html) When I Grow Up is a silly book that explores the same question from the point of view of a boy named Billy. I imagine that the people in the synagogue might have looked as dumbfounded as Billy’s teacher when Jesus told them he was the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy. The answer the question “what will you be when you grow up?” can tell us a lot about a person’s priorities and passions. Explore what we learn about Billy and Jesus from their answers and what answering this question tells us about ourselves.

The Lectionary Links this week are written by alumna Noell Rathbun-Cook, Minister of Children and Youth Discipleship at Grace Baptist Church, Richmond, VA.

Lectionary Links: Sunday, January 24, 2016 by Storypath is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.