Lectionary Links (NL): December 22, 2019
4th Sunday of Advent
Year 2: December 22, 2019
Peaceful Pieces by Anna Grossnickle Hines
(Written for ages 4-8)
Comment: There is a lot going on in Luke this week, and it all centers on John the Baptist. If we focus on Zachariah’s song in verses 67-80, we hear a prophecy not just for his son, but for the whole Israelite community. John will herald the arrival of “a mighty savior,” who will “guide our feet into the way of peace.” It is God’s mercy (mentioned twice in the song) that will accomplish this. Focusing on the concepts of Mercy and Peace makes sense on the Sunday before Christmas, and Hines’ collection of poems and beautiful quilt pieces are an excellent tool for children’s worship. “Will peace make a great, noisy show?” Hines writes. “Or will it slip in quietly? The voice of one lone flute, floating almost unnoticed.” This passage, in particular, helps to show how unexpected it was for God to arrive in the form of a tiny baby, rather than a victorious warrior. In another passage, Hines’ poetry provides concrete examples of the world Zachariah envisions: “Where I live, people talk instead of fight, listen instead of talk, respect and honor differences. Where I live, the hungry are fed, the sick healed, the lost returned safe to their homes.” These themes and images will recur throughout Jesus’ life and you may find yourself returning to them in the weeks to come!
Thanks to Joshua Andrzejewski, Union Presbyterian Seminary alumnus and chaplain for the pediatric and women’s health units in the VCU Medical Center, for writing the Year 2 Narrative Lectionary Links.
Lectionary Links (NL): December 22, 2019 by Storypath is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
