3rd Sunday of Easter

Year A:  April 30, 2017

First Reading: Acts 2:14a, 36-41

A Big Bed for Jed by Laurie Friedman

(Written for ages 4-8)

Comment: Peter encourages the crowds to repent and be baptized with exhortation and many arguments. Jed’s family tries many argument they can think of to convince him to transition into his big kid bed. The arguments of Peter and Jed’s family are both effective and lead to growth and development in the people they are seeking to convince. As you read this text and story, invite your congregants to share their own stories of the people who encouraged them in their spiritual growth and development.

Second Reading: 1 Peter 1:17-23

Love Always Everywhere by Sarah Massini

(Written for ages 3-7)

Comment: What does it mean to “love one another deeply from the heart?” An exploration of love is illustrated in Massini’s simple story, displaying a variety of different ways to love. Quiet, loud, shy, proud, there are many ways to experience love always everywhere. This text and story provide an invitation to wonder with children about how we love one another.

Gospel Reading: Luke 24:13-35

Willy the Wizard by Anthony Browne

(Written for ages 4-8)

Comment: In the text, two of Jesus’ disciples encounter a wise stranger on the road who opens up scripture to them and is eventually revealed as the risen Christ. In Browne’s tale, Willie meets a familiar stranger who gives him soccer shoes that open up new possibilities for Willie and reveal that he is an excellent soccer player. Encourage the people in your church to share a time when they, like the disciples and Willy, experienced a revelation that opened their eyes to new understanding.

Noell Rathbun, minister of children, families and liturgical arts at Grace Baptist Church in Richmond, VA, is our Lectionary Links writer for the next 7 weeks.

Lectionary Links (RCL): April 30, 2017 by Storypath is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.