2nd Sunday of Advent

Year A:  December 4, 2016

First Reading: Isaiah 11:1-10

The Winter Train by Susanna Isern

(Written for ages 5-9)

Comment: This text describes an image of the peaceable kingdom, where hunter and prey lie down, eat, and play together. The Winter Train will help visually expand this story for children as they watch animals, who would normally be enemies, help one another and work together. The story ends with these animals snuggled up together as their train chugs “toward the promise of the Southern Forest.” In a world that often feels fraught with fear and mired in cruelty, we are desperate for the peace here. Even though it has not been fully realized, we can live into and shape our daily words and actions by the image of this peaceable kingdom as we chug toward the hope and promise of the coming Christ who will make all things new.

Second Reading: Romans 15:4-13

Miracle on 133rd Street by Sonia Manzano

(Written for ages 5-9)

Comment: In response to verse seven’s call to welcome one another, J.R. Daniel Kirk comments: “[This text] is telling us that the light of Advent will only fully shine on the world when the church becomes a people who better reflect the story of radical hospitality — the story of Jesus during his time on earth, the story of the Christ who has accepted all into the presence of God.”

Miracle on 133rd Street presents an image of radical hospitality to children. As José and his family welcome neighbors to share their Christmas roast love and joy are embodied by people who before had been mired in sadness, chaos, anger, or fear. The act of welcoming and being welcomed opens us to be filled with the light of God. As you reflect on this text and story, consider how your own community participates in radical welcome and hospitality.

Gospel Reading: Matthew 3:1-12

Scaredy Squirrel Prepares for Christmas by Mélanie Watt

(Written for ages 5-9)

Comment: “Prepare the way of the lord…” John is calling the people to repent, to turn their lives around and be baptized, to live in a new way as they prepare and wait for the coming Lord. Scaredy Squirrel is also working to help people prepare–he wants all “scaredies” to have a safe holiday and creates a over the top, silly guidebook to instruct them in their journey toward Christmas. With the text and story we are invited to reflect upon what it means to prepare. Wonder together what preparing the way of the Lord in the season of Advent looks like in our own lives and consider how God might be calling us to act and live in new ways.

The Revised Common Lectionary Links are written this week by regular contributor Noell Rathbun-Cook.

Lectionary Links (RCL): December 4, 2016 by Storypath is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.