3rd Sunday of Easter

Year C: April 14, 2013

First Reading:Acts 9:1-6 (7-20)

Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss

(Written for ages 3-7)

Comment: Saul was a zealous persecutor of Jesus’ followers. Today’s story of his conversion highlights how personal experience can change someone. Paul’s experience of Jesus on the road to Damascus changed him completely, turning him into one of Jesus’ most vocal followers. A similar conversion occurs in the classic Dr. Seuss tale Green Eggs and Ham. The main character avidly points out his distaste for green eggs and ham, but after actually tasting them, he’s a believer in their goodness. Sometimes we need an experience to shake up our preconceived notions and change our hearts.

Second Reading: Revelation 5:11-14

Pest Fest by Julia Durango

(Written for ages 5-9)

Comment: This hymn of praise serves to remind us that Jesus is not the type of person we would expect to be at the center of heavenly adoration. As we join in praising the lamb who was slain, we come to understand that God’s power is different from our cultural understandings of power. Our understanding of power and victory are turned upside down through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Use this text to reflect on the attributes we value as powerful versus those which are not prized. How does Jesus shift our understanding of what it is to be powerful and worthy of praise? Pest Fest is a silly story of an unexpected victor. In hearing all the wonderful attributes of the various insects, it’s clear to Housefly that he should not enter the competition for Best Pest of the Year. In the end, readers will cheer along with the other pests when he is crowned victorious.

Gospel Reading: John 21:1-19

The Stray Dog by Marc Simont

(Written for ages 5-9)

Comment: What a surprise and delight it must have been for the disciples to encounter the risen Lord by the Sea of Tiberias; it was so wonderful, that Simon Peter couldn’t wait for the boat to be steered to shore, but felt the need to jump into the sea and greet the Lord as quickly as he could. As they share a picnic, Jesus commissions Simon Peter to show his love by feeding and caring for Jesus’ sheep, setting the direction for the rest of Peter’s life. The Stray Dog is also a story of a life-changing picnic where a stray dog’s life direction is changed, from a nobody on the run, to a named dog, with a place to belong.  Wonder together with the children and adults in your congregation about the meals that have been the setting for life-changing experiences.

The Lectionary Links this week were written by regular contributor Noell Rathbun-Cook.

Lectionary Links: Sunday, April 14, 2013 by Storypath is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.