Lectionary Links: Sunday, April 3, 2016
Second Sunday of Easter
Year C: April 3, 2016
First Reading: Acts 5:27-32
Dear Malala, We Stand With You by Rosemary McCarney
(Written for ages 5-9)
Comment: As witnesses to the resurrection, Peter and the apostles know that it is not death, but life that has the final word, and this truth empowers them to speak boldly. As with Christ’s death and resurrection, Malala Yousafzai’s story is one of power subverted. “They thought that the bullets would silence us. But they failed. Weakness, fear, and hopelessness died. Strength, power, and courage were born.” Dear Malala highlights girls around the world speaking boldly for their voices to be heard. This text and story are an invitation for your congregation to consider the truths God is calling them to boldly proclaim with strength, power, and courage.
Second Reading: Revelation 1:4-8
Lost by Paul Brett Johnson and Celeste Lewis
(Written for ages 5-9)
Comment: “Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come…” We are a people in a world still permeated with sin, waiting for the Christ who is to come. Waiting in the midst of suffering is hard. In Lost, a young girl holds a symbol of hope in her pocket as she waits for her lost dog to return from the desert. Like the girl we hold on to hope in symbols like God as Alpha and Omega, woven into our story, from beginning to end. In reflecting on this text and story, consider exploring the various symbols of hope and resurrection that sustain your congregation as they wait for the Christ who is to come.
Gospel Reading: John 20:19-31
How Prudence Proovit Proved the Truth About Fairy Tales by Coleen Murtagh Paratore
(Written for ages 5-9)
Comment: Historically Thomas has been given a bad rap for his skepticism, yet Thomas was simply asking for what his friends had experienced in his absence, proof that Jesus was alive. Like Thomas, Prudence also has a healthy skepticism and a need for proof. In her story we see that for some people, belief is enough, but for others, belief requires proof. In his commentary on the text, Dr. Frank L. Crouch suggests that Christ invites doubters and believers to be at peace with one another. “Whether we have the faith of Thomas or the faith described at the end of this passage, the goal is that we find our life… within the life of the crucified and risen Christ, who sends us out as his Father also sent him.” (http://www.workingpreacher.
The Lectionary Links this week are written by Union Presbyterian Seminary alumna Noell Rathbun-Cook.
Lectionary Links: Sunday, April 3, 2016 by Storypath is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
