3rd Sunday After Epiphany

YEAR B:  January 25, 2015

First Reading:  Jonah 3:1-5,10

Sorry! By Trudy Ludwig

(Written for ages 6-9)

Comment:  In Sorry!, Charlie thinks all he has to do is exclaim “Sorry!”, and he can get away with anything he wants. He uses this tactic over and over again, until he offends his classmate, Leena, who tells him that simply uttering the word “Sorry” isn’t truly apologizing, that apologizing is found in our actions as well as our words.  The Ninevites realize this when Jonah proclaims that their city will be overthrown because the cries against it have reached God’s ears.  They are truly sorry, but they show it not just with words, but with actions.  They throw on sackcloth and proclaim a fast.  God sees that they both have believed the word that came to them, and have responded with their actions, truly showing that they are sorry.

Second Reading:  I Corinthians 7:29-31

And Then It’s Spring by Julie Fogliano

(Written for ages 4-7)

Comment:  The Corinthians are told that the present form of the world is passing away, and a new creation is beginning in Jesus Christ.  A new era is arriving in the midst of their lives, right now.  In And Then It’s Spring, a boy and his dog see the brown, dead earth of winter all around them.  They are eager for spring, so they dig the earth and plant seeds and prepare for a new time to arrive.  But even with their seeds planted and prepared, nothing seems to be happening. However, when they begin to look closely, a few signs of spring arrive in the midst of the brown winter, bursting up through the earth.   The wintry form of the world is passing away, and spring is arriving in the midst of everything.  And so, too, for the Corinthians, the present world of sin is passing away, and new form of life in Jesus Christ is springing up around them.

Gospel Reading:  Mark 1:14-20

10 Little Hot Dogs by John Himmelman

(Written for ages 3-5)

Comment:  Jesus proclaims a kingdom come near, and needs disciples to follow him and work for that kingdom.  He calls Simon and Andrew, James and John, and they all drop what they’re doing and follow him.  The disciples add up, one after another, each of them leaving everything behind to come and follow him. In Ten Little Hot Dogs, the dogs jump onto their favorite chair, encouraging the others to join them.  One by one, the dogs join in, and soon there are ten little dogs on the chair! The dogs all want to be included, and they all like being together. The disciples joined, adding on to one another, and they all wanted to be a part of this kingdom Jesus proclaimed.  Jesus’ kingdom is built by people connected to one another.

The Lectionary Links are written this week by Sara Anne Berger, pastor of the Whitmire Presbyterian Church in Whitmire, SC.

Lectionary Links: Sunday, January 25, 2015 by Storypath is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.