Seventh Sunday after Pentecost

Year C:  July 3, 2016

First Reading:  2 Kings 5:1-14

teeny tiny toady by Jill Esbaum

(Written for ages 5-9)

Comment:  The suggestion for Naaman’s cure comes from quite an unexpected character- a young girl who is his wife’s slave. It’s amazing to me that Naaman listened to her, and maybe it amazed him too, so he eventually came to his senses, declaring his own importance and flying off into a rage. And yet, the girl was right. This text serves as a good reminder that strength and power don’t always equal solutions. Readers also hear this reminder in teeny tiny toady. When none of her large, strong brothers can save their mama, Teeny hops to the rescue. Invite members of your congregation to reflect upon a moment in their own lives where the solution to a problem did not come in an expected way.

Second Reading:  Galatians 6:(1-6), 7-16

Brothers by David McPhail

(Written for ages 4-8)

Comment: “For neither circumcision nor uncircumcision is anything; but a new creation is everything!” J. William Harkins refers to the end of this verse as “the theme at the heart of the pastoral message of Galatians.” (Feasting on the Word, Year C, Volume 3, p 212) This text addresses how people who are different can belong to one another and to God. Brothers explores the idea of being different, yet being part of the same family. With the children of your church, explore the idea that we can be together in God’s family without being exactly alike in our thoughts, words, or actions.

Gospel Reading:  Luke 10:1-11, 16-20

Bloom by Doreen Cronin

(Written for ages 7-11)

Comment: “[Whenever] they do not welcome you, go out into its streets and say, ‘Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet, we wipe off in protest against you.“ Sometimes you have to recognize when it’s time to shake the dust from your feet and walk away. Bloom the fairy shakes the dust when she flies away from the shiny kingdom that no longer appreciates her muddy magic. The story ends with Bloom’s protege, ordinary girl Genevieve, saving the kingdom with muddy magic. Bloom and Genevieve’s story is helpful in understanding the differing experiences of having your message be welcomed or rejected.

The Lectionary Links this week are written by regular contributor and Union Presbyterian Seminary alumna Noell Rathbun-Cook.

Lectionary Links: Sunday, July 3, 2016 by Storypath is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.