Day of Pentecost

Year A: June 12, 2011

First Reading: Acts 2: 1-21

Too Much Mush! by Abby Levine (Written for Ages 5-9)

Comment: The text of Pentecost serves to remind us of the power of language. It must have been an incredible moment when suddenly everyone in the room could hear about God’s deeds of power in their own language. Hearing and understanding the words affected the people—if we look ahead to verse 41 we read that three thousand people were baptized that day. The right words can make all the difference. Hanna’s mother and the townspeople learn this lesson when they can’t find the words to make the magic mush pot stop. Each, in turn, yells orders to the pot, but the pot cooks on. Finally, when Hanna returns home, she asks the pot to stop in a language it understands.*

Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 12: 3b-13

Head, Body, Legs: A Story From Liberia by Won-Ldy Paye  & Margaret Lippert (Written for Ages 5-9)

Comment: “For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ.” This folktale of body parts coming together to form a person is an excellent way to express what it is to be the body of Christ. The body parts each perform different tasks, but work for a common goal. When they find a way to connect with one another to best use their gifts together, they are able to pick and eat a mango from the tree.

Gospel Reading: John 7: 37-39

Jordi’s Star by Alma Flor Ada (Written for Ages 5-9)

Comment: “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me, and let the one who believes in me drink. As the scripture has said, ‘Out of the believer’s heart shall flow rivers of living water.’” If we believe in Jesus, the living water, and we drink of him, rivers of living water shall flow from our hearts. Our belief changes us, the drink changes us, and the change flows through us. Jordi experiences a similar transformation when he discovers his star. Jordi’s life is changed by his relationship with the star, and through his transformation, the people and land around him are transformed as well.*

*Out of print books can frequently be found by searching at AbeBooks and Alibris.

This Lectionary Links post was written by regular contributor Noel Rathbun.

Lectionary Links: Sunday, June 12, 2011 by Storypath is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.