9th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Year C:  June 2, 2013

First Reading: 1 Kings 18:20-21, (22-29),30-39

Those Shoes by Maribeth Boelts

(Written for ages 5-9)

Comment: “Then Elijah said to the people, ‘I, even I only, am left a prophet of the Lord; but Baal’s prophets number four hundred fifty.’” The people of Israel were faced with a decision–follow Baal or follow YHWH. While kids might not completely understand the idea of idolatry, they will connect with the notion of following the crowd. It would have been difficult to listen to Elijah, prophet for God, when he was up against 450 other people. Often we find it easier to follow the crowd, than the smaller voices that are meant to guide us. It’s hard for Jeremy to listen to his grandma’s advice about getting what he needs when he wants so badly to blend in with the crowd at school. Just about everyone has a pair of Those Shoes, and he wants them too.  With these these stories, explore the ways personal experience, paired with the voice of a guide, can help people come to the right decision.

Second Reading: Galatians 1:1-12

What If? by Laura Vaccaro Seeger

(Written for ages 3-7)

Comment: “Am I now seeking human approval, or God’s approval?” In the introduction to Paul’s letter to the Galatians, we see that he is trying to help the people recognize that they are faced with a choice. Paul’s language suggests that he wants this community to recognize that all choices have consequences. To follow the gospel would lead to a life free from the present evil age, but to follow a false gospel would  lead to being accursed. Often in caring for children we talk about choice and natural consequences. If I choose to do abc, then naturally xyz will occur. What If? is a simple picture book that explores the consequences of three different choices made in a particular situation. Wonder together with the children of your church about the way our choices create different outcomes. How do we listen for God in the midst of our decision making?

Gospel Reading: Luke 7:1-10

Albert the Fix-it Man by Janet Lord

(Written for ages 4-8)

Comment: “…they appealed to him earnestly, saying, ‘He is worthy of having you do this for him, for he loves our people…’” It is especially interesting to note the role the community plays in this story. They go to Jesus and speak on behalf of the centurion because of their love for him and his love for them. If it’s important to the centurion that his servant be healed, it’s important to the community. Like the centurion, Albert the Fix-it Man cares for his community, building and repairing things. When he finds himself in need, the same community he has loved and cared for reaches out to love and care for him. Use these stories to explore the vital role community plays in the life and well being of people and talk about the ways this is particularly lived out in your church.

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

Lectionary Links: Sunday, June 2, 2013 by Storypath is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.