10th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Year C:  June 9, 2013

First Reading: 1 Kings 17:8-16, (17-24)

Mama Panya’s Pancakes by Mary and Rich Chamberlin

(Written for ages 5-9)

Comment:  We certainly can’t fault the widow for being concerned that there was not enough food for her family, let alone to share with Elijah. Yet, Elijah assures her not to fear, but to trust that God will make enough. “She went and did as Elijah said, so that she as well as he and her household ate for many days. The jar of meal was not emptied, neither did the jug of oil fail…” Mama Panya shares similar concerns when it comes to feeding her family on very little money. Yet her son Adika invites all of their friends to come share a meal, faithful that there will be enough. In both of these stories, the act of hospitality leads to miraculous abundance. Use these stories to explore you own congregation’s experiences of sharing and abundance.

Second Reading: Galatians1:11-24

Freaks and Revelations by Davida Wills Hurwin

(Written for ages 16+)

**This YA novel contains mature content including sex, drugs, and strong language.**

Comment: “You have heard, no doubt, of my earlier life… I was violently persecuting the church of God and was trying to destroy it.” In this text, Paul shares part of his story with the Galatians. Once he was a violent persecutor of Christians, now he proclaims the faith he once tried to destroy. In Freaks and Revelations, Jason, a gay teen living on the streets of LA, and Doug, a teenage skin head lock eyes during a violent encounter in an alley. Eighteen years later, they find themselves locking eyes again, this time to work together as employees of the Museum of Tolerance. Although it is disturbing and at times difficult to read, this book points to a powerful moment of transformation that follows a long journey of persecution. The program FROM HATE 2 HOPE shares more about the true story that inspired Hurwin’s novel.

Gospel Reading:  Luke 7:11-17

Square Cat by Elizabeth Schoonmaker

(Written for ages 4-8)

Comment: “When the Lord saw her, he had compassion for her…” In his commentary on this text, Gregory Anderson Love discusses the way compassion leads to action. “This scene reveals Jesus’ compassionate character and intent toward us. He meets our needs, even when we are too torn apart to ask for help.” (Feasting on the Word, Year C, Volume 3, p 118) Eula the square cat is so unhappy, she loses her purr. Her friends Patsy and Maude, both round cats, recognize her sorrow and work to figure out how to make her feel better, and eventually, regain her purr. Use this simple story to help young children explore the way our compassion stirs our actions.

The Lectionary Links this week were written by regular contributor Noell Rathbun.

Lectionary Links: Sunday, June 9, 2013 by Storypath is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.