31st Sunday of Ordinary Time

Year B:  October 25, 2015

First Reading: Ruth 1:1-18

Nubs:The True Story of a Mutt, a Marine & a Miracle by Major Brian Dennis, Kirby Larson, and Mary Nethery

(Written for ages 5-9)

Comment:  I am always struck by the devotion and determination of Ruth when I read this text. Nubs is also a story of devotion and determination and follows the story of a wild dog in Iraq who “chose to travel 70 miles alone across a desert to be with [Marine Brian Dennis].” In many ways the actions of Nubs towards Brian mirror the words of Ruth to Naomi: “Do not press me to leave you or to turn back from following you! Where you go, I will go; Where you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people…”

Second Reading: Hebrews 9:11-14

The Faithful Friend by Robert D. San Souci

(Written for ages 5-9)

Comment:  In this text we hear how Christ’s sacrifice moves us from death to life– more specifically from a life focused on dead works to a life focused on worshiping the living God.  In The Faithful Friend, we also find a story of self sacrifice made to save loved ones from death. The progression of the story brings readers into the mind of Hippolyte, helping them understand why he is moved to act out of great love for his friend. This story leads us to ponder the why of Christ’s self sacrifice, made because of his faith and great love for humanity.

Gospel Reading:  Mark 12:28-24

Biblioburro: A True Story From Colombia by Jeanette Winter

(Written for ages 4-8)

Comment:  “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” When reading this passage with children, it’s helpful to pause and wonder what it looks like to love your neighbor. Love can look like many things, but at its heart, perhaps to love another as you love yourself is to share the thing that brings you joy. In Winter’s story, this is exactly what Luis does. Because books bring Luis such joy, he is determined to share that joy with children in the faraway hills. Inspired by Luis’s story, invite your congregation to share what their own methods of loving their neighbors might look like.

Thanks to Union Presbyterian Seminary alumna Noell Rathbun-Cook for writing the Lectionary Links for us these past four weeks.

Lectionary Links: Sunday, November 1, 2015 by Storypath is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.