Trinity Sunday

Year B:  June 3, 2012

First Reading: Isaiah 6:1-8

The Precious Gift by Ellen Jackson

(Written for ages 5-9)

Comment: “Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I; send me!” In using this text with children, it is perhaps God’s call and Isaiah’s response that are most accessible. Children will connect to the idea of volunteering or responding to a call or request. In this text from Isaiah, the call wasn’t really one that people would jump to volunteer for. Often responding to a call takes great courage and determination. We see this type of interaction in the Navaho story shared by Jackson. First man and woman call out for someone to go back to the world they’d left behind for a drop of water. Though the other animals are afraid to volunteer, little snail calls out, “let me go!”

Second Reading: Romans 8:12-17

I Love You Like Crazy Cakes by Rose Lewis

(Written for ages 5-9)

Comment: “…you have received a spirit of adoption…it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God…” To be children of God connects us not only to God, but to one another.  When we see each other through the spirit of our adoption, we are able to recognize each other as family. Lewis tells the story of her daughter’s adoption and the way they became family. Readers also experience the way being Lewis’s child connects her daughter to the rest of the family; because of this connection, they love her.  What a blessing it is when we can see one another through God’s eyes and love one another as family.

Gospel Reading: John 3:1-17

Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney

(Written for ages 4-8)

Comment: “For God so loved the world…” In her comments on the text, educator Carolyn Brown suggests that this is a good time to focus with children on God’s love. (http://worshipingwithchildren.blogspot.com/2012/04/year-b-trinity-sunday-june-3-2012.html) God’s love is greater than we can imagine. The classic children’s story Guess How Much I Love You? explores a love greater than little bunny can imagine. Each time he thinks he’s discovered the biggest way to explain love, his father’s describes a love that is greater. Use this story to wonder together with children about our love for God and God’s great love for us.

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

Lectionary Links: Trinity Sunday, June 3, 2012 by Storypath is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.