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Proper 7, Year A, Old Testament Lesson

Scripture: Genesis 21:8-21

There are many difficult stories in the Bible that are the stories of the relationship with God and a growing self understanding as God’s people. And we read this one with the perception and understanding of the faithful who remembered and told the story throughout the ages. These Biblical truths are not unlike the hard lessons we sometimes learn in fables or morality plays: Life is not always fair. Adults can often use metaphor to see the lesson for ourselves.  For children this is harder.   Be sensitive to these issues and shape the lesson for your own context.

The Book of Genesis provides foundational stories of our faith, God’s calling of a people, their often failed responses to God, and God’s steadfast love throughout. The Abraham saga tells of the formation of Israel, beginning with the faithfulness of its patriarch Abraham. Although disillusioned with the wickedness of human beings, God separates out one family line to bring divine blessing to all subsequent families of the world. Abraham, the model of absolute faithfulness, trust and obedience, is symbolic of Israel’s idealized self. At the request of God Abraham has left his homeland to travel to a promised land. He has entertained angels unaware and trusted God’s promise of an heir even at an advanced age. Today’s story is a prelude to the sacrifice of Isaac, with the sacrifice of Ishmael, the son of Hagar.

Download the Old Testament Lesson Plan for Proper 7

LPTW Proper 7, Year A, Younger Children, Old Testament
LPTW Proper 7, Year A, Older Children, Old Testament

Proper 8, Ordinary Time, Year A

Scripture: Matthew 10:40-42

Whoever welcomes you, welcomes Christ. Whoever welcomes Christ, welcomes God. Seems simple, but it is rather profound if you stop to think about it. As these words were being written, there weren’t phones or computers or even the postal service. Welcoming someone who came bearing a message meant welcoming not just the messenger, but also the one who sent the message. God sent Christ as a messenger, as one who came to show us and speak to us about God and living as people of God. For us today, what does welcoming the other look like and how do we welcome Christ into our lives? Who or what are our messengers today?

Download the Lesson Plan for Proper 8

LPTW Proper 8, Year A, Younger Children
LPTW Proper 8, Year A, Older Children
LPTW Proper 8, Year A, Adult
LPTW Proper 8, Year A, All

Season After Pentecost, Ordinary Time, Proper 7, Year A

Scripture: Matthew 10:24-39

The reading for today can be a difficult one if we do not look at what lies beneath the word. Jesus tells us that what we instinctively do or don’t do, we should be doing the opposite. Jesus talks about setting family members against one another and turning things upside down. These are challenging words for us because it means that all those relationships, all the things we think are important, all those cultural norms we try so hard to abide by are turned on their head. The central message in all this upendedness is that God comes first before anything else we think might be important AND God knows all of those things in our hearts and minds. The good news is that because God knows all, it means that we do not need to keep anything hidden, we do not need to fear, we do not need to keep secrets. All is known by God and nothing comes before God. Nothing.

Download the Lesson Plans for Proper 7

LPTW Proper 7, Year A, Younger Children
LPTW Proper 7, Year A, Older Children
LPTW Pentecost 7, Year A, Adult
LPTW Proper 7, Year A, All

Trinity Sunday, Year A

Scripture: Matthew 28:16-20

This passage is known as The Great Commission. It is Jesus giving the disciples authority and telling them instructions so they understand what their mission is in the world. The formula, “in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit,” is the Trinitarian wording that we all hear in baptisms and in our creeds. Today’s lesson focuses on how we are all called to live into the mission that Jesus set before us and uses the Five Marks of Mission as a guiding tool.

Download the Lesson Plan for Trinity Sunday

LPTW Trinity Sunday, Year A, Younger Children
LPTW Trinity Sunday, Year A, Older Children
LPTW Trinity Sunday, Year A, Adult
LPTW Trinity Sunday, Year A, All

Pentecost Sunday, Year A

Scripture: John 20:19-23 and Acts 2:1-21

As we celebrate the Holy Spirit’s descent upon the disciples and the gift of speaking in different tongues and being able to understand one another, we celebrate the diversity that God has given us. We celebrate all of the various ways in which God has gifted us with different skills, language, visions, and dreams. We are all made in God’s image AND we all bring varied gifts to the community.

Download the Lesson Plans for Pentecost

LPTW Pentecost, Year A, Younger Children
LPTW Pentecost, Year A, Older Children
LPTW Pentecost, Year A, Adult
LPTW Pentecost, Year A, All

Trinity Sunday, Old Testament Lesson, Year A

Scripture: Genesis 1:1-2:4a

The natural world is the best place for children to observe and reflect on the awe, wonder and majesty of God. The first story from Genesis is chosen for the Trinity Sunday lectionary because it represents God the Father as Creator. Some translations refer to the Spirit of God moving over the face of the water. This reflects the creative energy and power of the Holy Spirit. Although this is the first story in the Bible it was written later by Priestly editors to show God at the center of an orderly and sequential creation in which mankind has been given stewardship responsibilities that put him in partnership with the Creator God.

Download the Old Testament Lesson Plan for Trinity Sunday

LPTW Trinity Sunday, Year A, Younger Children, Old Testament
LPTW Trinity Sunday, Year A, Older Children, Old Testament

Pentecost Sunday, Old Testament Lesson, Year A

Scripture: Acts 2:1-21

Most biblical scholars agree The Book of Acts is a continuation of the Gospel of Luke. This book contains the stories of the early church and the work of the disciples. Today’s lesson is the Pentecost story, the second most important feast of the church after Easter. Following the instructions of Jesus, the disciples are waiting together in Jerusalem. Jesus had promised to send His Spirit to be with them. The Spirit entered the room like a mighty rush of wind and settled like a tongue of fire on the head of each disciple. This was the gift of encouragement and boldness the apostles needed to begin their mission of evangelism. Pentecost is considered the birthday of the church because three thousand new souls accepted Jesus as their savior that day.

Download the Old Testament Lesson Plan for Pentecost Sunday

LPTW Pentecost, Year A, Younger Children, Old Testament
LPTW Pentecost, Year A, Older Children, Old Testament

Seventh Sunday in Easter, Old Testament Lesson, Year A

Scripture: Acts 1: 6-14

In this reading, Jesus appears to his disciples for forty days after his resurrection. Jesus asks his disciples to prepare for the coming of the Holy Spirit, to be sent during Pentecost, and to also prepare for their mission in the world.

Download the Old Testament Lesson Plan for the Seventh Sunday in Easter

LPTW Easter 7, Year A, Younger Children, Old Testament
LPTW Easter 7, Year A, Older Children, Old Testament

Sixth Sunday in Easter, Old Testament Lesson, Year A

Scripture: Acts 17: 22-31

Note: for the Easter Season, readings from the Acts of the Apostles take the place of Old Testament Readings.

In this reading, Paul tells the Athenians that we are all God’s offspring. Paul struggles with the Athenians because they worship idols and he informs them that God wants them to only worship God. Paul also tells the people that God sent his Son Jesus Christ out of patience for human ignorance.

Download the Old Testament Lesson Plan for the Sixth Sunday in Easter.

LPTW Easter 6, Year A, Younger Children, Old Testament
LPTW Easter 6, Year A, Older Children, Old Testament

Fifth Sunday in Easter, Old Testament Lesson, Year A

Scripture: Acts 7:55-60

Note: for the Easter Season, readings from the Acts of the Apostles take the place of Old Testament Readings.

In this reading, Stephen asserts to the Jewish Council that Jesus is seated at the right hand of God. The Jews do not take well to this assertion because they believe in only one God. Stephen is stoned to death and becomes the first Christian martyr. Like Jesus, before he dies Stephen commends his Spirit to God and asks God to forgive those who murder him.

Download the Old Testament Lesson Plan for the Fifth Sunday in Easter

LPTW Easter 5, Year A, Younger Children, Old Testament
LPTW Easter 5, Year A, Older Children, Old Testament