Lesson Plans That Work
Third Sunday after Pentecost: Proper 6: June 17, 2012
Jesus has begun his ministry; fresh with the capacity to notice abundance wherever he looks. But how to describe the richness of the Kingdom of God so people can grasp it? Seeds. Maybe that is it – everyone has seen seeds.
Second Sunday after Pentecost: Proper 5: June 10, 2012
Our story begins with the realization that the crowds around Jesus had become so big that the people could not even eat (presumably because it was too crowded). People were very interested in what he was saying, some thinking that his take on God and his ministry made him look crazy while others were drawn to his new kind of message. We see his family try to come and make him stop, worried about what people were saying about him. But rather than taking a breather or taking a time out, Jesus instead challenges the notion of family.
First Sunday after Pentecost: Trinity Sunday: June 3, 2012
Learned leaders of the church struggle to communicate the concept of the "Trinity," our God who is three-in-one. A learned leader named Nicodemus went to Jesus in the night to struggle with the concept of "born again." We stretch for a deeper understanding of God's longing for us and with our call to respond, as John 3:16b says that eternal life is for those who believe in God.
Day of Pentecost: May 27, 2012
The church is born at Pentecost. The promised Advocate comes and those who cowered in fear now burst forth from their prisons with a message that can be understood in any language. The message: God is for everyone and anyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. We are still unpacking this message today as we peek out from the prisons we find ourselves hiding within.