I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone. — 1 Timothy 2:1

Jeremiah 8:18-9:1

Whimsey’s Heavy Things, by Julie Kraulis (PreK and up)

1 Timothy 2:1-7

I’m Your Child, God, by Marian Wright Edelman (4th grade and up) & The Story
of Ruby Bridges, by Robert Coles (Pre-K and up)

Luke 16:1-3 and Amos 8:4-7

A Bargain for Francis, by Russell Hoben

Note: This week’s resource corner includes texts from both Revised Common Lectionary (RCL) tracks. Typically, we read the RCL Track 2 texts at Trinity on Sundays.

In this week’s text from Jeremiah, the prophet is so full of grief that he wishes his eyes were fountains so that he could cry without stopping, all day and all night. He is not just being melodramatic. He is lamenting, in the form of a poem, to God, because of the desolation that has struck Jerusalem. Possibly, in the past few years, your family has had to navigate tragedy and desolation. Others around the world are in the throes of desolation right now. Grief over deep suffering is heavy. It weighs us down as adults, so we can imagine how heavy it feels to children when they suddenly feel the full weight of grief. Hopefully, texts from Jeremiah and elsewhere in the Bible (such as throughout the Psalms) can offer you and your loved ones resources for taking this grief before God. Julie Kraulis provides a story which also explores the theme of grief, and its heaviness, in her book, Whimsey’s Heavy Things. This book is accessible for preschoolers and above and communicates the emotional impact of grief through the greyed tones of the illustrations and through the idea of heavy rocks. If you want to extend this story in an embodied prayer, you might try finding a few heavy stones in your yard to hold together with your children as you name what grieves you out loud. Then, place the stones in a small pile together. Notice how it feels to let go of the stone, to release its weight. Offer the weight of your grief to the God.

In his letter to Timothy, Paul encourages his friend to pray for everyone, all the time, always. Sometimes, we want to pray, but we do not know what to say. As adults, we might turn to the Psalms, or to the prayers in the BCP. If you are looking for an additional resource, Marian Wright Edelman has written a beautiful collection of prayers, illustrated vividly by Bryan Collier. For a story in which prayer plays a powerful role, try The Story of Ruby Bridges, by Robert Coles. This book is a non-fiction, illustrated retelling of Ruby Bridges’ bravery and perseverance during the struggle to desegregate public schools following the Supreme Court’s Brown v. Board of Education decision. Each day, before she walked to school past angry and violent protestors, Ruby prayed for the people in the mob. One day, she forgets to pray until she is in the middle of the mob. She stops walking until she has offered a prayer to God. This is a complex story and provides many opportunities to discuss how prayer works in our lives and connects us to God.

In this week’s text from Luke’s gospel, Jesus offers a parable about a shrewd, clever business manager. A Bargain for Frances, by Russell and Lillian Hoban, offers a similar vantage point on the concept of shrewdness, by focusing on Frances’ friendship with Thelma. The Hoban’s story translates Jesus’ parable into terms familiar to children. Because Thelma has tricked Frances in the past, Frances’ mom warns her to be careful when she goes to a tea party at Thelma’s house. Frances wants to be friends, though, and she forgets to be careful. Thelma manages to trick her again – this time, she convinces Frances to trade the money she had been saving to buy her own (brand new, real porcelain) tea set for Thelma’s old (plastic) tea set instead. When Frances realizes that Thelma used the money to buy herself a brand new, real porcelain tea set, Frances decides to trick Thelma in return. What happens when we get tricked by a friend? The Hoban’s gentle wit and insight into playdate ethics are a treasure. After reading the story, wonder together about resolving conflicts with friends when trading and “backsies” are involved. Have you ever been in Frances’ shoes? Have you ever been in Thelma’s position? What did you learn from those experiences?