Proper 19 Yr B
Teach & be taught

For families: Study guide and activities (another guide), group activity; snack; kid video

For children: See family guide/activity (another activity); bulletin; crafts;

For middlers: See family guide/activity (another activity); bulletin; crafts.

For youth: In the gospel, Jesus asks his disciples to tell him who the people say that he is. They tell him many things. Then he asks who the disciples say he is, and Peter responds that he is the Messiah. There are several lessons to be learned here. Most important, to me, is that one word does not necessarily describe a person. An exercise for you this week: consider Jesus at the time of this gospel passage—write down (or audio record) all the words that describe him. Next, consider Jesus today in our lives—what are the words that describe him? Now the hardest part, consider yourself—what are the words that describe you? You might need help here so ask your parents, friends, and family. How do you think these descriptors will change over the next 10 years? Share your thoughts.

Coloring page (all ages): This week the focus is on Mark.

Today’s liturgy is similar in theme to the feast of the Holy Cross (September 14), which always falls near this Sunday of the Church year. The Gospel reading is Peter’s acknowledgement of Jesus as the Messiah, which was followed by Jesus’ first prediction of his crucifixion and resurrection. Jesus calls his followers to pattern their own lives on his, sharing in the self-giving love which leads to the Cross.

Using Proverbs: In the Wisdom writings of the Hebrew scriptures which we are using in our first readings during this period, the term “wisdom” is not simply a function of thought but is the personification of God. Strikingly, God, as Holy Wisdom, is feminine. The person who would be truly wise will live in God. God, Holy Wisdom, will give us her counsel and guidance.

Using Isaiah: The Old Testament reading from Isaiah is the third of the poems called the “Servant Songs.” In them the prophet foresees the servant of God suffering persecution and death for his faithfulness to God, a death which would be redemptive for all people. The first Christians, following Jesus’ teaching, understood Isaiah’s oracle to have been fulfilled in the dying and rising of Jesus.

The second lesson is again drawn from the Epistle of James, an intensely practical discourse on Christian living. In today’s reading, James exhorts us to learn self control, especially in our speaking. The tongue, when disciplined, is used to glorify God, but when undisciplined, can cause hurt and damage.

The People of God enact in song, story, and sacrament their unity with Jesus dying and rising in their midst. In baptism and Eucharist we join him in his death and resurrection. We speak and sing our praise to him in our worship and in our lives of ministry, acceptance, and love for all people.