Going through the lectionary with children can be a double-edged sword.
The obvious strength is that, in guiding us through the whole of Scripture, it requires us to move beyond the predictable and familiar grooves of our favourite Biblical texts. The other side of this is that the lectionary inevitably leads us into stories and texts that, from virtually any other source, would carry an adult rating.
Consider, for example, how the catalytic plague for Israel’s deliverance in Exodus 12:12 depicts God as flying over Egypt not unlike a fighter jet with the sole purpose of targeting the firstborn (animals, adults, and babies alike). Or a mere three chapters later in the climactic moment of Israel’s Exodus, God works through Moses to supernaturally drown the whole of the Egyptian army.
Needless to say, a child being read these stories is likely, whether consciously or subconsciously, to determine that one must be on the right side of this God – or else.
And so we’re faced with the question: if we’re committed to reading lectionary Bible passages with kids, come what may, how do we approach these particularly thorny texts?
While there is no silver bullet solution, in this article for Roots, Dr Jared Neusch offers three tips. Discover them here in this article, free for all to read on the Roots for Churches website:
