March 20, 2022
“Frankly, there isn’t anyone you couldn’t learn to love once you’ve heard their story,” Fred Rogers once said.
The Rev. Fred Rogers was a PC(USA) pastor who built his ministry around teaching us to share our stories, listen to one another and then go out into our neighborhoods. Rogers modeled the practice of storytelling. Storytelling is at the heart of who we are as Christians and how we share the story of God’s redeeming love. We gather as faith communities, develop authentic relationships through the practice of storytelling and communal faith practices and then go out into our neighborhoods to join God’s work of equity and justice. Rogers showed us how listening to one another and meeting people where they are at is how we can show the expansiveness of God’s unconditional love.
We honor the work and life of Rogers each year on March 20, his birthday. Faith communities engage in neighborhood projects, learn about peace and reconciliation, and find creative ways to spread joy and kindness. This year we have added additional resources for you to recognize Mr. Rogers Day. You’ll find a worship service, artwork for bulletins and coloring, a new hymn and 15 ways you can engage in the day. Find all of these resources and more here.
Stephanie Fritz; Mission Coordinator for Christian Formation; Theology, Formation & Evangelism
Revised Common Lectionary Readings for Sunday, March 20, 2022, the Third Sunday in Lent (Year C)
First Reading Isaiah 55:1-9
Psalm 63:1-8
Second Reading 1 Corinthians 10:1-13
Gospel Luke 13:1-9
Today’s Focus: Mr. Rogers Day
Let us join in prayer for:
PC(USA) Agencies’ Staff
David Maxwell, VP/Geneva Press & Church Relations, Presbyterian Publishing Corporation
Deidra May, Mission Specialist, Special Offerings, Mission Engagement & Support, Presbyterian Mission Agency
Let us pray
Using the words from the hymn “Jesus, Teach Us to be Neighbors”: Jesus, teach us to be neighbors living, loving side by side. Hands for helping one another, arms for welcome open wide, ever learning, ever growing. Jesus, teach us all to be children of the new creation joined in true community. Amen.
You may freely reuse and distribute this article in its entirety for non-commercial purposes in any medium. Please include author attribution, photography credits, and a link to the original article. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDeratives 4.0 International License.