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| "Leap of Faith" by Tiffany Davis-Rustam |
The unknown can be a scarey place. No one knows this better than Scaredy Squirrel, the frightened protagonist of Melanie Watt's delightful children's book series. Scaredy is terrified of leaving the safety of his nut tree until one day. . .I won't spoil it for you, but let's just say that Scaredy "discovers something really uplifting."
I paired this story in worship with Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16, in which the unknown author of Hebrews recalls the story of Abraham and Sarah, two people who long ago heard God's voice calling them to leave their home and set out on a journey to an unknown place. During my sermon, which was geared toward children and adults alike, I wondered aloud whether or not Abraham and Sarah's decision to step out in faith was really as easy as the author of Hebrews makes it sound. After spending some time imagining what Abraham and Sarah's life might have been like before God called them (with the help of midrashim in the form of Jacqueline Jules' children's books Abraham's Search for God and Sarah Laughs), I then reflected on what it might mean to have faith:
I concluded by passing out these little "Jesus Loves Me" pom-pom critters to the kids as a little reminder to take with them as they went back to school, that they are not alone, that God is with them wherever they go and that they are part of a great big family of faith.. . .Some people read Hebrews 11 as a long list of Bible heroes whose superhuman quality of “faith,” allowed them to accomplish great deeds and do stuff that normal humans couldn’t do.
I’m convinced however that what Hebrews actually offers us is a family album of sorts, filled with snapshots of folks who knew the risks- who were at times just as frightened, anxious, and skeptical as the rest of us- but who still took the risk of stepping out in faith, because they knew that in doing so, they would not be journeying alone. . .
God was with them, and God is with us on this multi-generational family trip we call faith. . .
Remember our friend Scaredy Squirrel? Well, unlike Scaredy Squirrel who lived all alone in his great big tree and didn’t even know that he could fly, you are part of this great big family of faith whose job it is to help you discover who you are and what God is calling you to do. . .
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| "Jesus Love Me" Pom-Pom Critters from Oriental Trading |