(The [...] are spaces for the children's responses.)
What does being brave mean? [...] Being brave means being afraid to do something, and doing it anyway. If you’re not afraid, you’re not being brave. All brave people are afraid people.
Have you ever been afraid to do something and did it anyway? [...] You were being brave! What helped you to do it, even though you were afraid? [...] Which is more helpful, someone saying you better do this or else! or someone saying, you can do it, and I’ll be with you the whole way and I’ll be here when you’re done? [...]
I once had to babysit a dog for a few months, and every day I had to take the dog for a walk in the park, and one of the walks we would go on included going over a metal grate bridge that went over a creek. This was a scary bridge because it was quite high, and when you walked over it, you could see down through the gaps how far down the creek was.
Of course, I knew, and I’m sure you all would know, that the metal was quite strong enough to hold us, and that nobody would ever fall through the cracks into the creek below. But the dog I was taking care of didn’t know that. And so the first time I crossed the bridge, I walked across, and I turned around, and the dog didn’t follow me. I was on one side of the bridge, and the dog was on the other, and it just wouldn’t come.
And of course, I couldn’t just walk away, so I had to go back across the bridge to the dog. And every day this happened––we would get to the bridge and I would go across and the dog would stop because it was too afraid of walking over the creek below.
What do you think I should have done? Keep in mind that this was a big dog, almost as big as me. What would you have done if you were me? [...] Do you think I should have yelled at the dog, and yanked on its leash, or hit it with a stick? Should I have said, oh you’re such a dumb dog, don’t you know this bridge won’t hurt you? Do you think that would have worked to get the dog across the scary bridge? [...]
Well, what I did was I would go onto the bridge just a few steps, and then I would call the dog very gently, and I would hold out a treat for the dog to come get. And it took a week, but eventually the dog came out just a few steps, and I gave it lots of hugs, and I said, what a good brave dog you are!
And every week, I would go a few steps further, and call the dog very nicely, and give the dog a treat, and lots of hugs when it came a few more steps. And eventually, after two months, the dog was able to cross the whole bridge! It was very scared of falling through the bridge, but it was very brave. And what do you think helped it to be so brave? [...]
Sometimes Jesus asks us to do brave things. What kind of brave things does Jesus ask us to do? [...] Jesus asks us to love our enemies, and to help the poor, and to protect people who are being hurt. Why might these things be scary? Why might we need to be brave to do them? [...] Well, sometimes our enemies might hurt us. Or sometimes if we’re protecting people who are being hurt or bullied, then we might get hurt or bullied instead.
In our Gospel reading, we hear about some disciples who were afraid of doing brave things. So last Sunday was Easter, right? And we heard about how Jesus had told his disciples to love everyone no matter what, and then Jesus was killed by the Roman government, and then all his disciples ran away because they didn’t want to get killed either.
And then of course Jesus was raised from the dead, and the disciples found out, and today we heard that they ... What did they do? [...] The disciples hid in a room and locked the door! Did they go out and love everyone no matter what? Did they do what Jesus told them to do? Why not? [...]
They were afraid. They were afraid of being killed just like Jesus. If you were afraid of being killed, would you hide in a room and lock the door? [...] I would!
But Jesus really, really wanted them to be brave, and to go tell people about how much God loved everyone, and to help the poor, and to protect people who were being hurt, even though they might be killed for doing it. Jesus wanted them to be brave.
So how did Jesus get them to do that? [...] Did Jesus go in and say, You better get out there or else? [...] Did Jesus go in and say, I am so disappointed in you all, you really let me down? [...] Did Jesus drag on their clothes and pull them out the door? [...] What did Jesus say?
Jesus said, “Peace be with you.” What does that mean, peace be with you? [...] Jesus was saying to them, I am not mad at you, God is not mad at you, I know that you are very scared, but I’m here with you. And then Jesus said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”
What do you think that means? What does it mean if the Holy Spirit is with you? [...] It means that no matter what you do, God is always with you and God always loves you.
When the disciples were afraid of going out of their room, Jesus spoke to them gently, and offered them a treat, and told them it was okay. And you know what? They eventually left the room!
We know this because these disciples were the first ones to go out and tell everyone about Jesus and that’s why we have Christians today! If the disciples had stayed in that locked room and never gone out, if they had never been brave, there would be no church.
So what made them brave? [...] They were brave because Jesus came to be with them, and filled them with the Holy Spirit, and told them that God loved them and would be with them no matter what.
So I’m going to tell you something. Jesus told the disciples, “Receive the Holy Spirit,” and so God was with them, right? Did you know that the very same thing has happened to you?
I don’t think any of you remember, but when you were baptized, the pastor who baptized you put water on your head and prayed, “Sustain this child with the gift of your Holy Spirit,” and then made the sign of the cross on your forehead and said your name, and then said, “Child of God, you have been sealed by the Holy Spirit.”
When you were baptized, you were filled with the Holy Spirit, and that means that God came to be with you and God has never ever left you since then.
So is God with you if you are hiding in your room and you locked the door? [...] Is God with you if you are afraid of something bad happening? [...] Is God with you when you stay home from church on Sunday morning? [...] (Although I hope you come to church because we all love to see you!) Is God with you if there is something you know you’re supposed to do but you’re afraid to do it but you know you have to do it? [...]
God often asks us to be brave so that we can help the world be a better place. God asks us to be kind to people who are mean, and God asks us to protect others who are being hurt, and God asks us to love every single person and animal and living being that God has made. And that can be scary sometimes, right? Raise your hands if you think that sounds a bit scary? (Even adults!) [...]
Well, whenever you are scared of doing these things, I want you to remember what Jesus said, “Peace be with you. Receive the Holy Spirit.” God is with you, no matter what, and God will be with you every step of the way, and so I know that you can be brave when you need to be, because God is going to help you. Thanks be to God. Amen.
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