September 2025

A few weeks back during a children’s message I listened carefully as Laura asked the children, “Are any of you scared of heading back to school?” A few heads nodded. She also asked the congregation if any teachers or administrators were scared of school starting back up. Again a few nods. It felt like an important question for all of us.

Are any of us scared of…

Are any of us overwhelmed by…

Are any of us unsure about the state of our nation, our world, our home, our heart…

If so, we’re not alone. We are in good company with so many who feel scared, overwhelmed, unsure, off-kilter.

Eli gave the question some consideration and then raised his hand and said, “I am 5. I’ve never been to kindergarten before.”

So many of our days place us in unfamiliar settings and sometimes we’re just not sure what we’re supposed to feel or how we’re supposed to respond.

So, as we head into the unknown, we turn to God in prayer, petition, reverence and find the source of strength and the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 1:7, 9:10).

We turn to Jesus and say, help me – and find a peace and groundedness this world cannot provide (John 14:25-27).

We turn to the Holy Spirit and plead for guidance in the unknown and unfamiliar spaces and find that the Spirit intercedes on our behalf and is our advocate, guide, and counselor (Romans 8:26-27, II Timothy 1:7).

New beginnings can be scary. New classrooms, new people, new challenges. Our prayers may not make things easier, but they will open us up to receive the power of God and the presence of companions who will stand with us and for us in the household of God.

Our prayers may also take us into environments of pain and discord. Having received the welcome and care of God, we then have something very powerful to offer. Honest with own fears and aware of God’s faithful presence, we have a chance strengthen the fainthearted, support the weak, help the suffering and cheer on 5- or 50-year-olds heading into unfamiliar terrain.

Tom