By Martha Martin
Minister of Education and Care
St. Andrew's United Church, Halifax

Friends Between Generations

We are going to do things a bit differently today – we’ve done this before, a number of times. There’s no official children’s story today, because I hope that what happens next is going to appeal to folks of all ages.

What those who have not been attending Sunday School need to know, is that for the past few weeks the children have been hearing three different stories from the bible. Three different stories of people who, even though they are of different ages, became friends or helped each other, or did something surprising to those people around them.

So we are going to hear those stories once more. And then, because I’m such a movie fan, I’m going to show you a movie clip from three of this year’s family movies. Each of these movies I think in some way holds up some of the same themes from the bible story that we heard. And then, after I talk about those themes for a few minutes, we’ll sing a hymn.

So that’s how we are going to explore the bible stories today. I hope you can all see the screen – certainly if you want to come closer to the front so that you can see better, please feel free to do that now. Let’s get started …

Children as creative thinkers in a crisis - Moses and Miriam – (dramatized)

If my sister, who is five years younger than I, were here today, she would probably tell you that there would be no doubt in her mind that if I had had the chance to float her down the river in a basket when she was little, I would have taken it. She would say that I made her life miserable as a child. Of course, I would say the same thing about her. We did not get along very well as children. I thought we were the only two sisters in the world who didn’t get along. Then I had two boys of my own … who didn’t get along, who fought like crazy growing up … who couldn’t be in the same room together without something starting up. Anyone have that experience, fighting with a brother or sister?

Of course, now my sister and I are good friends – and my sons are best friends with each other. It seems pretty universal that siblings fight. But, it also seems, that in a crisis, they come together. When there is a common enemy, they can be extremely creative in problem solving and in overcoming adversity.

The movie that I’ve chosen for this section is Nanny McPhee Returns. This is a sequel to the 2005 movie Nanny McPhee, and is about a magical governess who can teach unruly children to behave.

In this movie, Nanny McPhee appears at the door of a harried young mother, Mrs. Isabel Green, who is trying to run the family farm while her husband is away at war. But once she’s arrived, Nanny McPhee discovers that Mrs. Green’s children are fighting a war of their own against two spoiled city cousins who have just moved in and refuse to leave. Using everything from a flying motorcycle to a tree-climbing piglet, Nanny McPhee teaches the mischievous children five new lessons. The first two lessons they must learn are “Stop Fighting”, and “Share Nicely”. In this clip, the children must learn the third lesson, to “help each other” in order to catch the runaway piglets so that they can be sold to save the family farm.

Movie clip – Nanny McPhee Returns

Now just for a minute imagine what poor little Miriam, probably no more than 11 or 12 years old, must have felt as she kept watch over her baby brother in a basket by the river. Whatever mixed feelings she might have had about the changes the baby had brought into her and her family’s lives must surely have, by this time, turned to grief and sorrow, even horror, as the reality of what was happening unfolded before her. After watching her grief-stricken mother place the baby in the basket … what must have been going through Miriam’s mind as she kept watch over the basket, heard people approaching, and then probably heard her brother begin to cry, attracting attention.

Miriam’s quick thinking saved the day, and perhaps even the Jewish people. At her suggestion, her mother was brought to the palace as a nursemaid for the baby Moses … who of course grew up in the palace but then became the leader who would lead the Jewish people out of Egypt and into the Promised Land.

Children often see things that adults don’t – whether it’s the wonder of the world around them, or a creative solution to a problem at hand. Thanks be to God, for the creativity of all of the children in our midst.

Song: MV 90 Don’t Be Afraid
Growing relationships between generations - Ruth and Naomi (read)

The story of Ruth and Naomi is one of the most moving and powerful sagas in the Bible, because it tells the story of the courage of two women who are caught in a male-oriented system. Two women from different generations, whose story flies in the face of the age old mother-in-law jokes. Because women married at an early age in those days, it’s quite possible that Ruth was still a teenager, or in her early twenties. They must have had a strong and mutually supportive relationship, for when faced with the choice of staying with her own family in Moab, or going back with Naomi to her homeland, Ruth chose to travel to a foreign land with Naomi.

When they reach the land of Judah, Naomi teaches Ruth the survival skills that they will need to live. And, she mentors Ruth in the ways of courtship so that Ruth eventually becomes Boaz’ wife. Some interpreters and commentators suggest that Naomi’s methods are downright manipulative and self-serving, for it is Naomi who wants an heir for the family. That may be so, but perhaps it is forgivable because the times in which they live are so harsh, and so unkind to women who are on their own. What I want to think about, and to reflect on, is the friendship between these two women from two different generations.

The movie that I have chosen for this section is the most recent Karate Kid movie. Of course, the most recent movie with Jackie Chan and Jaden Smith is a remake of the 1984 Karate Kid movie with Ralph Macchio from Happy Days. (who I heard, just turned 49 a few weeks ago for those of you who want to feel as old as I do …) Here’s the plot: 12-year-old Dre Parker could have been the most popular kid in Detroit, but his mother’s latest career move has landed him in China.

Immediately, Dre becomes the enemy of the class bully, Cheng who uses his martial arts training to bully Dre into submission. With no friends in a strange land, Dre has nowhere to turn but to maintenance man Mr. Han, who is secretly a master of kung fu. As Han teaches Dre that kung fu is not about punches and parries, but maturity and calm, Dre realizes that facing down the bullies will be the fight of his life. Here’s the trailer for the movie. Here’s the trailer from the movie.

Movie clip: The Karate Kid

Everyone needs a mentor, a teacher, a champion, in their lives. Someone who has been down the road before and can encourage and challenge you along the way. Whether you are 6, or 12, or 18, or 25, or 45, or 60, or 80 … we all learn from those who have been on life’s journey longer than us. We can all be mentors to someone younger than us, and we can all find mentors who are either older than us, or who have different life experiences than us.

It’s my observation that we are losing the ability in our society to communicate between generations. Increasingly, activities and experiences seem to be geared to a certain age group – whether it’s seniors, or youth, or boomers, or children … do you realize that the institution of the church is one of the few places where people intentionally gather together across generations?

This year, we are being a little bit more intentional about creating opportunities for folks to do that. Our community birthday party in October was one example, and from the feedback and comments that I received, people, I think about 200 of us, of all ages truly enjoyed the experience. Our Secret Friends Project is another example, where we have 27 children paired with 27 adults to write letters to each other over several months, with the sole purpose of getting to know one other. We will be offering other opportunities for friendships to build, and mentoring to happen. We all have a part to play in this project. Thanks be to God.

Song: MV 216 Wherever you may go (chorus 2x)
Children Help Us change - A Boy and his lunch – scripture

Every couple of weeks, on a Thursday afternoon, I go to the Berkeley retirement home on Green Street to lead a bible study. I am often accompanied by Alma, who is also a member of our pastoral visitation team. Now, there aren’t many who attend, and sometimes I get caught up in wondering if it’s good stewardship of my time. Sometimes it’s a challenge to get a conversation going, sometimes folks forget where they are … but more often than not, when I let go of all my expectations and agendas, God breaks through, over and over again.

That happened this past Thursday. We were talking about this passage, and Archie, who is well into his 90’s, and one of the most faithful and biblically literate persons I have ever met, said quite simply … “Well that’s just the greatest story of sharing there ever was. I read that in a book back in the 1950s, and it made sense to me.”

I was kind of surprised … I thought, rather foolishly in hindsight, that that particular interpretation of the story was relatively new. The general idea is that the miracle in the story is not that Jesus magically made more food appear, but that everyone shared what they had, so that there was enough for all. Archie went on to say … “in those days, no one would have gone on a journey to the countryside without bringing food for the day … everyone had something.” And, because I had been thinking about this story for so long, said … “and it was a small boy who showed them the way.”

To which Archie said very slowly and thoughtfully, “yes, it was a small boy who showed them the way.”

That’s not how it is in the other gospel accounts, but in the Gospel of John’s telling of this story, it’s a small boy who, by sharing what he brought, invites the whole community to do the same. He essentially transforms the community.

Well, you may think that the movie I’ve chosen for this story is a stretch, but it’s last year’s How to Train Your Dragon. Here’s the story line:

Long ago up North on the Island of Berk, the young Viking, Hiccup, wants to join his town's fight against the dragons that continually raid their town. However, his macho father and village leader, Stoik the Vast, will not allow his small, clumsy, but inventive son to do so. Regardless, Hiccup ventures out into battle and downs a mysterious Night Fury dragon with his invention, but can't bring himself to kill it. Instead, Hiccup and the dragon, whom he names Toothless, begin a friendship that would open up both their worlds as Hiccup learns that his people have misjudged the species. As the friendship between Hiccup and Toothless deepens, they both find that they must fight
the destructive ignorance plaguing their world.

Here is the trailer for the movie. Watch for a different kind of sharing of fish …

Movie clip: How to Train Your Dragon

Well, I don’t want to give too much away, but it is a young boy once again who transforms his community, and the world.

On this Children’s Sunday, 2010, I invite you to think about the children in your family, in this church, in your community, in the world … Where do you see their creative energy, inviting the rest of us to see the world in a different way? Where have you been challenged by a child, only to realize after the fact that it was a gift you didn’t recognize at the time? And for the children – what do you want to say to the adults around you … where do you feel supported, and nurtured, and mentored … and where would you like to challenge us to think about things in new ways?

I invite every one of us to continue to think about these conversations, the relationships we already have between generations, and how we can build more … in our lives, in this faith community, and in the world. And let be aware of the God who walks with us breaking through these conversations at every turn. Thanks be to God.

Song: MV 48 I can feel you near me God

http://www.wingclips.com/movie-clips/nanny-mcphee-returns
http://www.wingclips.com/movie-clips/the-karate-kid
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0892769/