Floating and Singing

This Sunday our Vacation Bible School (VBS)  children will be singing in church. It fills my heart to get to spend time with them as they learn songs, bible stories, enjoy art projects and sit on blankets to share a meal. We get to play games, make friends, and expand our hearts a little more each day to let in the love that is shared by the caring adults and youth who volunteer. 

When the disciples were afraid and overwhelmed out at sea -in a boat battered by waves when Jesus appeared to them, they thought he was a ghost. This story shared in Matthew, Mark and John’s gospels is our reading for this week. As I have both been spending evenings at VBS and wondering what is a word needed for this coming Sunday I have thought about singing and fear. I have thought about ghost stories and how we deal with fear. Stay with me here as I share just a bit more. 

During VBS our high school youth taught the kids lots of fun songs. Singing is a great way to bring people together. It also seemed to be a way to invite, include and help our little ones who might have been feeling a little trepidation or fear. Sea shanties were used to help on boats with heavy labor to synchronize those doing the hard work. Singing can also help regulate our emotional responses. Singing together is powerful. Even our most rambunctious ones enjoyed the songs which often included lots of fun actions and syncopation. 

On water day we played a game where we walked carrying water and hummed as we did it. I had learned from a parent of one of our youth a couple of years ago that when you are trying to balance something to hum or sing can help you keep steady. We had fun practicing this.

When Jesus called Peter out of the boat, Peter was sure and steady as he kept his focus on Jesus. It was when he lost sight of Jesus that fear took over. These past few days I have been thinking of how easy it is to be distracted, overwhelmed and afraid. This morning in bible study as we reflected together on the story in Matthew 14 of both Jesus and Peter walking on water the phrase popped up for me of “sink or swim” .When our conversation took a turn we ended up talking about floating. Floating is more difficult to teach than swimming. 

Sunday is still a few days away. For the next two days I am going to let these these various thoughts coalesce. I am wondering how floating and singing might be connected. I am not quite sure where the Spirit is leading me - so for right now I will float this idea; perhaps in times of uncertainty it is helpful to float and to sing. 

PS the photo at the top of this post is from a bulletin board that was a wonderful surprise to see upon my return from sabbatical in July 2023 - the phrase from the Message translation of Matthew 11:28-30 has been a balm for me especially in times of fear, uncertainty and grief.