Story Time is an important part of our worship time at Forest Hill United Church.  Typically, it's the time in the service when I get a chance to connect most with the children.  We continue to have Story Time though out the summer months, even though children are scarce, because it is an important part of what we do.  So, I often have to be very flexible and somewhat creative when planning this part of the liturgy in July and August.  I thought I would share what I did this week as an example.  I didn't call the children forward (as there was only one present) and instead shared this with the entire congregation.  It went something like this . . .

I love to read, especially during the summer.  I read a few good books on my summer vacation.  Has anyone read any good books lately?

Sometimes we can learn a lot from the books we read that help us to develop and understand our faith.  Even sometimes when we think we are reading fluff, surprising things are revealed to us.

I wanted to share with you part of a story from a book I read recently that helped me look at a Bible story in a new way.

Have any of you read the novel The Birth House by Ami McKay?  It's a really great novel that we're going to be talking about here at the church's book club in September.  I won't give away the story but I will tell you what it's about.

It is set in Scot's Bay, Nova Scotia outside of the town of Canning.  For generations and generations, midwives had been delivering babies there and taking care of the health concerns of women and children.  The story follows two specific midwives who travel from house to house up in this remote village helping people.  They don't get paid but do it because they feel it is their calling.

Then one day, a fancy dancy doctor comes to town.  He tries to convince everyone that the right way to have babies is with a doctor in the hospital he had built.  He wanted to charge these poor people lots of money to deliver their babies and they would have to travel down a mountain in often poor conditions to get to him. 

The midwives believed in what they were doing and kept on delivering babies despite what he was saying.  He tried to bully them and even threatened to have them put in jail but the midwives stood up to him.

It's kind of like the Gospel story I read to you today about the Canaanite woman.  She knew in her heart what she needed to do and even though Jesus, someone of great authority was mean to her and tried to stop her, she kept on saying what was on her mind and working to get the help she needed.

The women in The Birth House helped me to understand the Canaanite woman better.  So, keep reading!  These books might just deepen your faith.