Fairy Tales in Sunday School

I love teaching UCC kids.  Today was our first day of Sunday school.  And since we’ll be learning about the Bible, the curriculum started us off with the question, “How do you see the Bible?”

The middle school handout gave four suggested answers: Fairy Tales, History Books, Instruction Manual, or Sacred Story.

You know you’re in a United Church of Christ congregation when half of the class answers A) Fairy Tales.  We’re a skeptical bunch.

Ah, but when I asked them how the Bible is like a fairy tales, they didn’t jump to “made up” or “childish” or “unreal.”  They told me “It has a moral or a meaning.” “You can apply it to your life.”

Adults in the UCC aren’t much different.  We believe more than we admit.

And the things that we do believe in—well, we might get a little wishy-washy around appearances and miracles—but the things we do believe in are just as unrealistic.  Peaceful solutions to problems.  Full inclusion of all of God’s children just as we are.  Questioning hearts searching for authenticity.  The necessary bonds of a community worthy of fellowship and sacrifice.  Just like those first Christians who thought the end was coming tomorrow, we’re trying our darndest to live as if God’s Kindom has already arrived.

Anyone with their feet firmly planted in the see-it-to-believe-it camp could easily tell us that our hopes are fairy tales.