Born into slavery, Harriet Tubman went back for her people more than a dozen times and never lost a single traveller along the way, what she left behind was freedom. The sermon sets her story beside a strange episode in the book of Joshua, when an altar built by the Jordan almost triggered a civil war in Israel (Joshua 22). It turns out the whole thing was about children, and about a faith meant to survive one generation longer, even when the way of passing it on looks controversial. Listen if you are asking yourself what is worth leaving behind.
Discussion questions
For your small group or for personal reflection after the sermon.
- In Joshua 22 the tribes of Reuben, Gad and half of Manasseh build an impressive altar by the Jordan. Why did the other tribes see this as rebellion, and what made their outrage understandable?
- The delegation led by the priest Phinehas first asks and listens to the answer instead of going straight to war. What does this scene teach us about responding to things in church that seem new or wrong to us?
- The eastern tribes explain that the altar was meant to be a witness for their children, so they would not forget which God they belong to. What fears about future generations lay behind that decision?
- The sermon mentions John Wesley preaching in the streets and a country musician playing in bars and in prison. Where is the line between boldly reaching people with the gospel and compromising with the world?
- The speaker keeps repeating: we want to do everything short of sin to pass the gospel on to the next generation. What have you received from parents or other people of faith that you want to pass on, and what do you not want to repeat?
- A father in an iron lung could only pray for his sons, but we can do much more. Which young person can you actually help to know God this week, and where will you start?
