Don't Lose Your Voice

I'm sick. For 6 days now I have been fighting off this incessant bug; woozy pounding head, aching muscles, sleeping more than my cat, and a throat that feels like I've just guzzled half a bottle of Draino. All of this has been rather horrid, but for the most part tolerable if I gritted my teeth and rode it out. Until last night. Last night, the unthinkable happened. 

I lost my voice. Yep, completely 100% gone. And for me, there is nothing tolerable about losing one's voice. Sure, it's funny when I try to laugh at my boys' jokes and sound just like Marge Simpson, or possibly her zany sisters Thelma and Selma; but that's where the fun ends. Putting it bluntly, I need my voice to function! I cannot communicate without it! Everything becomes hard; the morning schedule - gone! Telephone calls - impossible! Socializing with my school mum friends - well, okay, so I managed to squeak out a few words here and there with them, but not as many as usual. 

Long story short, when one loses their voice, communication of all kinds is next to impossible. 

And I believe that the Church is losing its voice. Christians are losing their voices. I have been a Christian for 30 years; I always loved sharing this fact, from when I was a little girl in primary school, right through my working years, into this season as a mum of primary aged kids. It's never crossed my mind to not share this with others; why wouldn't I want to speak the truth of Jesus Christ to others?

Why not indeed? How it saddens my heart to read of so many Christians watering down their faith so as not to offend anyone, to be "inclusive" and "tolerant" and "unoffensive." There is so much pressure on churches and individual Christians  to stay mute about so many different issues, that ultimately the message - the Gospel of Jesus Christ - is withheld. Is it because we are afraid of being labelled bigots, or worse - fundamentalists? Or is it that our freedom of speech is becoming less 'free' and more "tow the line or stay silent?" 

Our voice - as individuals and as a collective - and our message are clear. In Chapter 6 of the Gospel of John, Simon Peter declares this message boldly and confidently -  “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.” (John 6: 68-69).

As Christians in the 21st Century we will face much scorn and ridicule for our faith. In some instances we may even become "Public Enemy #1." The question is, as we used to say, "can you hack it?!" Will you make a courageous stand for your God, in the name of Jesus Christ and in the power of his Holy Spirit? 

When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen:

“Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!”

"Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”

Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, "Teacher, rebuke your disciples!"

"I tell you," he replied, "if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out."  (Luke 19:37-40 NIV).

Or will you be out-praised by a rock?!



Helen XO

Stories in Action – playgroup visits with Penny Reeve.

“Are you ready for another adventure?”

That’s the opening line of my picture book God Made Something Amazing, the book I used as for a playgroup visit last week at Hornsby Baptist Church. It’s also the thought that runs through my mind as I prepare resources I’ll need for each and every playgroup visit I do’. Am I ready? For another adventure?

Sometimes I think writers for adults have more opportunities to do speaking engagements (and therefore promotional possibilities), but there are some unique openings for audience engagement that only a children’s writer has. There is something magical about the way a child engages in story. They are more likely than adults to let their mouth hang open in suspense. They have a tendency to lean forward, stand up, butt in mid sentence with enthusiasm. But they are also more tempted to let their attention drift when confronted by the choice of listening to the visiting speaker or watching a fly escape out the window.

Then, if you multiply that child by 16, add several talkative mums in the background, three sets of fussy babies and several toddlers who really, really want to get back to the train set, you have the ingredients for adventure, whether you wanted it or not!

I find playgroup visits, especially church based playgroup visits, really worthwhile. Each one I’ve done has been slightly different because I like to tailor my visits to the needs of the group. I also like to consider my part in their program as a contribution to ministry. Although the section I run may only take 15 minutes of time I commit to being there the whole morning. There are several reasons for this:

· I like to chat with the mums and get a general feel for the group. The children also relax more if they see me interacting with their adults.

· I ask about church background, it comes up naturally when asking about attendance etc, and that helps me know where the adults stand. Many playgroups are full of non-church mums.

· I let people know I’m a mum and refer to my children and my writing, again this just builds credibility.

· I wander around and engage with children, learning as many names as I can for use in my story time, and breaking down barriers.

· I watch how the children are interacting with each other and with their toys – this gathers clues for how they’ll respond during my program/craft and if necessary I can adapt what I’ve got planned.

Generally my focus when preparing a playgroup visit is to introduce/remind children to the idea that God is creator and God loves them with an enormous love. In conjunction with the playgroup leaders I then choose a story that suits their group. For example, one group I visited was doing a theme on body parts, so I chose to use God Made Something Funny which is my monkey book because the monkey’s arms in that story are always busy. Another group was doing a Christmas theme so I used God Made Something Tall, which explores just how far God’s love can reach, and I coupled it with a story from one of my favourite picture Bibles.

Sometimes I’ll prepare games, some singing (even though as feel like a goose doing it!) and maybe an action rhyme to reinforce the theme. Always, I offer to bring along a craft activity suitable for the age range in the group.

Then I pack my bag with books for sale, my soft toys for the games, my program in case I get nervous and forget what I’m doing, and arm myself with prayer.

I’m always exhausted at the end of a playgroup visit – partly due to my introverted personality, partly due to the very age group involved. But I keep taking bookings because it’s worth it, no matter how many or few books I might sell at the event. It’s worth it to see a little group of eager 3 and 4 year olds bouncing on their knees to see the pictures, eyes shining at their correct guessing and mouths wide in smiles as they point to each other and say “God’s love reaches me and you!” And it’s worth it knowing for this brief morning I had the chance to show Christ’s love to harried mums and they got to hear, from the very lips of their children, just how big God’s love for them is.

P.S For more ideas and inspiration about preparing for author visits with children be sure to book into this year’s Word Writer Fair/Getaway. I’ll be presenting on this topic there also.

P.P.S. Join the adventure with children, faith and stories at my facebook page.

Penny Reeve is a children's author currently residing in Western Sydney. This week she hopes to finish a cross-stitch book mark, remember to bake the bread before it rises over the pan and get lost in Philippians chapter two while writing a Bible Study for tweens.