Breakthrough Moments: Threads of Scripture in the Fabric of Life

By Janet Lynn Stobie

 

This short story collection will help you connect your life with the wisdom of the Bible. Janet uses her research and imagination to create eye-witness accounts that bring a new perspective on stories of faith. Enjoy a cup of coffee/tea as you sit in a comfy chair at home, and read about Mary, Thomas, Hannah, and many more as they t

• Language: English
• Publisher: Child's Play Productions
• Release date: Nov 25, 2020
• ISBN: 9781775293842

Janet Lynn Stobie

As a life-long learner, she's earned three university degrees, and trained as a teacher, a Spiritual Director, and a United Church Minister. Her experience as a high school teacher, a personal and family counselor, a United Church Minister, and as a mom and grandma, has given her the knowledge, faith and wisdom to write these engaging stories. Her column in a local paper, Today's Faith, and her blog Tips for Grace-filled Living are loved by her subscribers. When Janet is not writing and speaking, she and her husband Tom enjoy their blended family of five adult children and nine grandchildren. In between they have fun dancing, travelling, and volunteering in their community.

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Praise for

Breakthrough Moments

"Rev. Janet Stobie has gathered a wonderful collection of ‘probably’ familiar stories and re-told them beautifully from a very personal perspective; the perspective of someone who was a witness.  Depending on the narrator, some are geared for adults while others will speak directly to the child in all of us; each story challenging our faithful behaviour in difficult, yet believable situations such as facing a moral dilemma, feeling inadequate in the eyes of others, disciplining a child, caring for someone who is otherly-abled. 

As a thespian, these stories can be easily adapted to chancel dramas as monologues; bringing the Biblical texts to life in a way that can never be forgotten by an audience/congregation. 

May this book become a treasured resource in your personal collections, worn out from use before it can ever lose its value as a teaching tool."

~ Rev. Rosemary Lambie, Executive Minister,

Regional Councils of East Central Ontario;

Eastern Ontario Outaouais; and Nakonha:ka;

of The United Church of Canada

Other Books by Janet Stobie

Books for Children

A Place Called Home/ Homeless? Who Me?

Spectacular Stella

Elizabeth Gets Her Wings

Rajah Becomes a True King (available 2021)

Short Stories for All Ages

A Child Speaks

Can I Hold Him? (Christmas Stories)

Novels

Fireweed

To Begin Again

Worship Resource   

Dipping Your Toes in Planning Small Group Devotions

Copyright © Janet Stobie

All rights reserved

Published by Child’s Play Productions

First Edition

No part of this book may be reproduced in any manner without written permission of the author except for brief quotations embodied in reviews. It is Janet Stobie’s intention that her stories be used. Your permission will be granted once you email for permission to [e-mail]

Publisher: Child’s Play Productions

853 Abbey Lane,

Peterborough,

Ontario K9H 7T1

Scripture quotations taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, registered trademark 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan, all rights reserved.

ISBN 978-1-7752938-3-5

Editor: Ruth Walker www.ruthewalker.ca

Cover and Interior Design: Sue Reynolds www.inkslingers.ca

Printed in Canada by Marquis, Montmagny, Québec, Canada  G5V 4T1

www.janetstobie.com                  [e-mail]

Printed in Canada by Marquis Printing, Quebec

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Dedication

These stories are dedicated to

Biblical storytellers everywhere –

particularly parents, teachers, lay leaders

and clergy who have taken the time

to think deeply about these stories of faith.

We are all teachers and leaders

for we tell the stories with our words

and in our living.

Introduction from the Author

Traditionally, we share our spirituality, our faith through the telling and retelling of stories from the past. The bible is a treasure chest of stories that connect to our lives today. Too often we stumble and give up reading the Bible because we cannot see those connections. In this short story collection, I have followed the midrash tradition of retelling familiar Bible stories in a manner that invites the reader to identify with them.

    For each reflection I have chosen or created a character to be the storyteller. Research has enabled me to fill in the gaps in detail needed to familiarize the reader with the culture, geography, beliefs, and habits of people living in Bible times. 

To help with this process, I have included the scripture passage upon which each story is based, my story, a prayer and discussion questions. I suggest the following process will help you make the connections more easily.

1.      As you read the scripture passage, do your best to suspend, for the moment, all interpretations you have been given over the years. Come to the scripture as if this is your first time reading it.

2.      Read and ponder the short Before You Begin section.

3.      In your imagination become the storyteller as you read the reflection.

4.      Read it again, pausing and/or underlining details that stand out for you.

5.      Answer the questions that follow the story.

6.      Give God thanks for any new insights, Breakthrough Moments, you have experienced.

Enjoy sharing your insights with family, friends, or a study group at church on Sunday morning.

I believe Breakthrough Moments can be a valuable resource for individuals at home, group leaders, Sunday School and Vacation Bible School teachers, and clergy.

~ Janet Stobie

Give to Us Laughter

Resilience Can Bring Joy

A Reflection on 2 Kings 5:1-18

Introduction: Humanity has a long history of displaced peoples – driven largely by war, hunger and politics. Prisoners of war, refugees, and immigrants form part of our modern world. Many have become heroes. Many more remain unsung heroes and we can only imagine their lives.

2 Kings 5:1-18

Naaman Healed of Leprosy

¹-³ Now Naaman was commander of the army of the king of Aram. He was a great man in the sight of his master and highly regarded, because through him the Lord had given victory to Aram. He was a valiant soldier, but he had leprosy. Now bands of raiders from Aram had gone out and had taken captive a young girl from Israel, and she served Naaman’s wife. She said to her mistress, If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.

⁴-⁶ Naaman went to his master and told him what the girl from Israel had said. By all means, go, the king of Aram replied. I will send a letter to the king of Israel. So Naaman left, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold and ten sets of clothing. ⁶ The letter that he took to the king of Israel read: With this letter I am sending my servant Naaman to you so that you may cure him of his leprosy.

⁷ As soon as the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his robes and said, Am I God? Can I kill and bring back to life? Why does this fellow send someone to me to be cured of his leprosy? See how he is trying to pick a quarrel with me!

⁸-¹⁰ When Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his robes, he sent him this message: Why have you torn your robes? Have the man come to me and he will know that there is a prophet in Israel. So Naaman went with his horses and chariots and stopped at the door of Elisha’s house. Elisha sent a messenger to say to him, Go, wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleansed.

¹⁰-¹² But Naaman went away angry and said, I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, wave his hand over the spot and cure me of my leprosy. Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Couldn’t I wash in them and be cleansed? So he turned and went off in a rage.

¹³-¹⁶ Naaman’s servants went to him and said, My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more, then, when he tells you, ‘Wash and be cleansed’! So he went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, as the man of God had told him, and his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy. Then Naaman and all his attendants went back to the man of God. He stood before him and said, Now I know that there is no God in all the world except in Israel. So please accept a gift from your servant. The prophet answered, As surely as the Lord lives, whom I serve, I will not accept a thing. And even though Naaman urged him, he refused.

¹⁷-¹⁸ If you will not, said Naaman, please let me, your servant, be given as much earth as a pair of mules can carry, for your servant will never again make burnt offerings and sacrifices to any other god but the LORD. But may the LORD forgive your servant for this one thing: When my master enters the temple of Rimmon to bow down and he is leaning on my arm and I have to bow there also—when I bow down in the temple of Rimmon, may the LORD forgive your servant for this.

Before you Begin:

In this story, Hepsipah, the Servant Girl, is my picture of the Hebrew child who was taken by General Naaman as a prisoner of war to the land of Aram (Syria.) In the time of Naaman and Hepsipah, leprosy was a death sentence. It was believed contagious. People with leprosy were isolated, thrown out of their village.

Give to Us Laughter

Hello, my name is Hepsipah. That name sounds strange to you, doesn’t it? In my culture, it is quite common. When I was a little girl, I had a friend whose name was also Hepsipah. My mother