I didn’t preach on the lectionary reading from Joshua 5:9-12 this weekend, but I did record a devotional on it months ago for the 2024-25 ELEA devotional book, Created to Be (PDF link to the whole book). ELEA is the Evangelical Lutheran Education Association, the ELCA’s association for childcare centers and schools, of which Living Hope’s Here We Grow is a member organization.
Not a text I necessarily would have picked for a devotional for preschool teachers, but I think it turned out ok. Here’s the video and the devotion text.
March 30, 2025 – Fourth Sunday in Lent
Text: Joshua 5:9-12
One of my college friends would regularly pause in the middle of a walk or conversation to say, “Stop! Appreciate.” Pointing to something interesting, she invited an interruption in life’s busyness, calling us to pay attention to the world around us and thank God for the little moments that give life its flavor.
After forty years of wilderness wandering after their escape from slavery in Egypt, the Israelites finally entered the land God had promised to them. In Joshua 5, the first thing they do after crossing the Jordan River is to stop and celebrate a holiday. Imagine the excitement they must have felt after forty years of wilderness wandering, awaiting the fulfillment of God’s promise. Yet once they arrive, the whole community stops to give thanks. Together, they celebrate the Passover festival, sharing the story of how God has been faithful to them in the past, reminding each other to appreciate how far God has brought them.
We, too, regularly mark milestones such as Christmas, Easter, the first 100 days of school, birthdays, and many more. On a smaller scale, rituals happen each day in classrooms and homes, perhaps by gathering in a circle to discuss what we did yesterday and then presenting something new for today. In these rituals, we have a powerful opportunity to pause and appreciate what God has done for us thus far. And in that remembering and appreciating, we prepare to live into who God has created us to be.
Reflect: What rituals do you celebrate in your home? In your classroom? How do these rituals provide encouragement to you?
Pray: Faithful God, you have brought us to this time and place, and we are grateful. Open our eyes to notice and share glimpses of your loving care all around us. Amen
Pastor Daniel Flucke serves at Christ the King and Living Hope Lutheran Churches in Port Washington and Saukville, Wisconsin, and Here We Grow Preschool and Childcare Center, a ministry of Living Hope.