Reflection - Inherited Hunger - Sunday, September 13, 2026

Sermon: Inherited Hunger    Traci Hubbard

September 13^th, 2026   Judges 2:1-11

When my great granddad went bald, he built a machine to weave himself a wig out of yarn. He then gave it to my granddad, who then gave it to my dad, and one day, it will be mine. It's our family hair loom.

There is something every parent discovers sooner or later: children are watching us. They watch what we do, listen to what we say, notice what we get excited about, and they notice the things we thought they didn't notice. This is why my blog is titled, “No Small Moments.”

We can tell our child, “Don't repeat what you just heard Daddy say.” And five minutes later, our child is standing in the church foyer saying, “Daddy says the pastor talks too long.” Children are watching. They are learning.

But there is one thing they don't learn simply by watching us go through the motions, children do not inherit a relationship with the Sacred by osmosis.

Faith doesn't seep through the walls of the house.

A hunger to connect with Infinite LOVE doesn’t seep through the walls of our houses and it doesn’t seep into skin during baptism. A child’s hunger for connection with God is satiated when we share our personal stories of our experiences with God.

Judges 2 gives us a heartbreaking sentence. Israel had entered the Promised Land. They had experienced Jehovah’s guidance and protection, and they had heard the stories. But then we come to verse 10, “After that whole generation had been gathered to their ancestors, another generation grew up who knew neither the Lord nor what he had done for Israel.” Think about that. They didn't know and God hadn’t changed. What happened? People stopped sharing their stories. The previous generation had experienced God, but they had failed to pass that experience on. And there is a sobering lesson here, a faith that is not intentionally passed on can become a faith that is quickly forgotten. I’m not saying our children and grandchildren should share the same beliefs we hold. Our role is to embody our faith and share our stories so others will be drawn to seek the Sacred in their own ways.

Think about this…we want to leave our children an inheritance… land, money, homes, and our family history. But I wonder if we spend more time making sure our vegetables and flowers are rooted and nurtured than we spend time sharing our stories of gratitude for who God has been and is in our lives? We can pass almost anything on to our children. We can pass down our recipes, traditions, family stories, political opinions, which football team to cheer for, how to marinate a brisket, change a tire, and let’s not forget, how to fold a fitted sheet. Have we also passed down an inherited hunger for the Spirit without providing suggestions on how to find Her? Children Need More Than Our Religion—They Need Our Stories and I believe this plays a significant role in the diaspora of younger generations looking to the church for answers and support.

Note what Judges 2:10 says, “They didn't know the Lord or what He had done for Israel.” This is important. The children needed more than a list of dos and don’ts. They need stories…our personal witness of the Spirit being with us. “Let me tell you about the time I thought there was no way forward, and God opened a door. Let me tell you about the time we were afraid, and God gave us peace. Let me tell you about the mistake I made and how God forgave me. Let me tell you about the person I couldn't forgive until God changed my heart. Let me tell you why I still believe.” Sometimes we make the mistake of thinking our children need us to present a polished life of faith. They don't. In fact, one of the most powerful things a parent can say is, “I don't have all the answers, but I know God has been faithful to me.” Our family, our friends, and Lake Country needs us to say, “I have questions. I’ve been deeply wounded, but I have never been alone. I have failed and Infinite LOVE held me closer than ever.”

We have a wonderful community of people inside our walls, but our connection with the Sacred will not seep out into Lake Country by osmosis. Osmosis is the movement of water through a membrane. It happens naturally. A connection with the Holy, a personal faith is not osmosis. We can sit in a garage all day, but we will not become a car. We can watch Marg paint, but we will not become a painter. Our families and people in Lake Country need more than the environment in our sanctuary. They need an invitation into the story, and this is why deciding on our logo and tagline is crucial because it is our first…our first invitation that will be all our social media platforms and signage.

I heard a story about a little boy who was getting ready for bed. His mother came in and asked, “Did you say your prayers?” The boy said, “No.” The mother was surprised and asked, “Why not?” The boy said, “Because I figured you already told God everything today.” But there's something underneath this story. When a mother says, “I don't know what we're going to do about this situation, so let's pray,” something changes. When a teenager hears someone say, “We don't understand this, but we trust the Spirit,” something changes. We Cannot Assume the Next Generation Knows or the people in Lake Country know Infinite LOVE is with them.

Judges 2 is a warning against assumption. The previous generation knew they could not have made it through without the presence and help of Jehovah. The next generation had not experienced their journey and apparently nobody made sure they knew the story.

That's the danger. We assume our children and grandchildren know…that our Lake Country neighbours know and understand. Proximity. There are no small moments in our lives, and these moments are where our faith becomes real.  And ordinary moments are where faith becomes real. Deuteronomy says to talk about God's ways when you sit at home, when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.

What Happens When We Don't share our stories?

Verse 11 tells us, “Then the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord and served the Baals.” Note, the spiritual vacuum didn't stay empty. When the personal stories of God disappeared, something else filled the space.

If we don't share with others what gives our lives meaning, you can be 100% certain that culture will tell them. Money. Appearance. Popularity. Achievement.

Sex. Power. Success. The approval of other people.

Every generation becomes servants of something.

This reflection is not to make anyone feel guilty. We cannot make the decision for anyone but ourselves.

This reflection is about being faithful witnesses.

Our responsibility is not to manufacture faith in ourselves or in anyone else…that is cult behavior. Jesus shows us our responsibility is to put the story in the hands of anyone we can. Folks, I am encouraging us to leave more than an inheritance to our children and to Lake Country and our world. I am praying we leave them the beautiful stories of our experiences with Infinite LOVE. Our stories become spiritual anchors. To become living loving help outside these walls, we must Become a Storytelling Community.

Judges 2 begins with God's presence. The angel (presence) of the Lord comes to Israel and reminds them of what God has done. God had been faithful. The tragedy wasn't God's silence. The tragedy was the people's failure to pass on the story. So, here's the question for us, “What story of Infinite LOVE will our children, grandchildren, friends, and neighbours hear from us?” Or will we leave an inherited hunger for God without knowing where to look? My father, who comes from a long line of clowns, just retired and wants me to continue the family legacy…I've got some really big shoes to fill!

May we leave our family, friends, and neighbours more than big shoes to fill. May we leave them nurturing roots so they can bloom in their souls. We are concerned about food scarcity in Lake Country. May we be just as concerned about the scarcity of inherited spiritual hunger.

May it be so, amen.