It was my turn to give the children’s sermon this past Sunday, and I was planning to follow the lectionary with a message about Christ as our good Shepherd, when opportunity knocked. My husband and I had purchased several baby chicks the day before, and it isn’t often you get the opportunity to show children baby chicks in a children’s sermon. The following is how I followed a similar track to Christ as the good Shepherd:

The Scripture passage I used was Psalm 91:4, “He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection.”

Ask the children if they are ever afraid. Do they have any idea what it means when the Bible verse says “He will cover you with his feathers?” Show them a picture of a mother hen with her babies hiding under her wings.

We talked about how frightened these chicks were as I handed each child a baby chick. If they had been with their mama hen, she would have her wings spread out for them to run under her. Mama hens keep their chicks warm under their wings and hide them from owls and hawks.

Mother hens are great protectors. One of the men in the congregation told me of a time when he saw a mother hen fly up into the air and chase away a hawk that was flying down toward her chicks. I recall a time in my childhood when I came upon a mother hen with a baby that was still hatching out of an egg on my aunt’s farm. The mother hen pecked me on the nose to let me know I shouldn’t be messing with her babies.

There is another passage that talks about the mother hen and her chicks in Luke 13:34. “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, … How often I have wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn’t let me.”

Jesus gives us the opportunity to come to him for protection by following his teachings in the Holy Bible. But if we are not willing to follow his teachings, we lose that protection.

I am thankful for my husband’s suggestion that I use the chicks in the children’s sermon. How many times to we let opportunity knock and not take advantage of the opportunity. We may find that teachable moments pop up from time to time with our children or grandchildren. Be ready and willing to make the most of every opportunity.