Thin Places (Part Four in the Preacher Geek Series)

Here’s an idea for a teaching series I’ve had ever since I read a book on Celtic Spirituality that talked about “Thin Places.” Thin Places are sites where heaven and earth intermingle. The veil between them is thin. The Celts had a number of thin places that they considered to be holy ground.

The idea is to do a series of teachings exploring the Thin Places in Scripture. Throughout the Bible, there are significant places and settings that show up repeatedly as God reveals himself to humanity.

Here are eight examples:

1. The Mountain: A place where God reveals himself and gives direction. (Stories: Moses and the 10 Commandments, Jesus’ Transfiguration)
2. The Wilderness: A place of testing. A place to learn dependence on God. (Stories: Israel’s Wilderness Wanderings, Jesus’ Temptations.)
3. The River (Water): A place where boundaries are crossed. A place of separation from an old way of life. (Stories: Crossing of Red Sea, Jordan River, Baptism of Jesus, The Flood)
4. The Well: A place where we meet a mysterious stranger who changes our lives. A place where a chance encounter is anything but. (Stories: Isaac and Rebekah, Jacob and Rachel, Moses and Zipporah, and Jesus and the Woman at the Well.)
5. The Table: A place of inclusion, where outsiders become insiders, where acceptance is demonstrated. (Stories: multiple stories in the gospels, especially Luke)
6. The Boat: A place of confusion. A place where we are uncertain about who Jesus is and what he is doing. A place where our lack of faith and understanding is revealed. (Stories: Anytime Jesus and his disciples are in a boat together.)
7. The House: A place where Jesus gives us a deeper understanding of his teachings, where our misunderstandings are corrected, where the secrets of the Kingdom are revealed. (Stories: In the gospels, Jesus will teach the crowds and then explain his teachings to his disciples in the privacy of a home.)
8. The Cave: A place of darkness, doubt, and exile. (Stories: See David, Elijah, and Jesus.)

Don’t you think it would be fun to work through each Thin Place and ask the congregation to think about their experiences with God in each setting? It is also likely that each week there will be people in the very place we’re describing. Each teaching is an opportunity to tell good news to those who are in the cave, at the well, and in the wilderness. I also like that we’re using our imaginations to see ourselves in the physical settings in the great stories of the Bible. This is one way to make God’s story our story.

What do you think, will these preach or is this idea as half-baked as a batch of cookies from High School Home Economics class?

What other Thin Places can you think of that we can add to the list?