Sunday, March 1, 2026 - Fear in the Drivers Seat
March 1, 2026
Deborah Laforet
“Fear in the Driver’s Seat”
Let us pray. May the words from my lips and the meditations of my heart be guided by your
Spirit and be words of wisdom for this day. Amen.
I’m going to start with a statement that could go without being said, but trust me that I’m taking
you somewhere. Our church is going through a lot of transition right now. Now I could be referring to
St. Paul’s, the United Church of Canada, or the Christian church in general, but let’s start small and
personal and focus here.
St. Paul’s has been visioning its future for quite some time now but when we decided to sell our
property, the transition felt big and fast. So, as happens with change, this community is experiencing a
lot of feelings around all that has been decided and the direction we are going. Anger. Sadness.
Surprise. Disgust. Joy. Fear. And we’re not just experiencing one of these emotions but several, at
different times, one on top of the other, and on repeat. Because that what emotions do.
This Lent, we’re going to look at emotions through the lens of faith and scripture. We’ll look at
an emotional wheel that has helped me a lot, as someone who struggles to name or even understand the
emotions she’s experiencing. Some of you might recognize this wheel. Other’s might recognize this
movie, Pixar’s “Inside Out,” an animated film that created five characters out of the emotions inside a
young person’s head - Disgust, Fear, Anger, Sadness, and Joy.
I’ll start the conversation with my own personal experience. I am feeling driven lately. I am
getting up early to work out. I am watching what I eat and trying hard to avoid sweets, making it my
Lenten resolution. I’m trying to get to bed early so I get enough sleep. I’m trying to stand more than I
sit. I have a whole list of ways I am trying to improve myself, getting healthier in lots of different ways.
Now, I could tell you that I’m doing this because my son is encouraging me to join his gym.
He’s on a bit of health kick right now. I could tell you that it’s my 2026 New Year’s resolution. I could
give you lots of reasons for this new drive in my life, but if I’m being completely honest, there is one big
motivating reason. Fear.
Many of you know that over the holiday season, I was hospitalized. Basically, I was in a whole
lot of pain, and no pain medication seemed to work. Doctors weren’t sure what was happening so
admitted me to run tests and find out. I was in the hospital from Boxing Day to Epiphany - December
26 to January 6, almost the whole 12 days of Christmas. Most of that time, I was in a lot of pain.
Eventually I was given a diagnosis and a pain medication that actually worked, although it took some
time to build up the amount I needed. The doctor in the hospital called what I was experiencing,
“quadratic femoris neuralgia.” My physiotherapist called it femoral radiculopathy. I like
“radiculopathy,” better because it sounds closer to “ridiculous.”
One thing doctors can’t tell me though is why it happened, and, of course, without knowing why
it happened, it’s hard to know how to prevent it from happening again. So, in the meantime, I work hard
at strengthening my leg, dropping some weight, being less sedentary, I’m considering buying a standing
desk, biking while I watch my favourite shows - the list goes on, as I live with the fear that this might
happen again.
Fear. Fear is what is driving me. I carry this fear with me all the time. I feel it when I get a
twinge in my leg, whether it be a small pain pain or just a bit of discomfort. I feel it when my doctor
says I should keep my appointment at the pain clinic, in case this happens again. I feel it when when I
think of slipping and falling on the ice and what might happen. Sometimes, I just feel it when I lay
down at night because I woke up with that pain early in the morning. Fear can be a good motivator if it
motivates me to be healthier but not so good, if my stress increases because I can’t slow down and I’m
anxious all the time.
A while ago, I heard Elizabeth Gilbert, author of “Eat, Pray, Love,” talk about her fear and how
she had to learn to put her fear in the back seat. She wrote a letter to her fear in her book, Big Magic,
“Dearest Fear,” she writes, “Creativity and I are about to go on a road trip together. I understand you’ll
be joining us, because you always do. I acknowledge that you believe you have an important job to do in
my life, and that you take your job seriously. Apparently your job is to induce complete panic whenever
I’m about to do anything interesting—and, may I say, you are superb at your job. So by all means, keep
doing your job, if you feel you must...Creativity and I are the only ones who will be making any
decisions along the way. I recognize and respect that you are part of this family, and so I will never
exclude you from our activities, but still—your suggestions will never be followed. You’re allowed to
have a seat, and you’re allowed to have a voice, but you are not allowed to have a vote...”
Fear is part of our ‘family’ of emotions. Our fears need to be heard, understood, and even
nurtured and reassured, but you don’t ever want your fear in the driver’s seat.
Today we heard a story of the Israelites in the desert. To offer some context, the Israelites had
been living in Egypt as slaves. Then God called Moses to free his people, and after a lot of back and
forth between Moses and Pharaoh, and ten plagues, Pharaoh finally agrees to release them.
After their release, they go into the wilderness. After some time of being free and wandering the
desert, the Israelites begin to complain. They complain about a lot of things; in the story today, they
complained of thirst, and not being able to find water. Now, the Israelites are often portrayed as whiny,
ungrateful, and not having enough trust in God. Moses, through God, has freed the Israelites from
slavery, yet they complain, and even, at times, profess a longing to be back in Egypt.
As I said earlier, the Israelites had been slaves and we hear a few incidents of their abuse in the
bible. We read of an overseer beating one of the slaves. We read of Pharaoh, in fear of a prophecy,
commanding all children born male to be executed. Outside of the bible, we read enough stories in
history to know how slaves are treated by those who claim them as property. The Israelites survived
harsh conditions. Entering into the wilderness gave them their freedom but it wasn’t any less harsh. In
Egypt, they were fed, clothed, and housed. I don’t think they would really give up their freedom to
become slaves again, but now, they were travelling through a harsh land, having to find their own food
and water, make shelter, and even had to create their own kind of governance for this very large group of
people. Also, they carried with the fear and trauma from their past circumstances. That wouldn’t have
just gone away. Slaves are made to obey by instilling fear in them. Slaves are prevented from rebelling
by making sure they know the harsh consequences of such actions. Fear had been in the driver’s seat for
the Israelites for a long time, and it was going to take a long time to not let that fear command their
actions.
We all have our fears, sometimes for ourselves, sometimes for friends or family, and sometimes
for our community and our world. These fears often take the form of anxiety, insecurity, helplessness,
feelings of persecution and exclusion, overwhelm, worthlessness.
Reading books by inspirational and wise people like Elizabeth Gilbert is one way to help us learn
how to deal with our fear, and there are a lot of wise people out there writing books, creating podcasts,
and offering seminars, but sometimes words are just not enough. We need to put our faith into practice,
which, in our busy lives, often gets put on the back burner for another day, another week, another year.
We might remember it when New Year’s rolls around or we encounter a difficult situation.
Our faith though is not something to put on the shelf and take down only when we need it. A
strong faith often helps when we are feeling our greatest fears. Our faith though is a practice and it takes
practice, like going to the gym, it can help us grow stronger and be strong.
We know what it means to go to gym, but what might practicing our faith look like. Prayer
might one way we can connect daily with the Holy. Contemplation or meditation is another way we
connect with the Spirit. Sometimes just pausing every day to offer gratitude and to name our blessings.
Reading our bible might be another way, memorizing a particular piece of scripture that might bring us
comfort. Psalm 23 is a favourite but we might also use the passage from Isaiah 43 that Judy read for us:
“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will
not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you
ablaze. For I am your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Saviour.”
Practicing faith can help us keep fear from being in the driver’s seat. It doesn’t mean we won’t
feel fear, but when we do, maybe it won’t take control or take command of the situation. It can advise.
It can alert us. It can even jump up and down so that we are made aware of distress and worry, but, as
Elizabeth Gilbert wrote, “[Fear,] You’re allowed to have a seat, and you’re allowed to have a voice, but
you are not allowed to have a vote...”
Also, maybe we might tell our fear, like the angels have been telling people of faith throughout
the centuries, “Be not afraid. You are not alone. God is with you.” May it be so and thanks be to God.
Amen.
Exodus 7:1-17 & Isaiah 43:2-3
(Introduce yourself. - Do not move or tap microphone.)
This morning, I am reading the first seven verses of chapter 17 of Exodus. At this point
in the story, the Israelites have just recently escaped from slavery in Egypt and are
struggling to survive a life in the wilderness as they follow Moses to the promised Holy
Land.
From the wilderness of Sin the whole congregation of the Israelites journeyed by stages,
as the Lord commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the
people to drink. 2 The people quarreled with Moses and said, “Give us water to drink.”
Moses said to them, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the Lord?” 3 But the
people thirsted there for water, and the people complained against Moses and said, “Why
did you bring us out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and livestock with thirst?” 4 So
Moses cried out to the Lord, “What shall I do for this people? They are almost ready to
stone me.” 5 The Lord said to Moses, “Go on ahead of the people and take some of the
elders of Israel with you; take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile and
go. 6 I will be standing there in front of you on the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and
water will come out of it, so that the people may drink.” Moses did so, in the sight of the
elders of Israel. 7 He called the place Massah and Meribah, because the Israelites
quarreled and tested the Lord, saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?”
I will also read two verses from the book of Isaiah, verses two and three, from chapter 43.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the
rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be
burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One
of Israel, your Saviour.
May the Spirit guide our understanding of this holy scripture.