Join us for our Summer Sermon Series 2025: “There and Back Again: Spiritual Gleanings from J.R.R. Tolkien’s ‘The Hobbit’ and ‘The Lord of the Rings.’ Beginning July 27th.
The fantastical world created by JRR Tolkien begins with the phrase, “In a hole in the ground there lived a Hobbit.” I was introduced to Middle Earth through the Rankin-Bass animated film ‘The Hobbit’ and then the books about Middle Earth that Tolkien had penned.
Bilbo was hesitant to be a part of the grand adventure at first. He had all of his creature comforts at Bag End. He didn’t want to leave those comforts behind to explore Trolls’ lairs or dine with elven lords. We can also be like that. We can respond with an “I can’t” do it. While the dwarves are having their discussion about retaking The Lonely Mountain, they can tell by Bilbo’s actions that he doesn’t believe in himself. Gloin even says, “As soon as I clapped eyes on the little fellow bobbing and puffing on the mat, I had my doubts. He looks more like a grocer than a burglar!” Much like Moses trying to convince God that he can’t lead the Israelites out of Egypt (Exodus 4:10-31), we like to see what is before us and treat the outcome of completing the task like an equation. “What I believe I can do” subtract “What I believe it will take to do it” equals “Outcome.”
This summer, we will explore these questions through the lens of Tolkien’s works. We, like Bilbo, only need to take up the challenge and say with great fervor, “we’re going on an adventure!”
First Congregational Church of Tallmadge 