Storytelling

Community is a place where stories are told and retold, celebrated and heard. We all have stories; some funny, some joyful, some dramatic, and some tragic. These narratives are meant to be shared, they need to be shared. But many stories are often untold: stories of fear and shame, pain and pleasure. They hide in the recesses of one’s heart, afraid of what may happen if they were to come out. This is the challenge of community. For these kinds of stories, the ones that will shake a person’s world, come out only when certain unspoken agreements are understood by all in the community. First, the storyteller must feel comfortable telling their story without the judgmental eyes of others staring at them. Second, they must know the unconditional love and support of the group to which they are pouring out their life. Third, the storyteller is not a broken record for everyone to fix. And fourth, the community must be a place where people point each other to Christ, with whom there is acceptance, forgiveness, and healing. For ultimately, our stories are part of the bigger narrative of the world from creation to new creation. The beautiful thing about the Christian gospel is that the Creator of the world enters into this story in order to bring us to the end of the story. In a way, we already know the ending because He has foreshadowed it a couple millennia ago in the death and resurrection of Jesus the Messiah. Through Jesus, God has reconciled the world to Himself. And not just in a spiritual sense, but wholly and completely: physically, emotionally, psychologically, you name it. Each of our stories have meaning and significance, but more than that, they are subsumed into the greater story of redemption, and because of that, they are worth telling.

J.B. Phillips on the Incarnation

It is a fascinating problem for us human beings to consider how the Eternal Being — wishing to show men His own Character focused, His own Thought expressed, and His own Purpose demonstrated — could introduce Himself into the stream of human history without disturbing or disrupting it. There must obviously be an almost unbelievable “scaling-down” of the “size” of God to match the life of the planet. There must be a complete acceptance of the space- and-time limitations of this present life. The thing must be done properly — it must not, for example, be merely an act put on for man’s benefit. If it is to be done at all, God must BE man. There could be no convincing focusing of real God in some strange semi-divine creature who enjoys supernatural advantages. Nor, though it is plain that many men have been “inspired” to utter truth, to create beauty and to demonstrate goodness, could it suffice for a unique and authentic focusing to depend on one “super-inspired” man. For complete dependability, for universal appeal, for a personally guaranteed authenticity to which all other truth is to be related, God must do it Himself.

The Spitfire Grill

I saw this movie several years back and just now saw it again.  Both times, I enjoyed it so I’m going to recommend it to you, my readers.  It’s a beautiful movie; very simple and very redemptive.  It’s a story about a young woman who is trying to start her life over in the little town of Gillead.  There are many Christian themes in the movie, which for me is always fun to think through, yet it’s not a Christian movie.  I would tell you more, but I want you to see it yourself.  So if you have a couple of hours to spare, watch it.  And if you can’t find it or don’t want to pay for it, you can watch it for free here on youtube. 

P.S.  I just realized the picture here with the axe makes it look like a scary movie.  Don’t let the cover scare you away.  It’s not a horror flick.

Life and Death

“…saying I would die for my wife is one thing, whereas actually living for her each and every day is a far greater responsibility”, wrote Burk Parsons. I came across this quote the other day and found it very sobering. Truly, to take a bullet for someone is probably not easy to do, but to live everyday for someone else is unthinkable. Until you look at Jesus and realize what He has done for you. He died for you and now daily lives for you.

Too Many Choices

I recently read a book called “Just Do Something”.  You can read a quick summary of it here, from the person who recommended it to me.  The book is about making decisions and seeking the will of God, specifically as it relates to finding a career and spouse.  While reading the book, I found myself losing another excuse for my current condition.  The reason, according to the book, there are so many people who don’t know what they want to do with their life or who aren’t married is not because of a lack of options, but it’s due to the fact that there are too many options.  21st century America is a buffet of opportunities.  With so many choices, we end up second guessing ourselves or grow discontent, wondering if there is something better around the corner.  As Christians, we hesitate making a choice for fear of it not being what God wanted us to pick.  “What if I don’t like my job or what if she is not the one?”, we think to ourselves.  What a frustrating way to live.  A word of advice: Just because it’s a buffet doesn’t mean you have to try everything.  It’s not that hard.  Pick something and stick with it.