I went to a workshop recently. I haven't been to a workshop in quite a while. It was given by a group of church people who are working to help develop leaders in congregations. But it was helpful for those of us who needed a new perspective as well. We were reminded that we all have a story, we have a view of our life and how it is lived out. But to talk to others about our faith, we need to share the stories of the Bible because--how else will people come to understand what we are professing on Sunday morning?
Stories are essential to faith. Before people could even read, the stories of how things came to be were passed down from generation to generation by word of mouth. You sat down around the fire at the end of the day and told stories of how things came to be, how they are supposed to be and how we can still shape them to be. Stories of bravery and heroism, sure. But tales of mistakes and misunderstandings, too. Because the story of people isn't perfect, because people aren't. I think we've forgotten how to tell a story. Ours or the ones in the Bible. I think we know these biblical stories (some of them anyway) so well, that we forget the reason behind telling them. To understand the ideas and truths behind the story. We forget that telling a story fixes it in your mind so much better than just bashing you over the head with rhetoric and platitudes.
So let's return to telling stories, both our own and the ones found in the Bible. They are full of passion, hope and the best thing of all: God's love.
In the beginning...