I am writing this from Cleveland, Ohio, where the American Baptist Home Mission Society’s “Space for Grace” conference for pastors and spiritual caregivers has just concluded. The theme this week was “Storytelling.” Friends, I heard the Gospel story told in sermon, song, drama, and poetry of many kinds: stories of lives changed and Scripture stories artistically re-told.
Friends, I was reminded this week that we are a storied people. We are a people steeped in the stories of our ancient forebearers, who encountered God in both mundane and miraculous ways – and who preserved those stories through oral retelling, collating, writing, and then again re-telling. We are a people shaped by the stories of a God who loves us, who willingly joins in our story, and who rewrites our stories every time we encounter them.
Some years ago, when I was serving as an associate pastor in Washington state, I helped conduct the funeral of my senior pastor’s mother. At that funeral we sang the hymn, “I love to Tell the Story.” Every time I sing that hymn I think of Ruth and her love for life and her family. We sang that hymn quite a few times this past week.
I love to tell the story
Of unseen things above,
Of Jesus and His glory,
Of Jesus and His love.
I love to tell the story,
Because I know ’tis true;
It satisfies my longings
As nothing else can do.
I love to tell the story,
’Twill be my theme in glory
To tell the old, old story
of Jesus and His love.
I stand up and tell the story every time I step into the pulpit. But, we are a storied people – a people formed on the principle of the priesthood of all believers – the then radical idea that every person is called and gifted to minister to one another, be they ordained or lay. We still hold onto that principle in principle, if not always in practice. I may tell the story in the pulpit each week, but we are each and everyone of us called by the great Story Writer to tell the story – be that in or out of a pulpit.
Here is my encouragement for you this week: pick up your priesthood mantle and tell the life transforming, world healing, power upsetting story of the God who lived amongst the lowly, loved the outcast, and couldn’t be taken down by fascist powers. Friends, we have a story that the world desperately needs to hear! A story of a community of faith that stepped out of a closet and, although we know we still need to grow our welcome, said all are welcome in this sacred place. A story of a community that seeks to serve the hungry and the naked because we believe Christ is in them. A story of a God who continues to work through us even in our dormant seasons. A story of a God who has met each one of us in whatever valley or mountaintop we have found ourselves on.
It doesn’t have to be a sermon. It can be as simple as “have I ever told you about the time God met me?” “Can I tell you the exciting work my church is doing?”
We are undoubtedly in a challenging season in history and many of us are facing immense personal challenges – but aren’t the hard seasons the best time to tell the story of Jesus and his love? Aren’t these the times we need the Good Story to get us through?
Shout it loud and clear, sing and dance it out, spread it in poetry and prose, we are storied people! May we love to tell the story!
Blessings,
Pastor Amy
