Thursday, August 5, 2010

Story

I recently listened to a lecture on the life-shaping power of story and since have been pondering again the medium God chose to make truth known to us: words, and essentially, a story. "In the beginning" -- sounds like the start of a story. The big story of creation, fall, and redemption, and all the smaller stories that fit into that bigger one, are what shape my worldview (and lecturer Daniel Taylor argues that everyone's worldview is shaped by a Master Story). And it is our privilege, Taylor points out, to be both characters in God's story and also storytellers.

Then Heather and I were discussing on our run this morning ideas of conflict (how can you have a good story without conflict? and what will our story format be in Heaven, where there is no sin?) and resolution (how can you resolve in a way that leaves the reader/listener satisfied and hopeful, yet is realistic for this side of heaven?).

Reading Psalm 111 this morning, I realized that the writer was encouraging us to tell God's story: the works of the Lord are great, glorious, majestic, powerful, faithful, and just, and we should ponder and remember them. The kernel of this story is that "he provided redemption for his people; he ordained his covenant forever."

What does it look like to be a faithful storyteller?

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