What an incredible, painful, joyful, tearful and heartfelt last couple of Sunday's we've had at Whipple. I've been talking about what it means to be dangerous (a good dangerous) as a Church and that it takes people to become dangerous disciples to make it happen. (After all isn't the Church really just people and not the building? Remember "here's the church, here's the steeple, open the door, see all the people"?)
One of the things I've been trying to drive home is how important our stories are in touching people and how they become a gateway to the bigger story. (God's epic story through time of His love reconciling people to Him.) I've said it like this, we are all beggars telling another beggar where to get food (think I got that from Andy Stanley or Ed Young). Each week I shared a simple story, a beggars story, a "cardboard testimony" of how God has changed someone's life.
I talked about "Story" and how the human condition, how the marginalized, the outcast, the forgotten, the one's we chose to ignore, all have stories, too. I said that when our story (which is God's story) intersects with their story, God shows up, lives are changed, relationships get restored, and lives get healed.
People were invited to come forward and to write their cardboard testimony, their story, and place them at the front of church as an offering to God. I saw people come forward who I knew their story and how God had worked in & through their lives-I rejoiced & celebrated with them.
I saw people come forward that are in the middle of their story, and they are still unsure of the way the story looks-I cried with them.
I saw people come forward who want or need God to be a part of their story. Their story is one of pain, abandonment & grief-I prayed & grieved with them.
Throughout it all, God is working to restore & rebuild people back to Him. And it's not only happening at Whipple, it's happening all across the world. What's your Story. Please leave a comment as we can encourage one another.
