This week, we begin a new series together. All of history is His story. How can we see God at work as we look back at the unfolding events of time? And if God has been at work, what is it that he has been working toward?
But we won’t begin at the beginning…that will come next week. Instead, we will begin with now. Just because the Bible was ‘finished’ centuries ago, that doesn’t mean that God’s story is finished. How is he still at work? How do we fit in his story?
To get things going, here’s a quote to ponder:
I don’t believe God is so concerned that we build ministries–or companies, families, or any other human legacy–to his glory. His glory is grown when we simply live out the calling he has given us. We give him much greater glory when we are aware of our calling, live intentionally, and live with passion. That’s how we coauthor our own story. - Dan Allender in To Be Told
Do you agree or disagree with this statement?
For those of you who have been involved in a church for a while, how does this statement compare with the general beliefs that are spoken about in church?
What do you think it means to coauthor our story with God?
January 3rd, 2006 at 4:37 pm
I agree wholeheartedly with Allender’s statement. I think there is nothing more fulfilling than doing with passion, the thing that God has “wired you up” to do, for His glory. What a cool thing to know that God has given us each different gifts, passions, interests, talents, strengths and weaknesses, and when I do what He wired me up to do, and you do what He wired you up to do…it helps to form THE story. That is each of us playing our own role.
I also take comfort in the fact that we each have a story, a path that we are on. And the interactions along that path, work to shape us into the person we are today. But because of more interactions, our story continues to be written, and that person you once were, you may not necessarily be anymore. Is this good? Why? Why not?
I’ll throw some questions to hopefully “stir the pot”…
How do you know how your story contributes to God’s story?
Does everyone REALLY have a story? Everyone?
January 3rd, 2006 at 4:53 pm
So you are defining old by age, not by time spent as part of Pathways?
January 3rd, 2006 at 6:19 pm
Well, last Sunday “the Josh’s” got together and came up with this: Josh Klocke = “The Red One” Josh Kuest = “The Young One” or “The Small One” or “Mini Josh” Josh Williams = “The Old One” Unless someone else has some more creative lables for “the Josh’s”. Anyone????
January 3rd, 2006 at 6:25 pm
In light of this weekend’s study, I thought I’d share this quote that I came across:
“Truth be told, you need to know the rest of the story if you want to understand just about anything in life.” - John Eldredge
Comments?
January 3rd, 2006 at 7:39 pm
I appreciate someone else (anyone else!) being known as the “old one!”
How about WashJosh, CalJosh and ZoneJosh?
Back to the main subject, doesn’t the term “vocation” come from a root word meaning “calling?” I believe this term was more meaningful in the past (before my time) than it is today - maybe it’s time for a resurgence of the vocation concept. (No, not vacation)
Who brings God greater glory: one who is in ministry but does shoddy work in their “day job”, or one not in ministry who excels in all they do?
January 3rd, 2006 at 10:20 pm
Good question Chuck…if only we had an English expert to confirm the root of the word vocation…
January 4th, 2006 at 9:33 am
Where is Shanon when you need him?
Growing up in a Christian home, I never thought I had a “story” because I had a false idea that “story” was defined as “radical conversion experience. It wasn’t until I was asked to give my story at a summer camp for high school students that I began wrestling with this concept. My problem was that I saw “story” as a one time event that “took place (past tense)”.
Your story is ongoing. Your story will not end with you. Your friends/kids/loved ones will carry your story. Each person that God places in your path is an opportunity for your story to rub off on someone else.
January 4th, 2006 at 9:57 am
I agree. Someone asked me a few years ago what I saw myself doing in the future. I remember telling them that I wanted to wake up each day and ask God what He had for me to do that day and then trust Him to provide for me as I followed His lead. Thankfully, I wrote that down in my journal. Because it was a year or so later, when I was reading one of my journals, that I realized God had really allowed me to do so. It’s a freeing thing to say, “Okay, God, here I am… what are we going to do today??”.
To an extent, I think this is what we are talking about here. Who am I created to be?? My whole life I thought I was “supposed” to be a teacher. Well, teaching has always been a part of my life, true… but a few years back, after being on the mission field for many years, I came back to the states and was in a full-time teaching position. It drove me nuts!!! There were aspects of it that I loved, but there were aspects in which I definitely felt “trapped”. It was then that God began to take me on a journey allowing me to realize that He never mandated me to be a teacher in a classroom. He did, however, bless me with the gift of teaching and that can come about in many ways. I began to realize that teaching takes place in a classroom, yes. But that the teaching possibilities outside of the classroom are many and are necessary. Once I accepted that, it freed me up in my realm of possibilities. It made me realize that I am not defined by my position. I am not “a teacher”, or “a missionary”. I am a child of God who has giftings in the area of teaching. The difference here is huge!! This means that if God wants me to clean toilets, wait tables, watch children, teach in a classroom, teach in a University, or just sit before Him for a few hours… That is what I will “do”. Because a child of God is what He has created me to “be”.
My point here is basically that our gifting does not always need to look how man would envision it. Many times, if we limit our gifting to man’s picture, we may miss a depth of where God can take us if we are willing to trust Him outside of our box for Him.
We are who He has created us to be… What we do each day is just a matter of where we happen to be at the moment and what He has laid on our heart. I believe if we can focus more on “being” rather than “doing”… The “doing” will come more naturally and genuinely.
January 4th, 2006 at 2:05 pm
Nice suggestions Chuck! I’ll have to confer with the other Josh’s to see if they will “stick.”
Ok….
Like Dean said, I never thought of myself as having a “story”. My life is missing that “transformational moment” to where I completely realize that I need to turn my life around and follow Jesus. At least, this was the misconception I also had of a “life story” Up until then, I thought I was missing something.
Great points Cyndee. I agree in the fact that I think we place too much weight on “what we are doing” and don’t even look at “who we ARE” in the way that it relates to our individual story. If you were to ask me even a year ago if I ever thought I’d be selling my house, moving out of California, quitting my job at a church that I’d been at for 8 years, leave my family, friends, and all of that behind; and move to the Pacific Northwest into an apartment, become part of a new community at Pathways, go back to work at Starbucks, and be on staff with a couple of “desert rats”
, I’d say….”NO WAY!” Well, here I am. And we couldn’t be happier. Both Erin and I have said that we feel like God has closed one chapter in our lives, and has started a new one. We still talk to friends at home, so we hear how our stories have influenced them. And all of you are contributing to my story here. So, I thank you for that. All I can ask of you is to play the role that God has designed you to play. I think that when we all to THAT, when we all (like Cyndee said) that time and just “be”, that it can be a beautiful thing.
O Shanon, where are you???
January 4th, 2006 at 2:24 pm
Hey all,
Greetings from California.
I think we cannot afford to separate our story from His story, He has chosen to include us and we cannot reject this. The story of the Bible is happening…right now…this is strange and yet wonderful (much like the rest of the Bible narrative). We all have the potential to engage the story, but often we forget or choose not too, at great expense (ie sense of purpose or lack thereof). “It is the self planted in us by the God who made us in God’s own image - the self that wants nothing more, or less, than for us to be who we were created to be. True self is true friend. One ignores or rejects such frienship only at one’s peril.” - Parker J. Palmer in LET YOUR LIFE SPEAK (great one day read on the subject of vocation.
The church spends to much time focusing on what to do, rather than who to be. Another great quote by Palmer, “Rosa Parks sat down because she had reached a point where it was essential to embrace her true vocation - not as someone who would reshape our society but as someone who would live out her full self in the world.” Palmer is pointing out that Mrs. Parks wasn’t considering her actions, but rather who she was as a child of God, which then influences action in a pure way. I’m thinking this is the route to authentic action, not hollow sentiment.
Is it important to consider whether we are discussion “our” as a singular modifier or a plural one? Is it our story or our story? Is it both? Does or should one supercede the other? Either/or or both/and?
Camarillo OUT!