The Stories That You Tell

Gathering Prayer: Holy One who is know to us by many names and in many ways, we give thanks for the blessings that we have in our lives. Be present now as we enter a time of thought and discussion.

Focus: I once read that life is about the stories that you can tell and the stories that they tell about you. Today we focus on the stories that Jesus told (parables), the lessons that he taught (teachings), and the stories that are told about him (miracles).

Below is some “food for thought”, a few probes that might kick start a conversation.

Read over them and pick one (or more, or none) to discuss. Remember to hold space for others to share and share only what you feel comfortable sharing.

Probe 1. Location, Location, Location. The Gospels tell us about the travels of Jesus over the three years of his ministry. The location of the story is often as important as the story: Bethlehem – born in lowly esteem; the Jordan- site of his baptism and the Jews entry into the Promised Land; the wilderness – from which he emerges to start his ministry and the Jews emerged to start a nation; Nazareth -his hometown which rejects his teaching; Judea – the countryside where he was widely accepted; Samaria – the land of the heretics; Jerusalem – place of the Temple, religious stronghold, where he dazzled them as a child, was received with acclaim, and sentenced to death. If they made a movie of your life, what locations would be critical to your story? Why?

Probe 2. Jesus often taught by parable – short stories or ideas designed to cause discussion about the Kingdom of God. In fact, seven of the parables start with or include the phrase “the Kingdom of God is like….”. Noted author Mark Vernon states that Jesus is telling us that the Kingdom is to begin in the here and now (remember the Lord’s Prayer?) and is to be more of a spirit than a set of rules or morals. If Vernon is right, what might be some of the characteristics of the spirit of the Kingdom of God ?

Probe 3. All in all, the Gospels record over thirty times that Jesus performed a miracle. Basically these fall into either the category of healing or changes in the natural order (water to wine; calming storms). Hume (Father of Empiricism and Naturalism) said that miracles are impossible because they fall outside the realm of any Natural Law or normal experience (I would argue that this is the definition of a miracle, but I am not on the same plain as Hume). Others state that a miracle must be an event that falls outside the chance of large numbers (a hungry person finding a $20 bill is not a miracle). The Roman Catholic Church states that in order to become a saint that these must be evidence of two miracles. What are your thoughts on the miracles – are they truths to help us see the power and glory of God manifest through Jesus, fictions that help us understand the nature of Christ, or something else?

Probe 4. Each of the authors of the Gospel give us an insight into the character and personality of Christ. Mark (the oldest of the Gospels) sees a healer, miracle worker, teacher, who is misunderstood by those closest to him; Matthew (writing to a Jewish community) tells of promised messiah, greatest prophet, teacher of the “new law” calling people to be faithful to their covenant with God, Luke (author to non-Jews) paints an image of a merciful, compassionate, prayerful teacher with special concern for women, the poor, and non-Jew) and John ( writing to a broad community of Jews and non-Jews) describes a noble, powerful, divine/person who is fully in control of His destiny. Which of these attributes do you align most closely with Christ?Which of them do you see(or, wish you saw more of) in yourself?

Probe 5. Early Christians were called followers of the “The Way”, as Jesus had identified himself as “the way”. They lived differently We read in Acts 2:The multitude of believers was one in heart and soul. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they owned. ……. There were no needy ones among them, because those who owned lands or houses would sell their property, bring the proceeds from the sales, and lay them at the apostles’ feet for distribution to anyone as he had need……. They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. How does their society align with the vision of the Kingdom of God that Christ presents? How does it align with the “America is a Christian Nation” view?

Probe 6. Today there is a movement called Red Letter Christians. They state “By calling ourselves Red Letter Christians, we refer to the fact that in many Bibles the words of Jesus are printed in red. What we are asserting, therefore, is that we have committed ourselves first and foremost to doing what Jesus said.” To what actions would a person who is committed to a ‘Red Letter Lifestyle’ (my words, not theirs) be committed?

Commission: Hold on to what is good. Love deeply. Honor others. Stay excited about life and your faith. Be joyful. Be patient. If you pray, have faith. Share with people who are in need. Welcome others into your homes. Be loving to those who hurt you. Be present; be in the moment. Be agreeable, even with those with whom you disagree. Be humble. Be a friend of people who aren’t considered important. Do the right thing. If possible, live in peace with everyone. And remember, no matter who you are, or where you are on life’s journey- you are welcome here.