Addicted to the Story
Saturday afternoon I was one of many people who filled the Bismarck Civic Center to watch a live production of two Disney shows. Children were everywhere. Snacks filled the aisles and even some seats. Grossly overpriced toys peppered each section. My wife accused me of sleeping for more than half the show. That, of course, is a gross exaggeration. I slept for about 20% of the show. The room was dark. The air was warm. The seats were comfortable. I have a tendency to get sleepy in such situations, unless I’m gripped by what I am watching. This week I’ve wondered why my reaction to Disney mimics so many Christians’ reactions to the greatest story ever told. A lot of us have forgotten to see ourselves and our neighbors in God’s story of creation, rebellion, redemption, and new creation.
I may have not been compelled by the storylines of Sophia the First or the Neverland Pirates, but my children sure were, especially my youngest daughter. Every wave from the stage was a wave to her. Every character who asked for help received good help from her. Ignoring the fancy riggings to the rafters, in her mind flying characters could really fly with the help of pixie dust. She danced. She clapped. She pointed. She waved. She was gripped by the story playing out in front of her eyes. I enjoyed watching her get caught up in the show, and I knew that as a grown-up I’m not much different than she is, sleepy as I was.
When I first started preaching I was annoyed at the overuse of stories in sermons. I thought that people should pay attention to all the other stuff. But I was wrong, because that’s just not the way God has wired us. We cling to stories more than anything else. The Bible is full of stories. Jesus’ words handed down to us are mostly stories. Years later, after we’ve forgotten almost everything else we’ve seen and heard, it’s the stories we remember best. When we get together with old friends, the stories remain. Stories to be shared. Stories to be cherished. Stories to be re-lived. Stories tell us who we really are, remind us who we were and at their best they even show us what we’d like to become. We are all story addicts. What makes the gospel so great is that it tells us who we really are and who we will really be. The details may not be all there. The timing may not be perfectly clear. But there is nothing to snooze at when it comes to God’s love story headed up in Christ.
Sometimes I wish church members could get a glimpse at what their pastors look at on Sunday mornings. Even better, would be for all of us to get a glimpse at how our unbelieving neighbors see us every day. Are we snoozing through the gospel story as if it is for kids, but not really for us and certainly not for our neighbors? They are addicted to stories too. Just think about what they say in their conversations, what they post on their social media news feeds, etc. The entertainment industry is what it is because all of us love stories. What would it look like for us to love the gospel story even more? I imagine fewer of us would be asleep in the light.
I may have not been compelled by the storylines of Sophia the First or the Neverland Pirates, but my children sure were, especially my youngest daughter. Every wave from the stage was a wave to her. Every character who asked for help received good help from her. Ignoring the fancy riggings to the rafters, in her mind flying characters could really fly with the help of pixie dust. She danced. She clapped. She pointed. She waved. She was gripped by the story playing out in front of her eyes. I enjoyed watching her get caught up in the show, and I knew that as a grown-up I’m not much different than she is, sleepy as I was.
When I first started preaching I was annoyed at the overuse of stories in sermons. I thought that people should pay attention to all the other stuff. But I was wrong, because that’s just not the way God has wired us. We cling to stories more than anything else. The Bible is full of stories. Jesus’ words handed down to us are mostly stories. Years later, after we’ve forgotten almost everything else we’ve seen and heard, it’s the stories we remember best. When we get together with old friends, the stories remain. Stories to be shared. Stories to be cherished. Stories to be re-lived. Stories tell us who we really are, remind us who we were and at their best they even show us what we’d like to become. We are all story addicts. What makes the gospel so great is that it tells us who we really are and who we will really be. The details may not be all there. The timing may not be perfectly clear. But there is nothing to snooze at when it comes to God’s love story headed up in Christ.
Sometimes I wish church members could get a glimpse at what their pastors look at on Sunday mornings. Even better, would be for all of us to get a glimpse at how our unbelieving neighbors see us every day. Are we snoozing through the gospel story as if it is for kids, but not really for us and certainly not for our neighbors? They are addicted to stories too. Just think about what they say in their conversations, what they post on their social media news feeds, etc. The entertainment industry is what it is because all of us love stories. What would it look like for us to love the gospel story even more? I imagine fewer of us would be asleep in the light.
No comments have been added yet.
