Our story begins…
He is making His-story in each of us. Our author, creator, maker, life-giver is writing a story and we are in it. Lately He’s been connecting some old characters for a fresh chapter. The setting is Claremont – a college town where His story hasn’t ventured much lately – fresh ground for a plot to thicken. It’s an action adventure with some drama and comedy thrown in. We don’t kn
ow the whole story yet, but He has shown us a few things…
1. This story is going somewhere. There is movement, development, purpose, meaning; we could use a word commonly heard lately and say it is a missional story. One thing is certain about the meaning of that descriptor: our story is about more than us. Somehow it is about saving lives. That is where it is headed, on a mission, relentlessly.
2. We are supporting characters in His story. The protagonist is Jesus Christ. Sometimes we discover Him on obvious display, at other times the story development is subterranean and hidden, and yet, there is never a doubt it is His story. Every movement, dialog, tension and resolution, is ultimately His. Jesus Christ is the center of this story, and He gets to do what He wants.
3. The story is true. It will be told in human, real, authentic, natural, and honest ways. Rather than an overly contrived false narrative, we seek to patiently experience a true one, warts and all. We know it will have to be a love story for it to be a true story, but we are committed to that and called to that. It is to be an organic story.
4. The characters develop in this story. Any good story will take each character from one place of character development to a better place. This story is like that. No one gets to stay the same. No one gets to avoid the pain of change. We are committed to our Author’s processes that insure maximum spiritual formation.
5. This story is fun. God’s characters are funny, unique, and worthy of celebration. Our story will take strange and wonderful twists and turns. We are meant to enjoy every one of them. We eat, laugh and celebrate together. We are a community always celebrating about how we are part of such a well told story. If you are a character, perhaps this part of your story will be best told here; the author is currently assembling His cast.
