There's a Story at the Core

"Every story we tell borrows its power from a larger story, a story woven into the fabric of the universe. Life is a story, and your life and my life are part of a larger story. You can't really understand the BIble if you don't believe that."

Here at Meadow Springs Community Church, our story continues - discovering our "core" and what it is that makes us who we are.

Forest Service Road 73. Our Honda minivan was stuck in a foot of snow at 7000 feet of elevation. There were five of us--myself, my wife, two daughters, and my mother-in-law. We had decided to take the “scenic route” back from Idaho. The map indicated that the road was 'not maintained' in winter; but it was only early November, not winter yet, right?

An hour and a half after turning off on the scenic route we found ourselves in the middle of nowhere, not another soul for miles, on an unplowed road, in a foot of snow, stuck and wondering if we were going to end up spending the night in out in the woods! We all piled out of the van, and digging and slipping and pushing, we got it moving again and managed to backtrack back to the main highway. It was a 3-hour detour, and an unexpected adventure.

As a church, our theme for 2012 is Sharing the Story: The Unexpected Adventure. Anytime we experience something exciting or something adventurous, we naturally want to share it. We tell people stories of what happened to us over the weekend, or when we were kids, or out on the golf course, or on vacation. Sharing the story is a way of reliving the adventure ourselves, and of sharing our lives with other people.

Our theme for 2012 follows naturally from the themes we have emphasized over the last two years. In 2010, our theme was There is a Story at the Core, focusing on the truth that each of our individual stories are part of the great story of God’s quest to restore our relationship with Him. In 2011, our theme was Life in 3D: How to Make the Most of Your Story, focusing on how our choices allow God to transform our lives into better stories. In 2012, we continue with our “Story” theme, focusing on the need to share the story of Christ with the people and the world around us.

Our theme for 2012 has two aspects to it:

Sharing the Story: When we experience something exciting, we want to share it with others. Sharing just comes naturally. And what could be more exciting than having a personal relationship with the Creator of the universe? But the most effective sharing always takes place in the context of relationships; the relationship opens the door to conversations about Christ. Therefore, we want to become more intentional about building relationships that will open up opportunities to share.

The Unexpected Adventure: Most of our opportunities to share the story will come in the course of everyday life, going about our business and tasks, building relationships, and asking God for a chance to plant a seed. Living with the intention and expectation of sharing Christ is an adventure! Unexpected opportunities will come - we will have the chance to make an eternal difference in the lives of others. Of course, it can be scary, but most real adventures are!

If we have experienced the adventure of a relationship with Jesus in our own lives, then we naturally want to share the story of Jesus with others. May God enable us to live the adventure and to share the story more boldly in 2012!