Serving the Story

Scripture
“My response is to get down on my knees before the Father, this magnificent Father who parcels out all heaven and earth. I ask him to strengthen you by his Spirit—not a brute strength but a glorious inner strength—that Christ will live in you as you open the door and invite him in. And I ask him that with both feet planted firmly on love, you’ll be able to take in with all followers of Jesus the extravagant dimensions of Christ’s love. Reach out and experience the breadth! Test its length! Plumb the depths! Rise to the heights! Live full lives, full in the fullness of God.”  (Ephesians 3:14-19 MSG)

Serving the Story
Last week’s Academy Award show was one accountant’s nightmare – but provided lots to talk about the next few days. After some confusion, Moonlight was declared the Best Picture. I liked Moonlight actorMahershala Ali’s comments when accepting his Best Supporting Actor award. “It’s not about you, it’s about these characters. You’re in service to these stories and these characters.”

He lived and served a story which played out on the big screen.  It’s a great metaphor for one way we connect with Jesus. We are part of a fantastic story of God’s love for creation. We live it out in flesh and blood and on the world stage, not on a screen.

We make up our role and our lines as we go along but we are responding to real life and the real needs of the world around us. Love, mercy, justice, reconciliation, and forgiveness are the many themes that we live out as we serve the biggest story with our own story. 

A Prayer for Today
Loving God, your story continues to play out in our lives wherever we are this day. Remind me that it isn’t about me but about serving your bigger desire to reconcile all creation to yourself. This is a big story – it amazes me that somehow my little role contributes to the big picture. You are in, for, ahead of, around, shaping, correcting transforming us. It is good to be part of this, the biggest story… For Jesus’ sake