There are stories, new and old, about our lives and that of our ancestors. Tell your story, hear the story of others and be blessed by the story that we share together.
AS many of you know I often say that we are people of story and in the stories we tell are the seeds of eternal life. In the telling we gain insight, we build relationships, we share hope, we generate laughter, we express grief, we shine light, we find answers and we form more questions. Recently, friends of over 30 years have started to write their story and I have been given the privilege of sharing in that process. It has been amazing. We have been through many things together over the last three decades – birth and death; travel; camping; eating; praying; celebration; sickness and health.
In many ways I thought that there was not much that I hadn’t heard about their story but I was certainly wrong! The part that I play in this venture of theirs is that I am taking their stories, editing to a degree and putting them on paper and it has been such a gift. Moments of new insight and laughter have bubbled to the surface as my fingers move across the keyboard bringing their story to life. What I realize is that no matter how long you know someone there are so many things that are left unsaid; so many stories never are given life and many things are missed.
Retelling the Biblical Story
The same is true of our faith story. One of the projects that I began and will really delve into over the time of my Sabbatical is the retelling of the biblical story. After an under graduate degree in Biblical Studies, a Masters of Divinity and 30 plus years in ministry I thought I pretty much knew our faith story inside and out. But there is something about reading the stories and then trying to retell them by rewriting them and bringing them into the language of today that is certainly eye-opening. I have missed so much!
With each story that I read and ponder comes new moments of insight, some confusion, question and sometimes answers. I have begun to build relationships with these biblical characters in a way that I had not before and yes there are even moments of laughter as I wonder “What were they thinking”. But more than that there has been the on-going development of my own faith in this process; discerning and a reimagining of Holy presence; insight into the power of faith as daily struggles take over life; shinning light on injustice and the power that it has to shape good and evil in the world; and a deeper understanding of relationships, forgiveness, compassion, loyalty and love. And I haven’t even made it past the first three books of the Bible!
Tell the Story
I leave you with a piece that I wrote a few years ago based on Psalm 78 which I entitled “Tell the story”
Speak to your children
the stories of the ancestors.
The choices that were good
and the mistakes that were made.
That they might learn and grow
in wisdom and in truth.
That they might be open to sacred
feel spirit within
and walk the path of justice and love.
Drawing on sacred love and divine mystery
the ancestors rose from oppression
and walked into freedom.
They crossed the sea
and entered the wilderness.
There, they found abundance
in unexpected places.
At times, they complained,
closed their eyes to possibility
and lost their way.
But with reconnection to sacred came insight
and the way ahead became clear.
They learned that…
hatred and fear,
causing harm to creation,
mistreating of neighbor,
speaking words that denigrate,
acting in violence
These things bring destruction.
They learned that…
keeping covenant
founding actions in love,
walking in the light,
seeking justice and equity
These things bring freedom, abundance and blessing
May it be so
for generations yet to come.
My prayer for you is that you might tell your story, hear the story of others and be blessed by the story that we share together.
Blessings,
Valerie