A Story to Embody

Photo: Sunrise by MarilynJane

I wanted to start this post out today, with a reminder (mostly to myself) about why I write this blog.  Sometimes as a blogger, I ask myself, "Why do I write and why in the world should anyone care?"  I can answer only one of those questions, why I write.  I write because I hope that somewhere along the line a piece of my story, intersects with a piece of your story.  My prayer is that when those two pieces intersect, you may find something you were looking for: where there was hopelessness, hope, where there was discouragement, encouragement, where there were questions, answers but most of all that you would see that the heart of the Father is LOVE and that He loves you today, right where you are at, in your story.

I've been a Christian for 25 years and I've always had a heart for His people.  I grew up at a Christian school and a majority of my fellow classmates, ended up "walking away" from the faith.  Then as an adult, I've seen the other side of Christianity, the side that many people hide away from Sunday morning.  There is discouragement, pain, brokenness, hopelessness and a sense that perhaps this thing doesn't work.  Because of these experiences, there has been an angst in me to bridge that disconnect between our everyday lives and the reality of God.  As I've walked through my life, I have seen the faithfulness of God time and time again in my own story.  He has given me freedom in my thought life, my marriage, my parenting and my relationship with others while confirming daily in my heart His deep love for others and myself.  So I write because I know that I am not alone in my questions, struggles and discouragements but also because I've seen the Lord be faithful to me over and over again and I know that He will do the same thing for you.

I often share the names of people of faith that have influenced or are currently influencing me.  It's not that I think "they have the answer" but it is because their walk of faith has provided a place where I can relate, I have found answers that I was looking for, and I have found a place to rest.  By sharing their names and resources, I hope that perhaps you too have had similar questions and perhaps their journey of faith can and will also speak into your life.

That is why I write.

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Since October my husband and I have been listening to Todd Hunter, from Holy Trinity Anglician Church in Costa Mesa, California.  By listening, I mean, going back to the very first messages available and listening to every single one.  One of the things that has attracted us and kept us going back for more, is the Lectionary.  As I've said, we've been Christians for many years, but the spheres of influence that we've been around have not included Lectionary readings.

The Lectionary (in my terms and as I understand it) is a group of readings shared by certain denominations of the body of Christ.  Each Sunday, all these gatherings are reading the exact same Scriptures.  In the course of a year, the "story" of the Bible is read, and in the course of three years, almost the whole Bible has been read aloud in church.  Each week's readings contain an OT Scripture, a Psalm, a Gospel reading and a reading from the Epistles.  Then, at least at Todd's church, the sermons are derived from the Lectionary readings for that week. (If you would like a better explanation of what I am talking about you can listen to Todd's sermon Not too much for You 7/19/10.)

There are several things that have captured our heart with the Lectionary.  First and foremost, is that the Lectionary readings capture the idea that God has written a story and is still writing a story today.  The Lectionary readings are pieced together in such a way that it shows the connective thread of Scripture.  As Todd says, "When you hear the Story, It invites your participation."

Ephesians 4:14 describes what my Christianity has often felt like:

Then we will no longer be infants,

tossed back and forth by the waves,

and blown here and there by every wind of teaching

and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming.

I know this is a description of what our faith shouldn't look like, but I often felt like it was a description of what my faith felt like: I was on a boat being tossed to and fro.  I often felt like God couldn't make up His mind, one day He loved me, one day He didn't.  One day I was in His will, the next day I wasn't.  The Lectionary readings have eliminated those waves for me.  It has elevated God back on His throne; He knows what He is doing, He has been doing it since the very beginning and He is continuing to do it yet again today.  Words cannot express the awe, I have had for God these last several months.  There is a reverence, a respect, a love and a safety that I have found in this expression of worship.  I will fully admit that there has been a woundedness and a tiredness that I have carried in my heart for the last several years but the gentle wooing that I have heard from God through the Lectionary readings and Todd's sermons have truly been streams of living water to my soul.

Because of the beauty and rest I've found in the Lectionary readings, I have decided to start sharing the Lectionary readings each Sunday with you.  It is straight Scripture so enjoy:

Last Sunday before lent

2 Kings 2:1-12
When the LORD was about to take Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal. 2 Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here; the LORD has sent me to Bethel.”

But Elisha said, “As surely as the LORD lives and as you live, I will not leave you.” So they went down to Bethel.
3 The company of the prophets at Bethel came out to Elisha and asked, “Do you know that the LORD is going to take your master from you today?”
“Yes, I know,” Elisha replied, “so be quiet.”
4 Then Elijah said to him, “Stay here, Elisha; the LORD has sent me to Jericho.”
And he replied, “As surely as the LORD lives and as you live, I will not leave you.” So they went to Jericho.
5 The company of the prophets at Jericho went up to Elisha and asked him, “Do you know that the LORD is going to take your master from you today?”
“Yes, I know,” he replied, “so be quiet.”
6 Then Elijah said to him, “Stay here; the LORD has sent me to the Jordan.”
And he replied, “As surely as the LORD lives and as you live, I will not leave you.” So the two of them walked on.
7 Fifty men from the company of the prophets went and stood at a distance, facing the place where Elijah and Elisha had stopped at the Jordan. 8 Elijah took his cloak, rolled it up and struck the water with it. The water divided to the right and to the left, and the two of them crossed over on dry ground.
9 When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me, what can I do for you before I am taken from you?”
“Let me inherit a double portion of your spirit,” Elisha replied.
10 “You have asked a difficult thing,” Elijah said, “yet if you see me when I am taken from you, it will be yours—otherwise, it will not.”
11 As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind. 12 Elisha saw this and cried out, “My father! My father! The chariots and horsemen of Israel!” And Elisha saw him no more. Then he took hold of his garment and tore it in two.

Psalm 50:1-6

1 The Mighty One, God, the LORD,

speaks and summons the earth

from the rising of the sun to where it sets.

2 From Zion, perfect in beauty,

God shines forth.

3 Our God comes

and will not be silent;

a fire devours before him,

and around him a tempest rages.

4 He summons the heavens above,

and the earth, that he may judge his people:

5 “Gather to me this consecrated people,

who made a covenant with me by sacrifice.”

6 And the heavens proclaim his righteousness,

for he is a God of justice.

2 Corinthians 4:3-6

 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing.

 ⁴ The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers,

so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ,

who is the image of God. ⁵ For what we preach is not ourselves,

but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.

⁶ For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,”^[a]

 made his light shine in our hearts to give us the

light of the knowledge of God’s glory

displayed in the face of Christ.

Mark 9:2-9

After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them. 3 His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them. 4 And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus.

5 Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” 6 (He did not know what to say, they were so frightened.)
7 Then a cloud appeared and covered them, and a voice came from the cloud: “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!”
8 Suddenly, when they looked around, they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus.
9 As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus gave them orders not to tell anyone what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead.


In Christ,