"Today, as in the ancient era, the Church is confronted by a host of narratives that contradict and compete with the gospel. The pressing question is: Who gets to narrate the world?" "... The Bible tells the true story of the world." "... The Church finds its identity in the role it plays in the biblical story; theology deepens our understanding of this story; worship enacts and tells this story; spiritual formation (discipleship) equips the Church to embody this story; and the believer's life in the world, including all of public life, is a witness to the truth of this story." ... "Every part of the Bible- each event, book, character, command, prophecy, promise, and poem- must be understood in the context of the one story line." "... According to the biblical narrative, the meaning of our whole world's history finds its meaning and purpose in the person of Jesus. We may either embrace that story as true or reject it as false, but we must not simply reshape the Bible to suit our own preferences. The Bible's claim to tell the one true story of our world is central to its meaning." "... Why have Christians, who claim to believe the Bible not seen what treasure they have? The problem is that Christians, even Christian scholars, break the Bible up into little bits: historical bits, devotional bits, moral bits, theological bits, narrative bits. In fact, it has been chopped into the kind of fragments that fit the nooks and crannies of the Enlightenment story! When this is allowed to happen, the Bible forfeits its claim to be the one comprehensive, true story of our world. It is held captive within the other story- the humanist narrative... And that other story will shape our lives." - Bartholomew and Goheen, "The True Story of the Whole World"
2009, Faith Alive Resources, Grand Rapids, Michigan.
I think these men have hit the nail on the head. And I am convicted deeply in my heart. I wonder how many times I believed and acted on God's Word, or just simply used God's Word. Do I just want to slice and dice it to simply prove a point, or do I find myself within the story God has written and find my place and purpose in HIS story. God's Word is one story about ONE main character. The Bible is NOT about me... The Bible is about God.
Lord, help me to be more faithful to your Word and to your ways.... Amen
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