Every Story Whispers His Name

My name is John*, and I'm an alcoholic. I'm thankful that God spared my daughter's life and that she is coming to AA meetings with me.

My name is Amy*, and it's been 6 months since I've smoked marijuana. I'm thankful that my friends are respecting my wishes.

No, this wasn't an AA meeting. Or group therapy. This was my church this morning. The names have been changed to respect the privacy of the people involved. I'm sure there were some folks squirming. We have traditionally been a church full of engineers and professionals, and we are good at pretending we have it all together. But times are changing. The neighborhood is changing. The church body is changing. So here we sit with our respectable jobs and clean fingernails and cute clothes wanting to be comfortable while Jesus wants to rescue the whole world. Everyone. The drug addicts. The prostitutes. The alcoholics. Are we ready to love them as Jesus loves them? This story is about them too. The gospel story, I mean.

My new favorite Bible is The Jesus Storybook Bible. It says it's for kids ages 4-8, but I sometimes cry reading the stories to Big Sissy because it tells the gospel story so powerfully. Here is an excerpt.

The Bible isn't a book of rules, or a book of heroes. The Bible is most of all a Story. It's an adventure story about a young Hero who comes from a far country to win back his lost treasure. It's a love story about a brave Prince who leaves his palace, his throne--everything--to rescue the one he loves. It's like the most wonderful of fairy tales that has come true in real life!

You see, the best thing about this Story is--it's true.

There are lots of stories in the Bible, but all the stories are telling one Big Story. The Story of how God loves his children and comes to rescue them.

It takes the whole Bible to tell this Story. And at the center of the Story, there is a baby. Every Story in the Bible whispers his name. He is like the missing piece in a puzzle--the piece that makes all the other pieces fit together, and suddenly you can see a beautiful picture....

The most wonderful thing about this Story is--it's your story, too!

Paraphrase of John 1:12-13

For anyone who says yes to Jesus

For anyone who believes what Jesus said

For anyone who will just reach out to take it

Then God will give them this wonderful gift:

To be born into

A whole new Life

To be who they really are

Who God always made them to be--

Their own true selves--

God's dear

Child.