by Elizabeth | Oct 5, 2012 | Learning Story
Back this week on Friday to share a few favorite things I read this week.
I read and really appreciated the hard and beautiful story of Maggie Lee for Good, because it’s more than an ‘inspirational’ story — it’s a true story that takes us into the daily ins and outs of the travels and travails of grief that wrestles with gospel hope. Learn more at Maggie Lee for Good.
For writing that does not sentimentalize the story of young Olympic champion Gabby Douglas, read this excellent piece from Vanity Fair.
And, the topic we should never weary of, forgiveness. Scotty Smith’s prayeron the implications of Christ’s forgiveness is one of many prayers he has written that help me voice my heart’s struggle with this most important of topics. You can find more of them by clicking on the ‘forgiveness’ tag at his “Heavenward” blog of daily prayers.
by Elizabeth | May 21, 2012 | Learning Story
In any story, well-developed, complex characters drive the plotline. But our stories are unique because they bear the mark of God. In one of my favorite books, Restoring Broken Things,Scotty Smith and Steven Curtis Chapman write,
“God is telling an authentic, non-spin story of selfish, broken people, who are in the process of being made new by Jesus. That’s why Jesus has the lead role in God’s Story. But He’s not the only character. He’s making us characters too. We are carriers of God’s Story – targets for hope who’ll serve as agents of hope, and candidates of mercy who’ll live as conduits of mercy. Jesus is bringing restoration to broken individuals as a means of bringing healing to other individuals, families, communities, and ultimately, to the whole universe.” (Restoring Broken Things)
Because God has made us characters who are carriers of His story, we must carefully consider the people and relationships in our stories. No person, no interaction with a person, can be random – each one, whether an apparently good or evil influence, has been written there by God to further His purposes. Think of a question people commonly ask you – “How did you…end up in Pensacola, Florida?….know you wanted to be a carpenter when you grew up? ….meet your best friend?” The answers to these questions involve story, but they also involve characters.
Be sure to check back tomorrow when I’ll share a story to show you what this might look like.
by Elizabeth | Mar 2, 2012 | Learning Story
http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/scottysmith/2012/02/28/a-prayer-for-redefined-and-refueled-joy/
I know some who read this blog also read my friend Scotty’s daily prayers. When I saw Tuesday’s prayer, I couldn’t wait to post the link to that with the link to the brilliant (though not always well understood) song, “Joy,” by Page CXVI. In the video I’ve posted, the creator tells her story of how this song was given to her after her father’s death. It is a GREAT story! Also, Page CXVI’s music is great — I have all of their hymn albums, and they soothe and encourage my heart.
by Elizabeth | Jan 3, 2012 | Learning Story
I gave everyone in my family this book for Christmas!
I know many Living Story blog readers also follow Scotty Smith’s “Everyday Prayers” on the Gospel Coalition blog. But maybe you haven’t seen this one yet, or like me, need to pray it again. Community is central to what Living Story does — it has only become clearer to me over the years that God saved a “people,” not a “person.” Grace and Peace to you!
A Prayer about Our Called and Shared Life in Christ
To God’s elect, exiles scattered throughout the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to be obedient to Jesus Christ and sprinkled with his blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance. 1 Pet. 1:1–2
Gracious Father, as the New Year is just underway, we praise you for the gift of community—for all its privileges and joys, challenges and complexities. We’re an elect people, not an elite people—a chosen people, not a choice people, and as such we’ll need all the grace you will give us to live and love to your glory this year. Bring much fame to yourself as you transform us and liberate us for your redeeming purposes.
May this be a year in which we re-engage with our corporate calling as your covenant people. Unless we are intentional about this, the sin in our hearts and the values of our culture will propel us even faster into a life of alienation and isolation, selfishness and cynicism. We’re not just individually your beloved sons and daughters; we’re your treasured family—brothers and sisters in Christ, destined for a life of perfect relationships in the new heaven and new earth. When life in the Body of Christ today seems crazy and pointless, may a vision of the people we will be one Day give us humility and patience in this day.
You chose us by your foreknowledge, redeemed us by your Son, and set us apart by your Spirit. You’ve called us to demonstrate the reconciling and redeeming power of the gospel in cities and among the nations of the world. Indeed, you’ve called us to live as strangers in this world, not as strange people. If there’s to be anything offensive about us this year, may it primarily be the gospel of your grace.
Dear Father, renew and revitalize our churches, and help us plant new churches which make the gospel beautiful and believable. May we live as good citizens of heaven in the cities where you’ve placed us. May our neighbors be glad we are among them. May our communities be a better place to live because we are among them. Help us to offer a meaningful glimpse of the future we share because the gospel is true.
Lord Jesus, it’s only because you were obedient to death—even death upon the cross, that we can offer back an obedience of grateful faith. Live and love, in us and through us, all year long to your glory. Be magnified in our hearts, revealed in our cities, and revered among the nations of the world. So very Amen we pray, with great anticipation, in your most worthy name.
by Elizabeth | Dec 15, 2011 | Learning Story
Below is an excerpt of an article I wrote AFTER Christmas 3 years ago…on my favorite hymn for this season and every season: Joy to the World. See below for the words
Some of you may be thinking, ‘’Whew, we did it! Christmas is over!” Some of you may even be thinking, “Good, now we can stop singing all of those infernal Christmas carols in church!” Warning – it’s never too late to sing,”Joy to the world, the Lord is come!” Or, as my friend, Pastor Scotty Smith has taught me, Joy to the World is NOT merely a Christmas song.
Faith Hill did a new album this year centering around Isaac Watts’ famous hymn. It is amazing to think how many voices have joined in singing at least the first line and probably the refrain in the last month. In cars, in stores, in churches, in Christmas programs, people have proclaimed, “Joy to the World, the Lord is come!” Perhaps it is the first four words that our secular society is drawn to – indeed, in what could be called a rather depressing year, isn’t joy what the world needs now? And yet, if that were all the world needed, why aren’t more people singing the Three Dog Night version, “Joy to the world, all the boys and girls…Joy to the fishes in the deep blue sea, joy to you and me!”
I believe people join to sing these words because whether they know it or not or believe it or not, they are deeply drawn to the good news that the Lord IS COME! As Wikipedia says, ‘is come’ is incorrect modern English usage and we would now say, ‘has come.’ Whichever way you put it, the tense is important – present perfect – meaning, as all of my former English students will recall:), the action is completed (perfect) and the action is happening in the present. God is with us in Jesus. And this really is the best news people in our alienated and isolated world can hear.
The hymn also reflects the intersection of heaven and earth that is essential to understanding what God is up to in the world. (And if you want to understand this intersection more, I highly recommend you take that gift certificate to Amazon and order up a copy of N.T. Wright’s,Surprised by Hope: Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church). “Let earth receive her King” and “Let every heart prepare him room” remind us that both earth and its inhabitants are impacted by our King’s arrival. “Let heaven and nature sing” remind us that in Christ’s birth, the intersection of heaven and earth has begun.
Verse 2 continues the theme, telling us the response this great good news calls forth from us: “Let men their songs employ.” Not only do we sing this joy to the world, but we do so by living this joy in this world. If we do not live and proclaim this good news, the rocks, hills and plains will. “If they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.” (Luke 19:40). We have a story that heaven and nature will sing, so let us sing our songs of redemption with them. Article continued…
Joy to the World , the Lord is come!
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare Him room,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven, and Heaven, and nature sing.
Joy to the World, the Savior reigns!
Let men their songs employ;
While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat, repeat, the sounding joy.
No more let sins and sorrows grow,
Nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make His blessings flow
Far as the curse is found,
Far as the curse is found,
Far as, far as, the curse is found.
He rules the world with truth and grace,
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders, wonders, of His love.
