Engage

The Story Keepers

Like Ben the baker in the children’s video series about the first century Christians, “The Story Keepers,” we live out of our stories as a part of keeping His Story alive. Using the delivery of fresh bread to the citizens of Jerusalem as an opportunity to keep Jesus’ story alive, Ben’s family absorbed into their family children whose parents were impacted by Roman persecution of the early church.

Like Ben the baker in the children’s video series about the first century Christians, “The Story Keepers,” we live out of our stories as a part of keeping His Story alive. Using the delivery of fresh bread to the citizens of Jerusalem as an opportunity to keep Jesus’ story alive, Ben’s family absorbed into their family children whose parents were impacted by Roman persecution of the early church.

Within our stories are many opportunities to reflect and offer perspective about The Master Storyteller. My story intersects your story for His Story keeping His Story alive for Glory of God. In each of our stories lived out we are the visible presence of Christ.

Jesus, anticipating how it would be for His followers once He returned to the Father, allowed them to hear His prayer in the garden just before His arrest and subsequent crucifixion. Recorded in John 17, we read how Jesus poured out His burden for the disciples and for us as He asked the Father to keep and protect them. He would return to the Father. They would continue on the earth tasked with living out The Story in the midst of each of their stories.

We are called to live out our stories in the midst of whatever time and culture we are placed in. We are called out of the world (John 17:6) but are still in the world (John 17:11), yet are not of the world (John 17:14) while simultaneously being sent to the world (John 17:18). Was Jesus speaking in some kind of mysterious riddle here? Our guest speaker at Fellowship Dallas this Sunday, Stuart Briscoe, discussed this prayer that Jesus prayed for the disciples and for us- for all who would ever believe in His name.

In light of the tumultuous,crazy, volatile and uncertain times we are living in nationally and globally, these insights provide clarifying parameters. Jesus, anticipating what it would be like for us, covered our needs and anticipated our anxieties in this prayer. The questions loom – How DO you relate to the “world”? What is the “world”? How am I supposed to live in it and simultaneously be sent to it? What resources am I given to face the ethical and moral challenges of this generation?

The Father gave us to Jesus out of the world. But, He leaves us in the world we are not a part of to live out our stories. We are not of the world, yet, we are called to make an impact in the world. We, too, are the story keepers. Will we contextualize effectively within the geographical and historical parameters our story is placed in like the character Ben did to keep The Story alive?  Can I do this alone?

Story Keepers http://www.storykeepers.com/
Stuart Briscoe’s sermon http://www.fellowshipdallas.org/week1.htm

 

Gail Seidel served as Mentor Advisor for Spiritual Formation in the Department of Spiritual Formation and Leadership at Dallas Theological Seminary (DTS) and as an Adjunct Professor in the D Min in Spiritual Formation in the D Min Department at Dallas Theological Seminary. She has a BA in English from the University of Texas, a Masters in Christian Education from Dallas Seminary and a D Min in Spiritual Formation from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. She is a contributor to the textbook, Foundations of Spiritual Formation, Kregel Academic. She served as co-director for Christian Women in Partnership Russia with Entrust, an international church leadership-training mission. She and her husband Andy live in Fredericksburg, Texas. They have 2 married children and 6 wonderful grandchildren--Kami, Kourtney, Katie, Mallory, Grayson, and Avery.

2 Comments

  • Sharifa Stevens

    Wow – I’ve never heard of
    Wow – I’ve never heard of the Story Tellers – but anything that mixes food, story and theology are up my alley. :o) Thanks, Gail!

    • Gail Seidel

      Your enthusiasm is awesome,
      Your enthusiasm is awesome, Sharifa….you are my kind of girl -Food and theology right! I got iinto the "Story Keepers" videos because of my grandchildren and children targeted though it is I found it a curiously