Taking Part in the Story

After weeks of discussion, we can say plainly that the only words we have to fully describe our God are the ones that confess our inability to describe Him fully: eternal, infinite,

inscrutable, ineffable. He defies our understanding and goes beyond what we can describe, yet allows us to learn about Him things we know are trustworthy. He reveals Himself to us so that we can grasp who He is in truth, even if not in fullness. Critics will opine that our discussion of each person of the trinity is woefully incomplete, but the obvious retort is to ask if any such discussion could ever be complete.

So we move on from that discussion of the roles of the persons of the trinity, recognizing that it is incomplete, yet thankful that we are able to know true things about this God. Some may ask how we know the things we know about God. The answer to that, as we have demonstrated in previous weeks, is that we draw from what God has revealed to us in His Word, the Bible. More inquisitive persons may probe further, wondering not how but why we know the things we know about God. The logical answer to that is that if we believe the Bible to be God’s revelation to us, then we must know the things we know from scripture because they are the things He wants us to know of Himself. They are the things He has deemed most important for us to learn.

Interesting, then, is the fact that the bulk of the Bible is narrative in form. In other words, it tells a story. It tells the story of God’s work in our history: His creation of the world, the fall of that world into evil due to the disobedience of the first people, how God has provided a way for all of creation (including us personally) to be redeemed through the death, burial, and resurrection of the Son, and how He will return in the end to renew all things according to His plan.

This may sound like dull theological language, but we should not miss what is important to us here: Our lives are part of the story of this world, a story that is more grandiose and epic than anything ever imagined by creative geniuses like Tolkien, Lewis, or Rowling. George R.R. Martin, with all his intricate storytelling and relational intrigue, cannot begin to compare to the story that has been woven throughout time. The God who created this universe calls us to participate in His story. He calls us to stop trying to bring meaning to our personal dramas and to allow ourselves to find the meaning He intends for us by being part of His grand narrative.

We ask the big questions of life: Who are we? How did we get here? What is the purpose of our existence? Why do we experience pain and sorrow? Yet far too often, the answers we find are not enough. Only in God’s grand narrative will we find answers that help us to make sense of what we experience in our lives.

In order to find the answers we seek in God’s story, we must know the story. We will begin to look at this story in small chunks over the next few weeks, learning what has happened in the story, how it affects us, and how we can experience a fuller life because of it.

How can we be part of the story that God is authoring? Continue to join us weekly to find out more! In the meantime, comments and questions are welcome on Facebook!