Telling a Story, Sharing a Blessing
We are Blessed to be a Blessing. I must have heard that 1000 times. Bryan’s father Edsel used that phrase all the time at his church in Vancouver. Now Bryan has adopted the wonderful phrase at Hillspring. The idea that we are blessed by God to bless others is a beautiful thing. What would the world look like if we, as Kingdom People, would practice it?
Reggie McNeal spent the weekend with staff and leadership before he spoke on Sunday morning about blessing others through the simple act of praying for them. He challenged the congregation to bless three people over the course of a week. It is a small and reasonable challenge. It has two important parts. First, blessing others, praying for folks, being kind and representing the faith as a child of God and a Kingdom person. Second, share the stories of your experiences.
Sharing stories of the faith journey goes back to the New Testament period. It was revived during the revival moments into the 20th century with folks like Billy Graham. Many of us likely remember “Testimony Night” as children. For those who had not experienced it, testimony was a time that people in the congregation shared how God had been working in their lives. The stories took on different expressions, but generally highlighted God’s activity.
Reggie’s stories of how God was at work in the examples he shared were exciting, a reminder that God is at work in the world. If Hillspring is committed to live as Kingdom people, we will need to share the ways God is working in our lives and communities. We hope to record videos to share in worship. We are considering a “Story Booth”, much like photo booths at weddings that would allow folks to share their God Stories on a regular basis. We would then try to keep fresh stories available on our web page.
The first step is to bless others; begin the habit of sharing love with all of those around us. Just to be clear, blessing others does not come from a place of superiority, but from a place of humility. We bless others because it flows from our journey with Jesus as a disciple, and it reminds us of our work in the world, sharing the essence of the Kingdom of God.
The second step is to have spiritual conversations with each other and share our stories. It sounds simple, but it is easier to talk about the Seahawks or the Oregon Ducks than it is to explore the ways that God is active in our lives. While I am always blessed to talk about the Ducks, it is not the same as sharing how God is transforming me, which leads to transforming the world.
To house this within our values, as I connect with others and, I am changing both myself and the world around me. I am developing in the faith, which leads to me becoming more like Jesus.
Steve Lewis