Notes from a sermon delivered at LifeQuest Church on Feb 14, 2010
I have written a couple of non-fiction books but I always toyed with writing fiction – which is really to say just a good long story. As I have thought about this I have wondered how the elements of story relate to us in everyday life – the life we could have and whether there is something there to help us find a better story.
Most everybody loves a good story. We watch stories on TV. We pay money to buy and read books. We pay money to go see movies and then even more money at the concession stand to make it a better experience.
When we were kids we would beg our parents or grand parents to tell us a bedtime story. There is something deeply ingrained in us as humans that craves a story.
Take a look at some of the stories in the Bible.
Judges 4:20 – Sisera was exhausted and soon fell fast asleep. Jael took a hammer and drove a tent-peg through his head into the ground, and he died. – That is a death worthy of a scene in any horror movie you might see.
1 Samuel 18:25-27 (New Living Translation)
he told them, “Tell David that all I want for the bride price is 100 Philistine foreskins! Vengeance on my enemies is all I really want.” But what Saul had in mind was that David would be killed in the fight.
David was delighted to accept the offer. Before the time limit expired, he and his men went out and killed 200 Philistines. Then David fulfilled the king’s requirement by presenting all their foreskins to him. – David had to really want this girl to readily agree to give the King 100 foreskins for her!
There is the story of Tamar and when she pretends to be a prostitute to expose her father-in-laws deception to himself. David having an affair with Bathsheba and having her husband killed.
There are stories fit for disaster movies – a worldwide flood, the 10 plagues of Egypt – all the water turning to blood, frogs. Lice, flies, dying animals, boils, hail, locusts, darkness and the first-born die.
There are a lot more stories, you should read it sometime.
But lets look at our stories-
Every story needs a main character – 1st we will assume that the main character of our stories is us. If the main character of your story is someone else then that’s a problem right there. I’m not saying that other characters in your story aren’t important – you can influence the direction of other characters if they let you, but your most influence is over your own direction.
There is another element of character that you have a great degree of control over and this is characteristics of a person – these include you mannerisms, how you carry yourself and think about yourself and how you react to other people and circumstances.
Setting – this is place and time – the place of your story takes place where you are and you mostly have control over this during the course of your story. You will make choices that determine where the place of your story occurs. So unless you are like the survivors of a plane crash like with Oceanic flight 815 in Lost or some other major event where control of this element is forcefully removed from you – then you have a lot of control over this.
Before we move on – lets talk about scenes – we spend much of our days in ordinary settings in ordinary places – but think about movies you have seen. How many times have you seen the scene of the movie where the ordinary conversation takes place in something just a little more unusual like the roof of a building. Or why do people go to fancy restaurants or something else scenic for something like a proposal – they are trying to make something memorable – something that helps us make memories of our stories as we live them. Go do things in your life as you live your story that make them more memorable.
Time – You may think you have little control over this but you have more than you think – you can’t control that time happens during your lifetime but you do have a degree of control over when certain things happen. Let’s say that you know that there is something you are supposed to do – something like confronting a friend about something. You have control over when and if you confront the friend. Doing that when you are supposed to has the potential to influence both of your stories and has all kinds of implications – does the confrontation affect both of your friendships – do you put it off so that what you are confronting them about occurs again and it causes something disastrous to happen in your, their or other people’s stories – or do you do it when you should so that it has the best effect.
To recap so far we have looked at the basic elements of setting and character of story.
So we have a character you in the setting of here and now …..
Is anyone here totally happy with your story so far – I hope not!
Think for a minute – what do you as the main character in your story want??????
Next, the character must want something – In story the character may or may not know what that is when the story starts. This is where ignition incident occurs. Something must happen to us that propels us along. If you are happy with your story so far you aren’t going to be happy when the ignition incident comes along – If you aren’t happy with your story – look for the incident or create an ignition incident yourself.
Let’s say that you are overweight and want to lose weight (I can relate to that) and you aren’t inspired to do so. Create an ignition incident to inspire you – go look in the mirror without any clothes on for a while and really pay attention to how your body looks or go to the doctor and see what he tells you about your weight and what it will do to your lifespan.
Do you feel called to minister to a certain group of people – then do something that puts you in contact with that group of people. If you feel called to speak then volunteer to speak. Do you want to minister to the homeless – well you won’t do it sitting in your living room wishing – light a fire under your butt, get up and do something that causes you to contact them.
If you think you want to be a Doctor – get the grades you need in school to get into Medical school – it won’t happen wishing and watching House every Monday night.
Many ignition incidents happen beyond our own control.
There is a local charity called Jay’s Hope that exists to improve the quality of life of children battling cancer and their families. It was started by a woman that lost her child to cancer – that was her ignition incident though – what started her on her mission to help other children and families.
There can be health issues, family issues, job or financial issues, friend issues – all or any that can serve to start an ignition incident in your story.
And this is where the meat of the story comes in – the conflict – the struggle as we reach to overcome what our goal or what stands in our way.
Here is the story today as many see it:
1. A Character: You.
2. That wants something: To be fulfilled.
3. And overcomes conflict: Jesus came to fulfill you, either to make you happy, or to provide the things that will make you happy on earth. But you have to be good, you can’t sin. You have to get up and have your quiet time so you can be the person God designed you to be.
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To get it: You should be happy, and if you’re not happy, you aren’t doing religion right, or you aren’t a good enough person.
But there is a problem with this story. First, it is a very selfish and it is a search for something that can never happen. Sure, you can have short-term fulfillment and I hope you do at times, but fulfillment as a feeling is temporary. We aren’t made for long-term fulfillment. We are made for satisfaction as we reach our goals through the struggle.
The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. (Joh 10:10)
Too many times we look at this verse as though abundant life is one in which there is an absence of struggle, an absence of conflict and one in which God is a gigantic wishing machine that gives us the desires of our heart.
But that is not how it really is – the Bible itself is a story – sure it has 66 books from various authors – but overall there is a consistent theme and a point –
Here is the story from God’s view
1. A Character: God
2. That wants something: To be reunited with humanity, for their sake.
3. And overcomes Conflict: Sends his son to invite people (not force them) into a relationship through which mankind can be reunited with God.
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To get it: And this will happen partially here and fully at a wedding in heaven.
We play a part of this story – the Bible may have stopped being written but the narrative story continues – we are part of the Part 2 there that God wants – the humanity He wants to be reunited with. We are the invitees – the ones being welcomed into a relationship with God.
And this is our real story…..
1. A Character: You
2. That Wants something: Was designed to be in relationship with God and others.
3. And Overcomes Conflict: Trusts Jesus, and walks in faith that he is going to fully reunite us with God. Shares that hope and faith with others.
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To get it: This will fully happen in heaven. And until then we are able to account for the hope that rests within us and carry out the mission of God.
Our stories are meant to intersect with Gods and to intersect with the stories of others. Our stories aren’t just about us – the other characters in our story – me and you and everyone we interact with – they aren’t just bit players in our story – they are living their own story – and all of us are characters in the continuing story and narrative of God.
