I
love to tell the story of unseen things above, Of Jesus' radiant glory, of
Jesus' endless love.
I love to tell the story, because I know it's true; it satisfies my longings as
nothing else can do.
I love to tell the story; and when I am in glory I'll tell the old, old story
of Jesus' endless love.
Almost twenty year
ago, this hymn was sung at my ordination.
The music and melody are part of the soundtrack to my soul. Part of my love for this hymn is the words give
expression to my deep affection and connection to scripture. I am endlessly fascinated by the Bible ~ the
profound and powerful truths of the stories found there. Within the tiny words on razor thin pages of
the Bible I find my story connecting to a bigger, bolder, more beautiful story. Genesis 1 teaches and tells me how God
crafted/created/ loved all of us into being in God’s image – what can be called
original goodness/blessing. Genesis 2
teaches and tells me about how God sinks God’s fingers into the soil fashioning
and forming us of the earth. We are
connected to creation and dirt is a beautiful part of who we are. Genesis 3 teaches and tells us that we go
astray, we hide, and we get separated from the sacred stirring.
Wait, you are
thinking, is he going to do the whole Bible?
I might need another cup of coffee!
When the writer of
this hymn, Kathrine Hankey, says that scripture story satisfies my longings as
nothing else, I feel like she is preaching to me.
I want to invite
you to read these words aloud, slowly.
You may want to read the words like you were speaking to a small infant
in your arms, trying to convey one of the deepest truths in the world. You may even cradle your arms. OR you may want to go outside and witness to
the world this truth. Or, you could do
both. But please, don’t read these words
in a monotone voice with all the enthusiasm of Eeyore.
You could also sing the words, seeing
where you place/put the emphasis. Which
phrase cause your soul to surge, and which ones leave you puzzled or
pondering? We are on the cusp of telling
our greatest story, the story of Holy Week, starts next Sunday, March 28th
with a Palm Sunday Parade. Before we
arrive there, let us till and tend the ground of our being to be open to the
power of story. Just in case the word,
“story” seems to simplistic or not serious enough when dealing with Scripture,
please know that stories is how we make sense of the world. Joan Didion says
correctly, “We tell ourselves stories in order to live.” Imagine a world where there are not stories,
I don’t know if I even can! God loves
stories, that is what the Bible is! The
larger stories of Scripture connect to your story and mine when we open
ourselves. The power of Scripture is
that in finding our individual self in Scripture – we also find each
other. I can recognize the way the words
connect to you and you can do the same for me. Carl Sessions Stepp says, “Stories are the way
to capture the hopes, dreams and visions of a culture. They are true as much as
data are true. The truth of the powerful and irresistible story illustrates in
a way data can’t begin to capture. It’s the stories that make you understand.”
As you read the hymn, think about how your
story, YOUR life reflects the radiant glory of Jesus’ endless love. How does your life today tell, teach, preach,
and proclaim God’s presence making a difference?
May these words and music become a
soundtrack to your soul this day and this week.
Amen!
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