Stories are important

(Ma. 4.12-23)

What's your favourite passage from the Bible?

I'd like you to choose one, ...and if you want to say to me "I've got lots of favourite passages", then choose just one of them, ...it doesn't matter which.

(pause)

Have you all chosen one?

(pause)

Now I might be wrong, (and if I am I want you to tell me), ...but I would guess that most have you have chosen a story.

It might be a story that Jesus told, (like the parable of the lost sheep),

...it might be a story about a great Old Testament hero, (like the one about David and Goliath),

...it might be a real-life story from the gospels, (like when Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead).

But I guess that many of you have chosen a story.

Am I right?

Now I find that quite interesting, ...because the Bible is full of other types of literature:

- it contains letters, (from Paul and others);

- it contains laws, (like the 10 commandments);

- it contains poetry, (like the Song of Songs);

- it contains hymns of worship, (like the Psalms);

- it contains words of wisdom, (like the Proverbs);

...and I could go on, [prophecy, genealogy]

But the parts of the Bible that we love the most are often the stories; (whether real-life stories, or stories that Jesus and others told).

And what I've said about the Bible is also true about television.

According to this weeks Radio Times, these are the most popular TV programs:

The top program is ... (have a guess)

??? with ? million views

Nest we have...

? of the top ? programs are all to do with stories, (whether fiction or non-fiction).

It seems that 'stories' are very important to us as human beings, ...and I don't just mean that in a trivial sense.

Each one of us has been moulded by the things that have happened to us. Your own life-story has shaped the person that you are.

You think the things you think, and act the way you do for a reason, ...and that reason is often linked to a story, ...to things that have happened to you in the past.

And these stories are important. Often when there is conflict between individuals, it's because they don't fully understand where the other is coming from, ...they haven't grasped the other's story.

You may have heard the joke about a man who bought a horse. (It's an old joke, but worth repeating.)

He got the horse home, mounted it, and said giddy-up, ...but the horse wouldn't move!

He tried everything he could think of, ...but the horse just stood there.

In desperation he rang the person who'd sold him it, and explained the situation.

"Ah", came the reply, "There's a story I forgot to tell you. You see, the previous owner was a vicar, and he trained the horse to respond to some unusual commands. If you want your horse to go faster, you have to say 'Alleluia', ...and to stop you say 'Praise the Lord'."

So the man got back on his horse.

'Alleluia' he shouted out, ...and the horse began to walk.

'Alleluia' he shouted again, ...and the horse began to trot.

'Alleluia' he shouted, ...and the horse began to gallop through the countryside.

Well the new owner felt very pleased with himself, and his new horse, ...that was until he heard the sound of the sea, ...and he remembered that they were heading strait towards a large cliff.

"Wow" he shouted, ...but the horse kept on going.

"Stop" he shouted, but to no avail.

He knew there was a special command, but he couldn't remember it. And then, when he was just 50 yards from the edge of this cliff. it came to him.

"Praise the Lord", he shouted, ...and the horse stopped, just in time.

He sat there, right on the brink of the cliff, ...and as he put his head in his hands, he cried out "Alleluia1".

I like that joke because it reminds me that it's no use just listening to one another's stories on a superficial level, ...but it's important to think carefully about one another's their story, and to really take them on board.

Churches and communities have stories too.

St Christopher's church is almost exactly the same age as me, (in fact the foundation stone was laid in April 1959, just three weeks before I was born).

Can I ask how many people here this morning have been members of St Christopher's from the beginning?

(pause)

Worship-in-Whoberley is has been established in it's current form for years.

How many people have been members of that congregation for all of those years?

(pause)

Well whether you've been there from the beginning, or have got involved more recently, each one of you is part of the story of this parish. ...As are those who have come and gone.

There have been four vicars here before me, and I'm sure that each one of them have played an important part in the story of this parish.

And just as with individuals, this story is very important.

The things that happen in a church, ...the way things that are organized, ...the priorities, and the way a church 'feels' ...They all have a reason, ...and that reason is often linked to a story, ...to things that have happened in the past.

And in churches where there is conflict between the vicar and members of the congregation, it's often because one doesn't fully understand where the other is coming from, ...they haven't grasped the other's story.

Now you have one enormous advantage over me. And that is that you know the story of this parish much better than I do.

And so I've got a favour to ask of you; ...will you please tell me part of your story.

What you tell me is entirely up to you. You may like to tell me part of your own personal life-story.

If you've read my letter that's been a on the notice board for the past few months then you'll already know a little of mine... and over the next few months I hope to share a bit more.

Or you may like to tell me something about your journey of faith.

We are all on a spiritual journey, and that journey is as unique to you as is your personal life-story.

- So when did your journey start?

- What have been the milestones along the way?

- And where are you now? ...do you feel your moving forwards? ...or slipping backwards, (there have been many times when I've felt like that) ...or do you feel you're stuck in the mud? (Again there have been many times when I've been).

If you are willing to tell me your story, I'd love to hear it.

And I also want to hear the story of this parish, ...perhaps you would be kind enough to fill in one or two of the many gaps that I have.

For the past two years I've had an ambition. "When I become the vicar", ...I have thought to myself... "I'd like to visit every church member within the first few months".

It's still something that I'd like to do, ...but now that I am a vicar I have two reservations.

The first is this, ...there's a lot of you, ...and what with everything else a vicar has to do, ...it's going to take quite some time.

And my second reservation is that I don't want to frighten anyone away!

Thinking back to some of the vicars that I've known in the past, the thought of a visit would have terrified me!

So I've noted one or two things that I hope will put your mind at rest.

1. I don't bite and I don't bark, ...but if you've got an animal that does, I'm used to it!

2. I enjoy either tea or coffee, and I take both with milk but no sugar. (I also enjoy a glass of red wine, ...but in view of the fact that I have over 100 people to visit you'd better not offer me one!)

3. If you don't want me to visit then I won't. I'll leave the ball entirely in your court.

However, if you do want me to visit, there's a list at the back of church. Put your name and phone number on it and someone will ring you to sort out a date and time that's convenient for you.

4. When I visit, I'll probably stay about 45 minutes.

What I particularly want to hear is your story:

- perhaps the highlights of your life-story, (how long have you lived in the area?),

- or something of your journey of faith,

- or something you can tell me about the story of the church or the community.

I'll leave it entirely up to you, ...and don't worry that you might run out of things to tell me, ...If you do then I can then tell you a bit more of my story.

5. If you belong to a household where you all belong to the church, ...then I would like to meet you all together. (It will help me to remember who's married to who, which children are yours, ...and so on).

However, if you belong to a household where some of the members don't belong to the church, I'll leave it up to them as to whether they want to meet me or not.

I don't want you going home saying, "The vicar's coming round and he wants to see you!"

6. In general I'd prefer to come to your house, ...but if you would rather come to the vicarage that's fine. Just mention that when we fix our meeting.

I hope that puts your mind at rest. I'd love to visit you, ...and if you're prepared to have me, sign the list at the back of church.

Stories are important because they are all about relationships, ...and that's what lies at the heart of God.

The great wonder of Christmas is that God loved us so much that he sent us his Son. And Jesus became one of us, ...he made friends, ...he touched people's lives.

He did that 2000 years ago, (as we heard in our Gospel reading this morning), ...and he is still doing it today.

That is why it's called the "Greatest story ever told."

As Nicky Gumbel says in his booklet "Why Jesus?"

"The Christian Faith is not first and foremost about rules and regulations, ...but about relationships.

About our relationship with the God who loves us"

(Quoted from memory!)

Jesus called those first disciples to follow him, ...and that was the beginning of a very special story for each one of them.

But they were called with a purpose, ...not to keep that story to themselves, but to share it with others.

And it's the same for us today.

Jesus calls us to follow him, ...and if we say "Yes", then we can have a very special relationship with him.

But we too are called for a purpose, ...not to keep that story to ourselves, but to share it with others.

I hope during the next few months to meet many of you, and that you'll tell me something of your story.

But I also hope that you'll also share your story with many others.

Amen.