What stories do you follow?

So what stories do you like?
Many moons ago when all my friends went off to university to study proper subjects, I started my HND in community performance and theatre in education. My first module, while my Friends looked at business management, history and economics was storytelling. Wow, what a way to spend the now defunct student grants (maybe not the greatest arguments for bringing tuition fees back). Ever since then, probably before as well, I have loved stories. The best communicators engage people in storytelling, whether they are preachers or stand up comics. Whenever I talk about the work of Nottingham YfC, stories are the one thing that continues to engage people and help them understand the work we do.
What i do find interesting is that the culture we live in now, it is said that people have rejected the story of God. It is said they reject any idea of an overall story that draws everyone and everything together. How can this be when we are obsessed with stories? Whether that be the latest installment of a soap opera or a serial drama or the latest celebrity gossip, we are all fascinated and intrigued. Even the most popular computer games now follow a theme or story.
Are people really rejecting the idea of a narrative that brings together a God who wants to connect with His creation or is it just not communicated well enough to engage?
We seem to be getting there: Programmes like Alpha, Emmaus or Christianity Explored are taking people on a journey, and continue to connect people in a very real way. There is a great opportunity to see how using a similar format but use the story of God rather than a set of rules and regulations. Jesus was the ultimate story telling, constantly using this way to connect and challenge people in the way they lived their lives and connected with their Father in Heaven.
When was the last story you told? What is the story of your life? Maybe you could tell a story of when yours and God's has become one - you never know maybe it will engage.

Richard

what gets you in the spirit?

So, now a week into December, I am letting myself getting into the Christmas mood. Maybe that was to do with the friends we saw on Saturday, and the first house that i have been to that has a Christmas tree up. Maybe it was watching my childrens nativity plays last week. Amy , playing Mary, not having a Joseph because he wouldn't come on stage (hopefully it will teach her that you can never trust a guy), and Joel, playing a shepherd, controlling his sheep with a hanky in one had and the thumb of his other stuck firmly in his mouth.
People, and particularly businesses, have been trying to get us into the Christmas spirit since September. With decorations being sold, christmas dinners being promoted and toys being advertised every other advert (in between dishwasher tablets)..we are, every year, brought towards the material side of Christmas quite quickly after the summer holidays. I wonder whether if we as Christians decided to bring the thought of Jesus birth forward that early, we wouldn't be too sorry, just imagine how many chocolates the advent calender would have to hold.
On a serious note, i love Christmas, i love the trimmings, i love the food, i love the tv shows (well, morecombe and wise and dr who obviously), but the fact that all that is a bi-product and that there is nothing more heart warming and special at Christmas than celebrating the birth of my friend and saviour, Jesus. Being a raving penty, you would be surprised to hear that i love going to a little church in my town every christmas eve, in the warm glow of soft lighting, and just remembering is beautiful. Come on guys let's make the main reason the main reason for the season.