Discover the Story Together

For a decade my wife and I have been leading a study called “The Story of God.” Basically, we retell familiar biblical narratives in plain, contemporary language. We share these stories creatively and in chronological order. It’s our way of introducing others to the epic story we find in Scripture, a story we believe many of us have yet to truly hear. We’ve been able to include a diverse group of people in these studies. Jenny, a single mom and recovering addict, started reading the Bible but found it confusing, so she decided to come. Anne, a school teacher, close to retirement, who was wrestling with questions about God, family, and purpose, joined us. Then there was “John,” a small business owner and faithful church member looking for a different kind of Bible study.

Spiritual growth is never easy and rarely happens quickly. It’s the slow process of becoming attuned to the order of Jesus.

Over the course of 12 weeks, we sat around the campfire (a pile of candles), under the stars (Christmas lights strung across the ceiling), and listened to the story together. After hearing the story, everyone made art and asked questions. As the weeks progressed we witnessed the deep spiritual growth that happens when people who rarely rub shoulders become friends and explore Scripture together. They get into the story of God and the story of God gets into them. We discovered the validation of hearing someone completely unlike us ask the same questions we have. As one person caught God’s heart for the poor and the marginalized, we were all drawn into acts of service together. As another surrendered to Jesus, we all celebrated. As we laughed and occasionally cried our way through the Bible, we grew both in our understanding of God’s story, and our place in it. We certainly benefit from reading the Bible solo, but there’s nothing quite like exploring it together.

-Sean Gladding, author of The Story of God, the Story of Us (IVP, 2010) and part of Communality, Lexington, Kentucky.