How to (begin to) Save the World

In the film, The Neverending Story, a young boy, Bastian, reads a book.  But it's no ordinary book.  It's a book in which the reader becomes a part of the story.  For most of the movie Bastian sits up in the attic of his school reading this book from cover to cover.  It's a fantastic story of the Nothing, a warrior, a princess, a Rock Eater and a Luck Dragon that very quickly draws Bastian in.  In the midst of his reading, however, Bastian realizes that the characters in the book seem to hear what he's saying.  In the scene below Bastian reads of the young warrior, Atreyu, and his quest to save Fantasia.  It is in this scene that Bastian comes to the full realization that he is a part of the story.

What I love about that scene is Bastian's response once he realizes that he is part of the story he's reading.  He throws the book across the floor!  The mere idea that he and the story are one frightens him.

The same might be true of our relationship to our Story, the Bible, as well.  If we read it, we might discover that we are a part of it, and that might frighten us a bit.  In one sense, there is something frightening about finding our story in God's Story.  Suddenly, we may discover that our plans are not big enough, our worldview is too small and our courage is insufficient for the task.  The Story asks too much of us!  In another sense, however, nothing could be more refreshing, encouraging, comforting and worth the investment.  For as you and I find our stories in God's we find ourselves recruited into God's great redemptive passion and plan to restore and save the world from all that corrupts and degrades it.

This weekend, during worship, we will launch our 31-week journey through The Story.  If you haven't done so already, please pick up one free copy of The Story per household from our lobby and join in the journey with us.  Also, please check out other resources for our journey at the West Counter after worship.

How do we save the world?  Well, that's a much bigger question than we have time to engage in here.  But I do know this: the answer begins as we get to know God's Story.  I hope you'll join us.

- Pastor Stacey Littlefield