The most profound thing I learned this year is not really profound at all. It’s one of those things where God is probably saying, “Yes, it’s about time you finally heard me.” The non-profound profundity: God has a story.

Like I said, this concept is seemingly completely simple at face value, but it is difficult to truly grasp in its fullest. If God has a story, then we are to be living inside of one story and one story only. All other stories we try to live in are false… Satan is a fabulous storyteller.

Think about it. I feel like the root of suicide is depression. You won’t find a suicidal person who is not depressed. I feel like the root of depression is a misplaced sense of belonging… which includes feeling like you belong nowhere at all. Therefore, to what reality do we belong?

False realities would include the things we consider to be important; money, power, sex, drugs (yes, I put money in the same category as drugs). They are anything we cling to as a source of joy because let’s face it, we are all trying to make ourselves happy one way or another. The American culture is especially wonderful at teaching us to be a feel-good, do-whatever-makes-you-happy people. But God’s story is so contrary to our own stories that it is almost hidden from our understanding.

God’s story is one of love. Living in the ultimate story of love requires a habit of selflessness; something our culture sneers at.
God’s story is one of war. Good and evil stories are warring with one another in an epic battle for our souls.

Two great things exist here:
1)If you are female, you may be intrigued by God’s story being the greatest love story of all time. He is that man you dreamed about that pursues you no matter how many times you jeopardize your Love.
2)If you are male, you can be the greatest warrior of all time because with every temptation rejected, you become a greater, stronger warrior in God’s story, serving under the King.

As cool as all this is, it does not help very much in terms of application so, let me tell you what appealed to me the most about this concept. God has made us all to fit into this story in our own unique ways. The scriptures are the best way to identify our own unique roles in God’s story because they provide examples of ways people have fit into that story and ways they have not.

The most encouraging thing I learned this year came from the mind of Dr. Earl Lavender who said, “Don’t neglect the arts.” I have been involved in a community of believers for the past 5 years who not only devalue the arts but pretty much reject them altogether. What is the point of imagination, sculpting, painting, writing, music, scrapbooking, programming, videography, photography, etc. if not to express our experiences of His story?! That does not mean we are constantly expressing the same surface-level understanding of God’s story (like the latest WAYFM praise songs) but quite the contrary! It means that the deeper our relationship with God grows, the more aspects of our lives we see Him in! We begin creating lots of things that glorify Him in lots of ways (by the way, I consider the arts to be anything created… God created beings that enjoy creating)!

This story is communal; our experiences are collaborative, and our creations are edifying. Do you want to feel like you belong? Find your place in God’s story because there are many pages reserved for you and many people waiting for you. Most importantly, the truest and purest of all loves awaits you.
I’m not talking about 2010: I’m talking about 2,000 years that have rotted a torn temple veil and preserved the story of a Savior who died so that veil could be torn and God could fully integrate us into His story so we could truly know we belong to Someone.

Y’alls bro in Christ,
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In Spiritual Formation for Ministry today, we discussed silence. Elijah was once on a mountain and heard a great wind but no God. Then, he heard an earthquake but no God. Eventually, he heard God… in total silence. We watched the Rob Bell video “Noise.” I chose not to speak the rest of the class period and just listen as we discussed the video. I let this continue throughout my journey home (for nearly 2 hours total). These are the events that unfolded:

Listened about Randy Harris in class. Decided if I ever am picked up by a major label, to spend 40 days after signing (prior to recording and touring) in wilderness of Texas in catacomb room with just myself and God and silence to prepare (like Randy). Thought about the irony that I make a living from noise. Decided a description of my calling can be competing with the offending noises of the world. Walked out of class. 10 feet away, talked to Gleason. Love that man. Conversation short. He was in a hurry to meet a professor. Remembered discussion from class of hurrying being a detriment to silence. Hurried to car. Not sure why. Stopped in stairwell of parking garage to search for silence. Echo of my footsteps faded, roar of engines increased. Silence in stairwell a failure. Walked to car. Truck passed with dual Flowmaster exhaust system, designed to make truck louder. Irony found. Turned car on. Turned radio off. Box of jars on right rattled. Change in door on left rattled. Noise in stereo. Began driving out of parking garage. After second turn in garage, reached for radio. Stopped. Hand confused. Got to road. Road noise loud in back of car. Noise in surround sound. Silence while driving a failure. Realized going 10 over speed limit on Harding Place. Not sure why. Had idea. Drove in right lane at 65mph on interstate. Several cars passively went around. Thought about radio. 70mph. Oops. 65mph. 75mph. Oops. Came up on back of tractor trailer truck (TTT). Unacceptable. Drove in right lane at 60mph on cruise control. TTT number 1 went around. Passing cars more angry and aggressive. TTT number 2 went around. Got into Murfreesboro. Feeling more comfortable with uncomfortable “slow” speed. Thought about radio. Apparently, still uncomfortable without music. TTT number 3 went around. 3 cars passed me in Exit Only lanes just in time to cut back to right lane. TTT number 4 went around. Laughed and continued smiling. Not sure why. Truck with nice fishing boat went around and out of sight. Could I convince my wife to let me practice a closer relationship with Christ through the silence of fishing? Last fishing experience was without cell phone service. Man with canoe stopped and joined. Silence in fishing a failure. Got off on New Salem exit. Drove behind truck with nice fishing boat. Drove over river with nice fishing spot underneath. Thought about radio. Reached subdivision. Went 30mph in 30mph limit. Car illegally passed me. Pulled in and turned off car. Silenced engine broken by wind groaning to move around vehicular obstruction. Silence in back of house a failure. Walked in house. Security system beep seemingly louder than normal. What is that noise? Has my refrigerator always been that loud? Silence downstairs a failure. Bag from iPhone purchase yesterday on counter, boasting AT&T as having the “world’s fastest 3G coverage.” Irony found. Bathroom… Now. Construction noise in subdivision more apparent in recording room. Silence in recording room a failure. About to turn on TV. Silence hidden. Round one of experiment goes to the Enemy.

Ya’ll’s bro in Christ,
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