When we try to explain how someone's life has affected ours, we usually resort to a narrative of some kind, to telling stories from the past. These stories remind us of what the person did that made such an impact on our lives.

• at funerals, we testify about the good life of the deceased through stories, often humorous
• at family reunions, we tell stories about family members as a way of keeping continuity within the family
• in marriages, we remind our spouse of shared memories by sharing stories of past events such as the honeymoon or an anniversary celebration

Similarly, when the psalmist wanted to remind Israel of God's love than endures forever, he didn't write a doctrinal treatise that logically and rationally proved the goodness of God. Instead, he told a story wrapped up as a song.

The refrain, "His love endures forever," is key to this psalm and is repeated after each line of the psalm. The call of the psalm is to "give thanks to the LORD, for he is good" (v. 1). The remainder of the psalm provides reasons for why God ought to be given thanks.

When we look at the shape of these reasons, we see that the psalmist has arranged these things in a narrative form, in the shape of a story. Specifically, the story is Israel's history! We see the wonders of God in creation (vs. 4-9), the wonders and presence of God in the exodus and wilderness wandering (vs. 10-16), and the wonders, power and glory of God in the conquest of the promised land (vs. 17-22).

The entire psalm tells the story of God's goodness, how his love endures for Israel, by reciting and recounting God's history with Israel! For these reasons God is to be given thanks.

But there is more. The psalmist then goes on to show how God's love continues to be with his people in the present and into the future. In verses 23-24, which possibly describe the time after Israel was returned from exile, the psalmist points to God's remembrance of his people, to his freeing of them, and to his provision for them. The conclusion is to give thanks to God! His love endures forever!

God's love for us continues to endure. The story is the same. From creation, to deliverance, to redemption, God's love endures forever. We have his provision for us now, and we await the day when he provides for us eternally. His love endures forever!

How is God worthy of your thanks? What stories can you share with others about the love of God that endures forever?

How do you read the bible?

Ron Martoia, in his new book, The Bible as Improv, points out (accurately) that all bible reading is interpretation. To understand is to interpret. Otherwise, we bog down in details about what is timeless and what is cultural. In other words, what can we ignore and what are we obligated to do.

Here's an example: In 1 Timothy 2:8-15 Paul says both that women are to be silent in worship (women are not permitted to teach and/or assume authority over a man) and that women are not to have elaborate hairstyles and wear "gold or pearls or expensive clothes." In conservative churches, we uphold the former teaching as essential and required but not the latter teaching. I personally know of no church that bars their women from doing their hair however they'd like and wearing gold or pearl jewelry. I also personally know several churches that prevent their women from teaching men.

How do we hold these things together? How do we look at one passage, and in that passage find things that are universal and timeless on one hand, but on the other hand, find things that are cultural and time-bound? This way of reading seems very arbitrary and open to abuse of interpretation by the one reading.

Martoia proposes a different way--that of seeing the bible as a classic. He argues that, while the bible may be or is much more than a classic, it is at least a classic in that it forms and shapes our worldview according to the spiritual categories represented in it. We ought to read it as we read other classics of literature (Shakespeare, Homer, etc.) by reading entire books in one sitting, or by reading larger sequential chunks. Reading the bible verse-by-verse, in a piecemeal way, is not how it was intended to be read.

Martoia, building off the work of N.T. Wright, proposes that we see the bible as a script. This script is made of up of five acts of which we are missing the fifth (because the work of the church is the fifth act). The first four acts are 1) creation; 2) the fall; 3) the life and ministry of Israel; and 4) the life and ministry of Jesus. The fifth act, from which we take our cue, is missing. But we have clues about how it will end (Romans 8; 1 Corinthians 15) and how we are to "fill in the gaps" (the New Testament). It is up to us, as "actors," to understand the first four acts so we can live out the fifth act and complete the script.

Since we don't have the script in front of us, we cooperate with the Spirit to improv our way forward, much like jazz musicians improv during their play. We improv based on the themes and tones we pick up from the other four acts. As we read the bible in large chunks (and read books sequentially and straight through), we begin to understand the themes and tones and how they play out through the script-ure. We read the bible for this larger story, God's story, and discover the importance of the smaller details in this larger context.

Martoia offers some ways churches and groups might approach bible reading as an improvisation of the first four acts of a five-act script:

• Read a large portion of scripture (say, 9 chapters) and discuss both the themes that arise from this section and how those themes connect to previous themes from earlier readings. Which act of the script are you in and how does this act connect with earlier and later acts?
• Articulate answers to questions about plot, story-lines, characters, and the actions of key characters.
• Teachers should act as master story connectors who understand the sweep of the biblical story, facilitate conversation around that story, and help people connect their stories to God's story and imagine the future of their stories.

This is a really good book about bible reading and interpretation. Martoia popularizes the work of N.T. Wright, Walter Brueggemann, and James Fowler to discuss how to read the bible for spiritual growth and for faithfulness to God's story. It is very readable and even contains a study guide for groups to work through as they read it. Highly recommended.

The church is "one heart" when everyone works together for the greater good and to glorify God. That heart is broken whenever someone acts selfishly for their own benefit. Are you mending the church's broken heart or breaking it?

Sermon: Broken Heart

We progress in our faith through perseverance. We each face trials, challenges, and uncertainty. We grow, not by giving up, but by facing these things head on through faith. We persevere through them.

Not everything is as it seems. Sometimes, there are deeper spiritual realities at work beneath the surface of what we see. We need to trust God, remain faithful, and persevere through challenges and trials.

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finis its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything" (James 1:2-4, TNIV).

Improper bible reading gives up on the bible too easily, focuses too much on acquiring knowledge, and promotes pride. Proper bible reading, on the other hand, transforms you: it leads to worship, good works, and stronger faith. Be transformed by reading the bible, making a plan to minister, and taking action.

This audio devotional, 2nd in a 3-part series and approximately 3 minutes long, looks at Hannah (mother of Samuel), how she remained faithful to God despite the negativity of her husband, and how the antidote to negativity and naysaying is commitment to God's mission.

This audio devotional, first in a 3-part series and approximately 4 minutes long, looks at the example of Hannah, who remained faithful to God even in the midst of difficulty, ridicule, and God's silence.