Engaging with God’s Word is very important to me. After reading a passage in my devotion time I then sit in silence with that passage. I try to imagine that the Lord is speaking directly to me using the passage of scripture. Meditation has been keeping me centered as I start each day. Engaging in sacred stories to me means taking time to let those stories from scripture speak to my heart.
The main way that a pastor helps their congregation to engage sacred stories and tradition is through worship. Worship exists to help people encounter God through community. Worship whether virtual or in-person is meant to connect people to the living God. Through prayer, music, the sermon, and experiencing the sacraments people can be filled and encouraged with the Holy Spirit so that they can go pour out onto others. True community is formed when we worship together. One of the most important parts of the service to me is sharing joys and concerns. It is through this sharing that a congregation can lift each other up and even celebrate one another. Another key aspect of worship is the teaching of scripture that happens through the sermon. The sermon allows for an opportunity for people to hear and interpret God’s Word. I believe that sermons should have relatable illustrations that cause the text to come alive for people. I also believe that sermons should touch upon cultural topics that people are thinking about and interpret those topics through a biblical lens. The renowned theologian Karl Barth once said that we should “preach with the Bible in one hand and the newspaper in the other.” I believe what he meant was that pastors should seek to preach sermons that communicate Biblical truth and are culturally relevant. I also believe that a sermon should seek to help people experience God. I believe that it’s important for a pastor to incorporate elements of touch, smell, sound, art, and other imagery into the sermon to help the Bible come alive for people. Lastly, we engage in sacred stories through the sacraments. Baptism is a declaration of faith. When an adult or child is baptized in front of a community, that community then becomes a witness to the faith of that person or their parents. The community pledges to support and encourage that person in their faith journey. Baptism serves as a reminder that the Christian journey is not a solo one, but it is a sacred journey that is done within a community. Communion is also experienced through community and gathering at the table as one. I believe that the communion table should be open for all. Communion is a symbolic ritual that connects the Church to Jesus and reminds people of the healing power and saving grace of Christ. Christ is present at the communion table and is welcoming all to the table of grace.
The Church is the bride of Christ and the place where sacred stories and traditions are celebrated. Saint Augustine once said, “The church is not a hotel for saints, it is a hospital for sinners.” People come to a hospital in their most broken state, but they are seeking hope and healing. In the same way, the church should be a place where “no perfect people are allowed”. The church is where all can come to find hope and healing through the stories and traditions shared and the community built. The church is a place for all to find hope and healing and experience the love of Christ.