LENT
THE GROVE – COTTAGE GROVE
Share your Story
There are billions of stories, none like yours.
There is no shortage of “messy” stories of faith for us to find in the Bible. And yet the messiness, in fact, has made such stories so beautiful and inspiring that they have been retold for thousands of years.
Each of us has a faith story as well. They are often messy and even incomplete, but they highlight the times and ways that God has been at work in our everyday lives. We’d like to help you to tell your messy story in a way that is true to your experience, beautiful in its form, and inspiring to yourself and others.
This exercise could be helpful in a couple different ways. Perhaps it helps you to reflect on the times and places God has been at work in your life and how you have already responded. Telling your story is not only important for yourself to understand, but also can be extremely helpful for others who have similar stories.
But perhaps what you’ll find is that your story is still being written, and the exercise becomes a prompt for you to take the next step in your journey of faith. If you don’t have the answer to some of these questions, what might you do to go about answering them? How could you respond now to God’s work in your life?
Chapters of your story
Take some time to write out the answers to the following questions. If you can’t think of an answer to all of them, how might God be calling you to find that answer now?
OOPS. (Upsetting the equilibrium)
What is your family and religious history? What big moments or relationships define who you are?
UGH. (ANALYZING THE DISCREPANCY)
What happened that required a shift in your life? What was that shift? What was it that you needed that you realized was missing? What was the problem that God needed to solve? What were you struggling with?
AHA. (DISCLOSING THE CLUE TO RESOLUTION)
When/where/how/with whom did you have a “eureka” moment?
WHEE. (EXPERIENCING THE GOSPEL)
When/How have you experienced the grace of God in your life — that goodness that cannot be earned and cannot be taken away?
YAY. (ANTICIPATING THE CONSEQUENCES)
How has the presence of God’s grace in your life impacted the way to live and see the world? How might it do the same for others?
Once you’ve finished, combine your answers and flesh them out into sentences and paragraphs. It’s your story, so don’t try to be overly creative or formal — write it using the same words and format that you would share it with someone over a cup of coffee.
Then read it. Does it sound like your story? What’s missing or unclear?
Next, share it with someone you know and who knows you. Ask them what stands out or what they wonder about. This could lead to an opportunity to make your story even clearer or to engage them more deeply with parts they find most interesting.
Last of all, own it. This is your story so be confident in it. It has formed where you’ve come from, who you are, and what you’ll do from here. Most importantly, trust that God has brought you to this point and continues to offer help. You’ve got this!
The Grove - Cottage Grove
8600 90th Street S
Cottage Grove, MN 55016
At the the corner of 90th Street S and Ironwood Ave S.
Across from Aldi.
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