But a God who keeps the story moving. A God full of mercy and compassion as well as wrath. It is worth comparing it to our story here at Christ the King. Although God keeps the story moving, it is also up to the people to keep moving.
Sometimes God’s people get into a comfort jam. Before the big drought, that led to Joseph’s big part, life was getting comfortable for Jacob. But they were given a taste of the discomfort ahead by the strange dreams of Joseph. It seems God knew about it. Actually he had it all in mind. In fact had already told Abraham about it.
Comfort jams are usually broken up by God’s discomforting. Comfort jams usually keep God out, or at least keep him under control. Churches often tend towards a state of inertia, or perhaps entropy. Energy dissipates and people prefer not to be disturbed by new forces of energy that might bring about change.
But God does not leave us alone. He continues to move us along in the completion of his great story. For us the question that recurs is do I want to keep moving? “No” is often the honest answer. Beach, golf, or sitting at home reading or watching often seem preferable. Another answer is “Yes – but where? Yes but what?”
If we want to keep up with the story we need two things: we need to know the story and where God is up to now; and we need to keep in touch with the Holy Spirit author. God is now up to this: gathering from all the nations a people for himself whom he forgives and gathers into his family the church. So pray. Watch. Speak. Act as agents of the great Story Teller.
Dale