Speak Out!

Everybody loves a good story. If you sit with a child to read a story to them, watch out! You may find yourself being asked to read it again and again and again. If you open your house for a movie night on Friday, you will likely have a big group of friends show up to hang out and watch a story unfold on the screen. When you visit family over the holidays, if one of the “older generation” starts to tell about times gone by, regardless of their age, many people will likely gather around to listen, ask questions, and find out more. Why? It is because everybody loves a good story.

Psalm 107:2 says, “Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story.” These words rise up near the beginning of a powerful song of praise and celebration, remembering the goodness and love of God to His people. Another translation of that same verse says, “Has the Lord redeemed you? Then speak out!”

There are a lot of things we can speak out about in our world today. One thing we must do as a church is to speak out about how we have experienced the good work of God in our lives. This gives us the opportunity to remember that God is at work all around us, both individually and in our life together as the church. Speaking out about God’s work in our lives gives us a chance to enter into worship as we say together: ‘it is good to live life with a God like that!’

So, as you read the following issues of our storytelling magazine, Speak Out!, celebrate with me the stories of how God is at work. And at the same time, think about how you, too, can speak out about the love and goodness of God!

– Pastor Matt Erickson