My Faith Story
My home group is doing the Just Walk Across the Room study put out by Willow Creek, and based on Bill Hybels' book with the same title. Section three suggests that each participant write out their faith story, kind of the before-and-after of becoming a Christian. The study gave several examples of "bad" stories, e.g. long-winded stories, stories filled with "religionese", etc., and it gave a few examples of "good" stories.
Well, here's my attempt at writing down my faith story...
I grew up in America, more specifically in the South, where everyone's a "christian". Growing up, my family went to church when we felt like it, and honestly, we didn't feel like it that often. In high school, there was a time when I decided that I was really going to be a "christian", but looking back, I treated it no differently than joining a club. There was no purpose in it.So, there you have it. Please, let me know what you think. I'm not asking for a "good job" or a "its nice". I want someone to rip it to shreds.
It wasn't until several years later, when I was about twenty-four, that something clicked, and I started to see something that I had missed in the past. I started to recognize that being a Christian was about accepting the fact that there was a disconnect between me and God. It was about accepting that this disconnect could not be remedied except through God's grace, which had been demonstrated by His son, Jesus Christ.
I realized that being a Christian wasn't about going to church on Sundays. It wasn't about being in some club where you followed a list of rules. Being a Christian was about accepting this grace, that had been freely given by a God that loved me despite all the mistakes I had made in my life. It was about accepting that grace and letting it be the motivating force in my life.
So, now I don't just go to church because I'm supposed to and I'm not just part of some club. Now, I'm trying to live my life in response to the grace that I've been given, in hopes that I can show some of the love that has been shown to me.
Labels: church
posted by Shannon Smith @ 12/09/2007
8 Comments
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8 Comments:
I think you're lacking here, Shannon...
You don't mention how much stuff you've done for Jesus.
You don't tell us whose fault it is that you weren't taught exactly the right stuff from birth.
You don't even mention your denomination, much less rip the other ones to shreds.
And having carefully read this, I'm still not at all sure about who is going to hell...
Please try again.
Shannon,
I think you nailed the essence of your story... the transformation of your perception of how God's grace impacts your life in a real way, but I think its too generic...
I would like to know more about what it means for you now to follow the ways of Jesus, what in your life has changed? what in your soul has changed? how has your attitude and perspective about what matters changed?
what kept you from embracing grace as is true prior to 24? what helped you alter this perception? was it a moment in time? was it a process? were there people in your life that helped and continue to help you realize what God's grace is all about?
are you done with your transformation or still continuing?
Because I know you, I think I know what some of those answers might be, but your faith story should include more details about you... what makes your story unique?
Zack, Funny. No one is going to hell. We are all coming back as plankton.
Traci, Maybe I should have better explained that the point is for this to be the opening to a conversation. I think that it is important to have answers to those questions, even if that answer is "I don't know." However, I think that including those answers in this introduction could quickly turn this into a "long-winded" story, full of jargon specific to the Christian culture.
If I'm someone who doesn't buy into the whole God/Jesus thing, do I care about those answers? Maybe. If so, those might be the questions I ask. If not, and someone tells me up front, maybe I continue to think that "Christians" are wackos.
This is definitely not an exposition on everything Shannon believes and has experienced.
Does my story explain my position in a way that opens the door for a deeper conversation?
If you are a Christian, do see my position as biblically flawed?
If you were unfamiliar with or turned off by Christian culture, how would you take story?
More thoughts please.
writing as a Christ follower, i definitely think that your story is biblically sound. recognizing the disconnect between yourself and God and realizing that the only solution was grace extended from God to you through His son, Jesus is spot on from my perspective.
I do think however, that it's easy to stay biblically sound when keeping it brief or general. (not that it's too breif ...i'm just saying there's not much to be wrong about there.)
attempting to look at it from a "pre-christ" point of view, it does leave room for more questions and doesn't really tell me anything I didn't want to know.
I think Bernie was right when he said that anyone's story when told with some basic social skills will be a well-told story.
...i wish i had social skills. and bowstaff skills.
After reading your story again, I agree with jeramie that you are sound biblically and do lead to whoever you are talking to wanting to ask more questions if they are curious.
I do think its a good opening for a conversation.
The only thing maybe to consider (which you do slightly at the end) is how this impacts your view on life and community... is you being a christian just about "you" or is it a communal thing? does that make any sense? If Corey reads this maybe he can speak to that idea because we have had some conversations about what we are really calling people to...
"Now, I'm trying to live my life in response to the grace that I've been given, in hopes that I can show some of the love that has been shown to me."
What about the Holy Spirit? I know that in 'American' christianity today, there is a diversity of beliefs about the Holy Spirit, and we may have very different beliefs, but for me, this line would be different because of the Person and work of the Holy Spirit.
What do you think?
I didn't really read all the other comments so this may have already been covered. I think in a testimony it's really important to understand what you're trying to communicate and to whom you are trying to communicate it. I.E. if you are telling your story to me or another Christ follower then your tact, language and depth will be markedly different that if you were trying to speak with an unbeliever. There again how you'd speak with someone genuinely seeking the Truth would be different than someone who just asked you why you live the way you do. Make sense?
That being said, I think that what you have written does a great job of conveying your original separation from Christ, His remedy of that through His grace and the change He has made in your life through the Holy Spirit. Further, it does all this in a non-threatening manner, and in english not bible. In short, it could be a perfect lead in to a conversation on a plane or in a coffee shop.
You have a great gift of being unassuming and comforting, which is a wonderful gift in evangelism. This story capitalizes on that very well. Strong work!
I want to respond to some of this stuff. I've just been busy.
Conveniently, God placed someone in my path on Monday night that I shared this story with. Our conversation hit on a lot of the stuff mentioned in the comments here. I plan to post about that, but like I said, I've been busy.
Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts.
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