The stories that are signals…
Mark 8:27-38
Rev. Ha Na Park (Immanuel United Church, Winnipeg)
The disciples and Jesus first met beside a sunny sea in Galilee.
Now, they are on the road to Jerusalem, in the middle space between Galilee (the place where the first calling events happened) and Jerusalem. (Caesarea Philippi is at the foothills of Mount Heron)
In this middle space, the disciples feel uncertain: What does it mean that they follow Jesus? Who is Jesus? Who am I? Who are we? The questions and the answers that they thought they knew are no longer crystal clear, not like when they were first called at the sunny sea.
Jesus challenges the disciples to come out of their ego and comfort zone. Jesus asks, “Who do you say that I am?”
It appears that Jesus is looking for some new names. Who do you say that I am? Messiah or the Son of Man, the teacher or the healer?
When we look deeper, however, we can see that what Jesus is really looking for is not just names, a confession (Peter says, “You are the Messiah”), or new titles. Jesus is really asking the disciples to tell him stories. Jesus wants them to answer, “Who do you say I am?” with Stories, the narratives that they’ve all been told from infancy.
First, the holy story of God: “The Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again”. It is a Story that they all know. Second, the holy story of God’s people: “For those who want to save their life will lose it; and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it.”
We believe that following Jesus means following his name. But, as I read this passage this week, I reached a different conclusion, and it really made sense. (No commentary offers this idea): Following Jesus is actually following the Story Jesus shows by action, words and life, as if Jesus tells us, “Unless you follow my Story, you do not follow me.”
What interests me most is the disciple’s reaction. Peter, the first disciple, who verbalized the right answer with the confession that Jesus is the Messiah, the Christ, the Anointed, rejects the story, gets angry, pulls Jesus aside and “rebukes” him: “No way, Jesus. That is never going to happen with me. I don’t understand your story. I don’t want it.”
The stories are powerful. Our minds, hearts and brains are hard-wired to respond to stories by making deeper connections. Stories stick. Stories are like Velcro.
For example, the Doctrine of Discovery is a story that is horribly life-harming. It says that the land belongs to the King, the Sovereign God, therefore, the colonizers, if the population that lives on the land are not Christians. It is declared to be empty, therefore, to be conquered and possessed.
In contrast, Treaty is a life-giving story we need to learn and know. Many of you at Immanuel encouraged me to watch the three episodes of First Contact (APTN Channel). Some of you have even taped them. Some of us, like me, watched them on-line. I would like to invite all who are interested and are able to stay after worship next Sunday (the 30th) to watch the second episode of First Contact together, on this fabulous new screen, and have some discussions after showing it. All are welcome. Bring a bag lunch or food to share. So, what’s First Contact? Most Canadians have never taken the time to get to know Indigenous people or visit their communities. First Contact takes six average Canadians, all with strong opinions about Indigenous People, on a unique 28-day journey into Indigenous Canada.
First Contact taught me that stories help people connect. The stories the indigenous hosts share, one story at a time, begin to unravel these six people’s perceptions, fears and prejudices. It is very interesting to see how each individual evolves (or doesn’t) in their thinking. Stories humanize one one another, and link people together. What would you answer if you were asked, “Do you believe that you are a treaty person as well?”
We need to look at ourselves both as a community and individuals and ask which stories shape our life, faith and world-views, which stories shape the lenses through which we observe ourselves and others? We always need stories, but right now we especially need life-giving stories.
What are our stories at Immanuel? What are our stories at home? What stories do we follow or not follow? How are we doing as story-tellers and as story-makers, in our roles – as a parent, a teacher, a friend? What are life-giving stories we would like to centre and grow and share in our lives? Stories connect people. Stories are another name for mission.
“When you understand the story, you are engaged, connected, strategic and intentional.” (Cate Friesen)
Last year, my first year of being the minister at Immanuel, I was busy getting to know each one of you a little more at each opportunity, and at the same time, I was busy telling you my story. I hope that in this second year we can start a conversation to discover, write and tell about what Immanuel’s own life-giving stories are, and what they can be.
Jennifer Aaker is a professor at Stanford Graduate School of Business; she has spoken a lot about the power of story. Aaker says, (and I really like this metaphor) “In life, there is signal and there is noise. The stories that you tell about yourselves and that others tell about you are signals.”
What I learned from her work is that to be effective, we need to cut through the noise, and stories help us do that.
The signature story is something that, after we tell it, makes people look at us differently. Everyone needs a signature story, and we, as Immanuel, need one too. What’s Jesus’ signature story? The cross and resurrection. “The Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again… For those who want to save their life will lose it; and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it.” Imagine hearing that story halfway between Galilee and Jerusalem – imagine looking at the person who is telling that story, and realizing that story is about them – and you.
The most powerful stories, the signature stories, are those that take the audience (the community) where we want them to go. It is the Vision story. We need a conversation. Conversations will help us to discover the treasure of stories, which lead us to the holy, life-giving story — which is translatable to mission.
Good stories usually have a three-stage plot: Character - challenge - outcome.
Character: Who are you?
Challenge: What is the turning point in your life?
What is a clear and present obstacle or challenge you face? What choices have you made in response?
Outcome: What strength has been demonstrated from the event, from the experience, that followed the choice?
Jesus’s story has all of these elements, and our story will exactly do the same.
As Immanuel, as a community and as a disciple, we will understand what was and is a turning point in our life. Not just in the past – in the present, too.
We will befriend our own middle space. "Don’t just do works, but sit where you are, sit with people, and ask, listen, and ponder their stories.
We will clarify what is the clear and present obstacle and challenge we face.
We will find which choice will give us life.
We will discover, draft, write and rewrite stories, and be creative.
This call to be the story-teller, the story-maker comes from the fact that we are all disciples, all learners.
The holy story of God and God’s people always has two ends: the beginning (the birth) and the end (the resurrection). The end also poses the open question: “In what new and different ways do we intend to change lives? Who do we say we are… Who does God say we are?
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