The Power of (Short) Story

One hundred words or less. That was the assignment pitched to our congregation: “Send us a story of a ‘God moment’ in your life using less than 100 words.” That’s not a lot of words—this column is over twice that number. But one of our drama directors had experienced a deeply moving service at another church based on this premise, and we thought we’d give it a try.

In poured the stories. The content ranged widely from the more dramatic, such as rescues from car accidents, adopted babies for the infertile, and recovery from addiction to alcohol, to the smaller and quieter moments that recognized the presence of the supernatural with no less impact or spiritual significance.

For our Easter celebration, Ingrid DeSanctis and a team of designers wove those stories into a beautiful 20-minute tapestry punctuated by visuals and music.

As I listened to people from our congregation who are normally sitting in the seats speak their 100 words of testimony to the work of God, I was struck once again by the power of story. Not just the stories of preachers and songwriters, but the true stories of everyday folks who have more to tell than we often give them credit for.

Without exception they gave tribute to a God who shows up just when we wonder whether we navigate this life on our own or whether we are guided by a Father who knows the intricate details and chooses to provide and protect.

We heard from a 17-year-old girl who almost lost her dad to a stroke, and from a Vietnam veteran who recalled a moment sitting on an aircraft carrier, reading the verse his mother often quoted to him about casting our cares on him. 1 Peter 5:7 has been his life verse ever since.

The young and the old, the wealthy and the working poor, the well-spoken and the shaky voices, each one communicated with a power beyond their own. In an Easter service that included far more than 100 words from several of our pastors, the stories of the non-professionals will likely be the portion that sticks to our souls.

To church leaders and to myself, I simply remind us of the treasure of stories sitting in the seats every Sunday morning. Take the time to uncover those stories and create ways for others to hear them too.

An unmistakable connection takes place when the congregation hears from people who are so very much in the same boat, just trying to do life from Monday through Saturday. They’re people who simply give witness with humility and honesty to moments when “Only God” can be the explanation.

Nancy Beach is a teaching pastor at Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, Illinois.