Stepping Out of the Picture

The Hagels (minus our oldest)

It dawned on me a couple of weeks ago that I have a big family. I have never really noticed, it’s just my everyday life. Its not that I don’t know that we are a big family. People like to remind me regularly. They say things like, “You have how many kids?” or “You know what causes that, right?”

But then, I happened to be looking at a picture of us and thought, “Wow that’s a big family!” I looked at the picture in a different way, like an outsider. I stepped out of myself, out of the picture and looked. I saw things in a new light. I have a lot of kids!

This Lent I wanted to take some time to step outside of myself, to get out of the picture, and take a look at who I am as a person of faith. I made a commitment to take a step back and look at my call as a pastor. What am I doing? What does it mean for me to be a follower of Jesus?

I talked with friends about their call. I asked about how they practice their faith. I listened to them tell me of the biblical images and stories that help them understand what God has called them to do and be. It was awesome to hear people talk deeply and passionately about faith and life. (I plan to continue to ask people about where and how they hear God calling them. It’s fun. You should try it!)

But, the most fruitful moment in my quest for understanding who I am as a disciple of Christ came when I was least expecting it. I am a doctor of ministry student at Aquinas Institute of Theology, taking an elective class at Eden Seminary. We were discussing narrative theology and interpretation, basically Christianity and Judaism are faiths formed by story. As believers, we engage the story of our ancestors through our lives and our own stories. During the discussion, one of my classmates, Buck Cueni-Smith (a Methodist minister from the Lake of the Ozarks) lead us in an exercise to help us understand narrative interpretation. While the exercise achieved that, more importantly it helped me begin to better define my call as a follower of Christ.

Buck invited us to write a commercial or mission statement for our ministry in four steps.

Step 1.      What is your earliest memory?

Step 2.      What is your favorite Bible story or passage?

Step 3.      How does your life story connect to the biblical story and how might these two
                 stories inform your ministry?

Step 4.    Write a statement about how this informs your ministry.

Here is mine:

Step 1. My Story:
    I was three when my 10 year old sister, Maria, died. I remember the funeral. My mother holding me in her arms. I didn’t really understand what was happening, just that I wouldn’t see Maria again. And I remember the safety and love I felt in my mother’s arms.

Step 2. The Biblical Story:
    People were bringing children to Jesus so that he would bless them. But the disciples scolded them. When Jesus saw this, he grew angry and said to them, “Allow the children to come to me. Don’t stop them! For God’s kingdom belongs to people like these children. I assure you whoever doesn’t welcome God’s kingdom like a child will never enter it.” Then he hugged the children and blessed them. (Mark 10:13-16)

Step 3. The Intersection:
    In my mother’s arms I was held and blessed and shown God’s love for me.
    In Jesus arms the children were welcomed, held, blessed, and loved.

Step 4. My Mission Statement:
      Welcoming, holding, blessing that others know God’s loving embrace.

I encourage you to try it yourself. It’s good to step out of the picture once in awhile to get a good look at your life and where God is calling you.