Do you like stories?

I do. I love stories - I love the fact that Jesus did a lot of his teaching using stories - I love the fact that so much of my role as a vicar is telling stories - stories about what Jesus did, as recorded in the bible, but also the stories of what Jesus is doing - here and now in Woodlands and Highfields. It is great fun to be talking to someone who has pretty much dismissed God as a relevant part of modern life and then to tell them the stories of what He is doing here and now - broken shoulders, withered hands, people being set free from things that have held them for years - even down to the story of our stolen sat nav (ask me if you haven't heard!!).

Someone asked me a very challenging question recently - "How old is your most recent story of what God has done?"

The question stopped me dead! How old is my most recent story - a week, a month, a year - Am I still telling a story from 10 years ago because it shows how amazing God is or because I haven't paid much attention to what he is doing today. Do I bring out the same testimony each time because I've let myself drift away from what God is doing.

How old is your most recent story? I was challenged. Should it be within the last month, the last week, the last few days - or should I be expecting God to do or say something for me or for others each and every day that I can then share to show how much God loves each and every person who lives in these villages.

Quite a challenge! I'll keep working on my response - what about yours!??