Stories That Hold Us Together

We are shaped by the stories we share.

Over the last seven days, I have been reminded of that again and again. We spent time with both Allison’s family and mine, gathering around tables and beside two different lakes. We told old stories, heard a few new ones, laughed about things that happened years ago, and caught up on all that has happened since we were last together.

Family gatherings remind us that our lives belong within stories we did not begin by ourselves.

We inherit names, traditions, memories, recipes, jokes, griefs, and hopes. Some stories make us laugh every time they are told. Others carry a tenderness that never quite leaves us. Together, they help us remember who we are and where we come from.

The World Cup reveals a similar longing on a much larger scale.

People wear the colors, sing the songs, remember previous generations, and gather with others to celebrate a shared identity. Even people who do not watch soccer for four years suddenly develop very passionate opinions about stoppage time.

Beneath all the competition is something deeply human: the longing to belong to something larger than ourselves.

We want to know that we are part of a story. We want to know that we belong. We want to share the joy, carry the disappointment, and experience the moment with others.

That longing is also part of why we gather as the church. Each Sunday, we come together from different homes, families, experiences, and weeks. We bring our own stories, but we also gather around a larger story: the story of God’s love made known in Jesus Christ.

This Sunday, we will hear the familiar story of Mary and Martha. It is a family story, set in the home of two sisters and their special guest, Jesus. Perhaps within their home, their relationship, and their encounter with Jesus, we will hear something that helps us reflect on the stories shaping our own lives and forming us into a different kind of people.

Come join us this Sunday.

Come carrying the stories that have shaped you. Come, remembering the people who helped make you who you are. And come ready to listen for the larger story God is still writing among us.


With Gratitude,

Rev. Rodney Whitfield
Senior Pastor
Aldersgate UMC