One Generation to the Next

 One of the regular ways we show our love for each other in a family is to listen to each other’s stories.  We listen without saying, “that’s nothing, wait till you hear my story!”  We listen without yawning or interrupting or correcting another’s story.  We laugh when it’s a funny story, and sympathize when it’s about a disappointment.  And we rejoice when it’s a victory story.  

So also in our family of faith.  We want to hear each other’s stories, as well as to offer our own.  We weep with those who weep and rejoice with those who rejoice.  And we are encouraged where we sense God’s presence in what is recounted.

Psalm 145 says,“One generation commends your works to another; they tell of your mighty acts.”  Rev. Ronica Harris serves on the staff of New Hope Baptist in Hackensack as well as coordinator for Ministries Initiatives and Special Projects for ABCNJ.  You will meet her this month when she preaches here.  She wrote on this as a preparation for the Annual Session:

What’s your story with God? Everyone has one, from the youngest to the oldest.  Everyone has a story to tell. Stories deliver wisdom and instruction, teach lessons, and illustrate complicated concepts in a way that may be easily understood.  Stories are one way to tell what matters to you most.

As a child, I remember listening to my uncles share stories about fishing in a stream just down a wooded trail from their North Carolina home.  They would laugh and brag about bringing fish home and frying them in a skillet.  They never really talked about the size of the fish, but there seemed to be an abundance of fish, and they spent a lot of time together for both provisions and fun.

In Psalm 145, David writes that generations, people of all ages – mothers, fathers, nanas, papas, and children – will commend or rave about the mighty acts of the Father.  To commend, rave, or boast about God to one another means there is a shared history in which we have experienced God’s goodness in community.  It means we’ve been journeying, working, watching, and bragging about God’s great work together.  

What stories can you share that describe the mighty acts the Father is doing in your life, your community, and your church across generations?  I believe our faith together in community will be strengthened to hear.