Nancy Beach is executive vice-president of the Arts for the Willow Creek Association and a teaching pastor at Willow Creek Community Church. I've followed Nancy's ministry for many years and when she took the stage at The Story Conference this year I found myself appreciating two things: her story and the way in which she wove it for us.
Punctuating a story-teller's obligation to her listeners Nancy asked a good question. It's one we should consider when we present the Gospel Story. She asked, "Do we avoid the tragedy because of the discomfort it creates in us? If we don’t speak the truth of tragedy, our offerings of grace come across as premature, naive, out of touch, and not nearly as wonderful."
Nancy is right. Disregard the tragedy and deliverance means nothing. If you don't know you're lost, how happy are you to be found?
Ecclesiastes 8:5-9 - Whoever obeys his commands will avoid trouble. The mind of a wise person will know the right time and the right way to act. There is a right time and a right way to act in every situation. Yet, a terrible human tragedy hangs over people. They don't know what the future will bring. So who can tell them how things will turn out? No one has the power to prevent the spirit of life from leaving. No one has control over the day of his own death. There is no way to avoid the war against death. Wickedness will not save wicked people from dying. I have seen all of this, and I have carefully considered all that is done under the sun whenever one person has authority to hurt others.
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