The Parish Magazine November 2020

The associate vicar's letter
Dear friends
I wonder if you have a favourite story? It may be factual, it may be
fiction. It could be a story you’ve heard recently, or one from a long time
ago, perhaps from your childhood. It may be a story you’ve read, or one
you’ve been told, or one you’ve seen in a film or television series. The
truth is that we will all have favourite stories that have had an impact on
us in some way.
What I love about story telling is that a story, however simple, can
have the power to communicate deep messages. They can be helpful
and we can learn lessons from them. They can act as a moral compass
through imagery and analogy. At Reading Blue Coat, where I work as
chaplain and teacher, we have chosen the theme of ‘tell me a story’ for
this term's assemblies. This has given me a brilliant opportunity to share
some of the stories that have had an impact on my life. My favourite,
which I would certainly recommend reading, is a children’s book called
You are Special by Max Lucado. Although this is a simple story in many
ways, it conveys a powerful message about our value and our worth. It
is a Christian story which reminds us of God’s love for us but whether
Christian or not, I think this story helps us to think about how much we
value one another and ourselves. This is just one example and I am sure
each of you will have your own examples.
KEEP TELLING STORIES
This month we remember very specific stories; those of war time. As
the years go by, these stories fall further into the past and now most
who lived during the war are no longer with us. For this reason it is
increasingly important to continue to remember and tell their stories of
hope, tragedy, bravery and love. Stories will die if people do not continue
to tell them.
In the Bible Jesus often spoke using stories called parables. Jesus took
everyday situations and objects that his hearers would be familiar with,
and told simple stories which conveyed truths about God’s Kingdom and
how we should live our lives. For example, when teaching about who our
neighbour is, he used the parable of the Good Samaritan. When teaching
about how much we are worth to God he used a number of parables such
as the Parable of the Lost Sheep, and the Parable of the Lost Coin. These
were stories that people could relate to and understand, and stories
simple enough that they could tell to others
PART OF GOD'S STORY
Each of us has our own life story which is written through our
experiences, our choices and our relationships. We weave in and out of
each other’s stories as we meet new people and build new relationships.
It’s important for us all to remember that even if our stories only overlap
briefly, we can have a significant influence on the shape to each other’s
stories in the future. I can remember times I have encountered kindness
and the positive impact it had on me, but sadly I can also tell you stories
of when I have been hurt by others, and this also has an impact.
Have a think about your favourite story. What makes it special? What
message does it give and how has it affected your life? I pray that we all
remember that we are part of God’s story, each created and known by
him, and that we continue our own stories safe in the knowledge of his
love.
With love and prayers
Kate
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