In many churches, spiritual formation has been reduced to the memorization and recitation of doctrinal propositions. In other spaces, it has been reduced to chasing emotional highs. But our identity struggles are not solved by mere intellectual prowess or some ability to feel intensely happy all the time.
What if the work of Christ was not merely to get us to Heaven, but to tell us a story about God’s love that would simultaneously dignify, challenge, and transform our own unique stories into beautifully diverse expressions of His love? What if our spiritual formation meant internalizing and participating in that story in such a way that our varying identities, shaped by our own complex stories, were not erased or invalidated but redeemed and renewed by the love of God?
Love Has a Story is the intersection of three things I think we all need: (1) a rich understanding of how the Bible’s stories make up one big story (biblical theology), (2) how the work of engaging our own personal stories (story work) is necessary for our transformative participation in the New Creation, and (3) a welcome expression of authentic and artistic storytelling that helps create a safe space for vulnerability (poetry). I introduce you to my own story through my personal poems, which offer both empathy and encouragement, as well as a view into the way God’s love intends to redeem and restore every aspect of our life stories.
This intersection of biblical theology, “story work” reflection questions, and my own personal and transparent poetry, is what Love Has a Story is all about.