Direction For the New Year

     My wife gave me the most wonderful present for Christmas.  It is called a “Story Stick”.  To most, it probably looks like nothing more than a fancy walking stick.  However, the five foot tall stick contains fifty-three hand carved images.  Each image represents a story in the bible.  The top of the “Story Stick” is a carving of a head representing Moses.  Below Moses are fifty-two of the most significant stories in the Bible.  Along with the Story Stick came a booklet with images of the carvings and Scripture for each image. 

     Story sticks have been around for a long time.  They go by many names: story pole, story rod, detail stick, or story stick.  Stone masons used them for centuries as a means of measuring.  We now have yard sticks and measuring tapes.  I have used a story stick in wood working and remodeling when ever I needed to cut a number of boards the same length.  I simply cut one stick to the proper length and used it to measure all the board that had to be cut.  It sure beats pulling out the measuring tape fifty times!  Story sticks have also been used to record history.  Native American Indians and Alaskans have used story sticks and totem poles to tell of their ancestral spirits and family history.  Usually, the head would portray an eagle, grizzly bear, mountain goat, wolf, moose, beaver, otter, whale, porpoise, seal, sea lion, or salmon.  The carvings would tell something significant about their family and its history.  Other cultures throughout the world have also used story sticks or poles as a short way of telling their history and heritage. 

     For most of my life, God has been faithful to give me a major theme and focus for my self, family, and ministry for each New Year.  For 2010 it is “Don’t Limit God”.  The Scripture that goes with this theme is Psalm 78:41.  The nation of Israel had forgotten its history and all that God had done for them.  They had forgotten his power, protection and ability to direct them.  God’s way of dealing with that was to remind them of what he had done.  Every year I encourage people to read through the Bible.  The stories and events that have been recorded for us can be a tremendous source of hope and strength for us as we continue our journey with God.  This year, instead of reading through the Bible verse by verse, I am going to take one of the fifty-two stories on the story stick and focus on that story for a whole week.  I will also read and focus on other Scriptures that are related to that particular story.  It will be a great reminder of what an awesome and powerful god we serve.

     I am very concerned that we are not doing a very good job of passing down our spiritual heritage as contained in the Bible and what we have experienced in our life.  God’s story did not end when the Bible was printed.  It continues today.  History is “His Story”.  God continues to work with mankind.  We are a part of His Story.  And His Story continues in 2010.  So, please, Read His Story, pass on His Story, and become an important part of His Story by faithfully serving him in 2010.  And don’t be afraid to be creative.  You might want to give someone something as wonderful and unique as a story stick!

     Pastor Carl

P.S. - I highly recommend reading and giving the book The Journey: How to live by faith in an uncertain world by Billy Graham. (It costs a lot less than a story stick)