Paul Partlow has been the preaching minister for the Georgetown Church of Christ since 2018. Paul has a M.A. in Cross-Cultural Leadership from Fuller Theological Seminary and a B.A. in Christian Studies from Austin Graduate School of Theology.

In Lord of the Rings Sam asks Frodo, "I wonder what sort of tale we've fallen into?" Sam wasn't asking for directions, he was asking for meaning. Have you ever asked that question? Who am I? Why am I here? Why is this happening in my life? Where is all of this going?

Sam assumes two things:
1. There is a larger story going on
2. Whether they fully understand it or not, they have been swept up in it

Life is not like a math problem or a tax form . . . something to be solved. LIfe comes to us in a story. Our days have beginnings and ends. Our yuears unfold like chapter in a novel. We encounter plot twists and deep heartaches. We have heroic moments and seasons of waiting.

Yet, we sometimes feel like we are walking into a movie 40 minutes late. Something significant is under way but we are not quite sure what it is. Because we don't understand the larger story of life we get lost. We start to think, "a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and rfury, signifying nothing." (Shakespeare). We start to see that we are funning out of time.

We get caught up in the "lower stories" that are going on. We start thinking the supporting actor is the main actor. We start thinking that the other storylines are the main storyline. Worst of all, we start living into thesae stories. We actualy start to think that the story is all about: consumption, power, politics, leisure, family, believing all the right things. This can happn in church. Lower room thinking: place, pwersonality, programs and people

. When we lose sight of the overarching story everything feels meaningless. What we need are one of those "you are here" maps. We need something to get our bearing. Before we can talk about creating your story we must grasp that we are already in one. Scripture is God's "you are here" map for the human soul.

God's word steps into our confusion and says: Here is how the world began, here is where it broke, here is how God is rescuing it, and right here, in this chapter, in this moment, is where you stand. Isn't that good news!?! When we know the story we are living it we can be at peace.

Hollywood loves to tell the same story over and over: The world was once beautiful, something terrible happend, a long journey must be taken and a dangerous battle must be fought. At the darkest hour, when all hope seems lost, a hero intervenes, evil is overcome and life is restored. This is the Chronicles of Narnia, Braveheart, Lion King, Star Wars, Dune, Black Panther, Thor, Gladiator and the Matrix. Every story you have ever loved is borrowing its power from the True Story.

Another story is trying to counter the story of God. It's the story of Empire. Empire tells us that true power doesn't come from sacrifice, love or forgiveness. True poer comes from force, poer and the sword. Empire tells us that peace doesn't come through self- sacrificial love but through war. Instead of serving the least, we need to accumulate power, wealth and abundance for ourselves. Empire tells us to be afraid, be anxious instead of having faith and trust in God's story.

Empire relies on the sword, Kingdom relies on the towel and basin.
Empire demans subjection, Kingdom models servanthood
Empire seeks to kill its enemies, the King died for us all

A Challenge for Us All
Empire is sedcuctive because it works fast. A sword can force instant compliance but love takes a lifetime of patient sacrifice. Coercion gives immediate sense of control. The cross reqauires total surrecnder and trust in the Father.

Too often, we try to pledge allegiance to teh Lamb while holding tightly to the weapons of the Dragon. We want the salvation of Jesus, but we want the security of Caesar. Listen to the warning of John's Revelation, speaking to believers caught in the seductive grip of imperial life:

John is telling his people to pull their heart out of the Empire's story. Refuse to let fear dictate how you view your neighbors or your enemies. Reject the live that violence, hostility, or political dominance will ever bring the peace of God. Measure your life, not by who you have beat, but by whom you have served.

Jesus is telling Peter and us, that story doesn't worlk. It only leads to death. We are called to be citizens of an anternative city with walls made of salvation and gates that are always open. We are called to be a people who conquer not by shedding the blood of others, but by following the Lamb who shed his own blood out of boundless, scandalous love.

Which story are you living in? Are you driven by fear, division and defense of the Empire? Or are you resting in the self-giving, emnemy-loving, death-conquering grace of God?