Total Solar Eclipse
Did you see the eclipse in April? Austin was right in the path of totality, so our family had been praying non-stop for a clear view. We joined some friends on a ranch just outside of town for a watch party (pictured above), and were greeted with cloudy skies for most of the time. Cassia (9) was very upset.
But God, in a loving answer to our children’s prayers, swept aside the clouds just at the moment of totality. It was an unbelievable display of his mercy and creativity. We discussed with our kids and several others how an eclipse is a major sign of God’s intelligent design of our solar system. To learn more about this, check out The Privileged Planet, which you can rent on Amazon or find on YouTube.
One of my favorite moments of the eclipse was seeing the bright red prominences peeking out just below the Moon. Each of these plasma surges are larger than the entire Earth. Apparently it is rare to be able to see them with the naked eye.
The Four Laws…of Storytelling
Earlier this semester, the director of Cru’s creative media ministry asked me (Zack) to teach our videography team a series of webinars about storytelling. More than three-act structure or The Hero’s Journey, I wanted to weave together a robust theology of why and how to tell stories for God’s glory. Most of what we produce for Cru is non-fiction, yet there are many principles of fiction writing that apply to the documentary and testimony videos we produce.
I called this series “The Four Laws of Storytelling,” and filled each session with a look through the Scriptures. Since God is the ultimate creator, all of the fundamentals of creativity come from him. Storytelling is his idea (Genesis 4:7), which gives flesh to abstract concepts (Proverbs 8), convicts the conscience (2 Samuel 12), reveals open hearts (Matthew 13:10-17), and produces repentance (Acts 19:17).
Our first lesson examined how we should tell stories for the glory of God (Psalm 102:18), and to not allow other purposes––even noble ones––to take primacy. We create stories because that is God’s normative way of expressing truth in the Bible, which is 43% narrative, 33% poetic, and only 24% prose. Second, we create stories as an act of love, lest we become clanging gongs (1 Corinthians 13:1). Third, since “God is not a God of disorder” (1 Corinthians 14:33) our creativity needs to be balanced by structure. Finally, effective stories are filled with honesty and delivered with courage, since pointing people to God always challenges the idols of our culture, but fear of man is a snare (Proverbs 29:25).
Knowing God Personally
“How can I be saved?” In all my (Naomi’s) years of ministry, I have never been asked that question directly. But that’s exactly what a contractor named Alex asked me recently. While discussing some concrete work we needed in our yard, Alex told me how his life was miraculously spared during two separate jobs. In one, a giant piece of concrete fell on his work vehicle, and after another job the brakes went out on his truck. He walked away from both situations unharmed, and knew that God was trying to get his attention.
Zack and I were overjoyed to explain the gospel and recount how Jesus had redeemed our lives. We gave him Cru’s gospel booklet called, “Knowing God Personally.” A few days later, Alex attended an Easter service and received Christ. When he met us again in our backyard, he looked like an entirely different person. The joy of the Lord was plainly visible on his face. A member at the church Alex attends started discipling him, and he’s already talking about getting baptized.
PRAISE REPORTS
• Zack got the opportunity to train other Cru staff.
• Alex came to know Jesus and is growing in his faith.
PRAYER REQUESTS
• Last month, Zack got some abnormal readings during a treadmill stress test. Thankfully, a heart catheter showed that Zack’s arteries are clear and everything else is functioning normally with his heart. Please pray he could get his blood pressure under control, mostly through lifestyle changes.
• Zack’s hospital stay was emotionally triggering for everyone else, especially as we continue to walk through grief.