Discovering Our Father's Story

We are extremely excited to take this time to tell you about a number of exciting programs that will be taking place here at Christ the King parish in the coming year. Before I get into the details though, I want to wax a little on the philosphical side of things.

Have you ever given though to what it is about your favorite novel, or television series or movie that can be so captivating? Is it the plot? The characters? The special effects?

What about the story?

Ah! think about THAT for a minute. Think about all of the movies, shows, and books you've read and especially the ones that really stand out for you. I'll bet that you could tell me the core of their story without ever having to re-read the book or watch that show again.

I did this a few days ago with a group of grade 8 students at one of our Catholic schools. I asked if any of them could relate to me, in less than 30 seconds, the story of the Three Little Pigs. About a dozen hands went up and at least three of them began to rattle off this very popular childhood tale in less than 10 or 15 seconds!  Next I asked when the last time was that they actually heard that story or had it told to them. Some said when they were 4, some said 5, or 8 or 9. Now, these were 12 year-olds so we're talking a range of 3-8 years since the last time they even heard that story.  But it stuck and stuck deep. I would wager that pretty much anybody raised in a Western European culture could tell that story without giving it too much thought. Some might tell it better than others but the roots, the 'meat and potatoes' of The Three Little Pigs would be there just the same. Were you raised in a different culture with different stories? You can probably do the same with those too.

Here's my point, we are captivated by stories precisely because we are 'hardwired' for stories. Our brains are primed for them. We look for them and we soak them up without much effort at all. The real question we need to ask ourselves is 'Why?' and the answer is pretty simple...We need to be this way because we are living, daily, within the biggest, greatest, most important story ever told - the story of God's great love for us, the story of our own salvation. It is the story of God's creation and on-going interaction with the world and not a single person has lived, is living or will live, outside of this amazing tale.

The wonderful thing is, God made us with the express intention of being able to not only be aware of, and fall in love with stories...but to have this undeniable attraction to them. God gets that we love stories and its no accident that when God wants to communicate the great mystery of His love and devotion to us, He did so through stories.  He knows, like no other entity in the Universe knows, that if He tells it well enough, we will never forget it.

I often tell people that this is the very reason God did not first hand Adam and Eve a Catechism saying "If you just study this, you will know me." Instead, he began telling them stories of where everything came from, why it was all made and more important - why they were made. God even goes a step further and invites His children to be storytellers too!  Trhoughout the ages people have been telling, and sharing and eventually even writing down some of the most important stories that have ever been told. We call this collection of stories "The Bible" and we believe that it contains the Word of God in the form of the stories our Father needs us to know, and tell.

It wouldn't be an exaggeration, I don't think, to say that even Catholics who understand the most basic teachings of the Faith, might feel a little confused by the Bible. Sure we may have heard a story here and a story there - stories about people like Abraham, Moses, David and Jesus - but we don't really get how they all fit together - the Big Picture. We don't know who follows whom, what follows what and how any of those men and women at the beginning have anything to do with Jesus Christ.

This is why our parish of Christ the King is expanding the initiative begun last year in inviting and sharing with as many of our brothers and sisters as we possibly can, the Big Picture of Salvation History - our Father's Story - through a number of different Bible Study opportunities;

The Bible Timeline gives you the over-all 'Big Picture' of the Bible by focusing on the 14 books (out of the 73 that make up the Bible) that tell the Story of God from beginning to end.  The Bible Timeline program is the perfect place for anyone and everyone to start. You will not only learn the important people, places and teachings of the Bible but you will see how all that the Church teaches is deeply connected to our Father's story. You will never expereince your faith, or the Mass and sacraments the same again! The Bible Timeline will run on Thursday evenings starting September 15, 2011 and runs for 24 weeks, ending just prior to Easter.

Matthew: The King and His Kingdom picks up where The Bible Timeline leaves off. You will witness for yourself how Jesus fulfills the promises and prophecies of the Old Testament. You will experience how Christ demonstrates His authority and Divinity through his miraculous ministry, and recognize the power and importance of The Church, the Mass, and the Sacraments as established by Christ. Matthew: The King and His Kingdom will run on Monday Afternoons from 1:30pm - 3:00pm and Monday Evenings from 7:00pm - 9:00pm. Week to week you can choose which time works best for you making this program extremely convenient to fit into your Schedule. This program begins on Monday September 12, 2011 and also runs for 24 weeks, ending just prior to Easter.

Not sure you can fit a 24-week commitment into your life right now? Why not join us for The Bible and Breakfast as we take a flight over the entire story in just 8 weeks. A Quick Journey Through The Bible makes reading the Bible not only easy, but exciting. Perhaps for the first time in your life, you will understand the overview of the Bible story. Your Bible reading, the Sunday mass readings, and your personal experience of faith are guaranteed to come alive like never before. A Quick Journey Through The Bible will be offered here at Christ the King Saturday Mornings starting on January 21, 2012  and ending just prior to Easter. As an added bonus, this Saturday morning gathering also includes an incredible cereal bar along with coffee, tea and juice.

Three choices to fit every schedule. The only question now is, will you make the choice to spend some time getting to know the your Father's Story?