Isn’t She Beautiful | Narrative Theology | Matt Krick

• God didn’t give us a self help book, He gave us a beautiful story

Clip from Dead Poet Society dealing with how the students understood poetry. Robin Williams character asks the students to rip out the introduction of their book.

How do I approach the Scriptures?

N.T. Wright- How the Bible can be authoritative | www.ntwrightpage.com
Five Acts
1. Creation
2. Fall
3. Israel
4. Jesus
5. Church- mission of the church
-New creation

The Bible begins with perfect creation.

One of the things the church is done that has hurt us is that our theology begins with the fall.

God declares the goodness of creation over and over.

We (the church) are invited to be a part of healing the world.

Relationships- God is a trinity- always in relationship with himself
4 relationships we’re created for
- God
- Others
- self
- Earth

Genesis 1 & 2
- God gives us an identity
- mission- cultivation

God gave commands to Adam and Eve
- Be fruitful and multiply (marriage and procreation)
- Fill the earth (geographical distribution)
-Babylon- was the problem that they tried to build a tower or that they decided to congregate in one area? (not filling the earth)
- Stewards of the earth
Adam- created from the adama (dirt)
- deep theological connection with the earth because it’s what we were created from
Sabbath
- Tree of knowledge of good and evil

A few words on The Fall
- they didn’t believe the role God had given them in the story was good enough
- a lie that life apart from God is better
- God has given each of us a role in the story that is essential
- Adam and Eve tried to cover themselves, but their covering wasn’t adequate. Gen. 3:21- God gave them garments of skin which He may have killed an animal for. Adam and Eve have now seen death

The goal is not Heaven, the goal is leading fully human lives and bringing Heaven to Earth.

Identity of Israel
- treasured possession
- Kingdom or Priests
- Holy nation

We are blessed in order to be a blessing to others

The cross was once a symbol of violence and control, but it became a symbol of peace and forgiveness.

New Creation
- God has not abandoned that which He created

We will not bring the kingdom in its fullness, we only join Jesus in bringing the kingdom.

- books- Heaven is a place on Earth
- For the beauty of the earth

Do apologetics have a place in a narrative theology?
-the best apologetic is love.

They are writing a narrative curriculum for children’s ministry.

~ by Dave on January 22, 2007.