Shauna Letellier

Rest & Relief for Ragged Souls

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A Fresh Look at the Familiar

By shauna 5 Comments

We’ve had a little taste of Spring around here, and Spring is notoriously the time to celebrate new birth, new growth and lots of other new things we’ve been waiting for all winter. Maybe you’re eager to try out your new bike, new stroller, new running shoes, or new fishing reel.

Trying new things isn’t always easy. I’ve written before about my long bout with Tryer’s Remorse when I’ve regretted trying new things. But I’m growing up and there’s something about turning 40 (something) that helps you get over yourself a bit.

So, I’ve tried a new kind of writing centered around Bible stories.

If you’ve been around Bible stories a long time, you know that sometimes the colorful images of the Sunday school flannel graph can fade over time. Instead of reading the Bible with wonder, we tend to gloss over the words, yawn, lick our finger, and flip the page.

What if we, as adults, could be fascinated once again with the familiar?

Several years ago I heard a sermon on the story of Peter’s great catch (Luke 5). I’d heard the story many times before, but this time, something hooked me. Problem was, I didn’t know exactly why.

So I sat down at the computer and retold that story to myself.What we remember on Good Friday and celebrate on Easter is the radical demonstration that JESUS has done for us WHAT WE CANNOT DO FOR OURSELVES.

To my amazement, writing down the story and retelling it to myself, helped me rediscover the story.

I saw in Peter a person who tried hard. He wanted to show up, work hard, excel, produce, perform, and prove.

He’d spent a lifetime learning how to fish, and had a lifetime ahead of him to work at it.

Only, on this particular night he had fished all night and caught nothing. All that good work had left him tired, hungry, and probably a little ragged.

Until Jesus stepped into the boat with a radical demonstration of His grace in terms that got Peter’s attention. In a sinking boat loaded with fish, Jesus demonstrated that He would do for Peter what Peter could not do for himself.

In my over familiarity I had missed the story’s foreshadowing of the ultimate work Jesus came to do for Peter, and for us. What we remember on Good Friday and celebrate on Easter is the radical demonstration that Jesus has done for us what we cannot do for ourselves.

In an effort to rekindle my own fascination with the Easter story, I wanted to look closely and think carefully about a few of the people Jesus came in contact with during what we now call “Passion Week.”

So I tried something new.

I researched a few Bible commentaries, drew on my own imaginations, and tried to drape the framework of scripture with the fabric of fiction to retell the stories of some lesser known people described in Scripture.

Why stories?

I like how Phillip Yancey explains it, “…stories are easier to remember than concepts or outlines.… It is one thing to talk in abstract terms about the infinite boundless love of God. It is quite another to tell of a man who lays down his life for his friends….” (The Jesus I Never Knew).

At first glance their stories don’t seem so remarkable. They were people with worries, flaws, sin, and fear. Some of them we don’t even know by name, and all of them are described in just a few verses.

But if we take a close look and imagine a few of the details, we might learn something new from the old.

So next Monday through Good Friday, (and in future weeks) you can expect an additional, new kind of post.

As we look to celebrate new life in Christ this Easter, I hope you will enjoy taking a fresh look at the familiar.

 

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Filed Under: Bible Stories, Easter, Fresh Look at the Familiar

Comments

  1. Shelli Littleton says

    March 15, 2016 at 1:21 pm

    I love that feeling when the old, familiar becomes new and exciting. I love how God’s Word hits you in a different spot continually throughout life. xoxo

    Reply
    • shauna says

      March 16, 2016 at 8:38 am

      Me too, Shelli. It’s living and active 🙂

      Reply
  2. Carrie Breheny says

    March 16, 2016 at 12:49 pm

    I loved this entry. It is something new I have been experiencing as well, that God will continue to reveal himself to us even through the stories that we know, yet we will learn something new about God. Thanks for sharing and encouraging us to keep looking for God in the familiar scriptures.

    Reply
    • shauna says

      March 22, 2016 at 8:54 am

      Thanks, Carrie. New every morning 🙂

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Relinquishing Wild Things says:
    March 20, 2016 at 10:28 pm

    […] more “unremarkable” people who interacted with Jesus the week before He died and rose. See this post for details. For the framework of Scripture that supports this work of fiction, see passages Mt. 21:1-11, Mk. […]

    Reply

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HI THERE!

I’m Shauna, and I help worn-out Christians find permanent rest and relief by retelling gospel stories that highlight Jesus’ kindness toward ordinary people like us.

In my books and on this blog, I weave history, theology, and fictional detail into a fresh retelling of familiar Bible stories. I started writing them because I needed them. When I shared my stories, people said they made the Bible come to life.

If you could use some permanent rest and relief, download my free Bible story devotional.

 

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