I love to tell the story Of unseen things above,
Of Jesus and his glory, Of Jesus and his love.
I love to tell the story, Because I know it’s true;
It satisfies my longings As nothing else would do.
– “I Love to Tell the Story” LBW #390
The closing hymn at worship recently was this sweet old song, with a timeless message for every one of us. As we were leaving, I mentioned to a friend that I’d had a bit of a flashback to my Sunday School days, and with a smile, she said it was like being in the church she went to as a child. It seems to me that music memory is a lot like muscle memory — it’s just in you and doesn’t require a conscious effort to recall or use it. You know, the cliché –“it’s like riding a bike — you never forget how.”
Reading these words and giving them some thought, I began to remember who told me “the story.” Besides my parents, there were Sunday School teachers, Vacation Bible School teachers, my confirmation pastor, and leaders at church camp. Every one of them shared their faith, their knowledge, and the example of passing on the stories my classmates and I needed to hear.
You know what comes next — are you telling the story? It may be told in specific words to the youngsters in your life, and it may be demonstrated by your actions. We can tell of Jesus’ love and forgiveness, the lessons he taught on how to live, and then follow through in the way we live our lives. Just remember how blessed we are to have been told the story, and to have the opportunity to do the same for others.
I love to tell the story, For those who know it best
Seem hungering and thirsting To hear it like the rest.
And when, in scenes of glory, I sing the new, new song,
I’ll sing the old, old story That I have loved so long.
I love to tell the story; I’ll sing this theme in glory
And tell the old, old story Of Jesus and his love.
Your friend in Christ,
Mary Rogers