Moving from “the” to “my” (Part 1 – Faith)

While stories may have the power to persuade, stories of changed lives capture and move the human soul. As Holy Week was moving to the celebration of Jesus' resurrection, I had the opportunity to capture transformation stories while preparing for an upcoming baptism service. As our Good Friday service began, my heart continued to process two transformation stories.

The two stories were from Gen-Z adults who had grown up in the church. Each story climaxed at a point when the faith of their parents and the faith of their church was insufficient to meet their needs today. They were tired of simply being in the audience, consuming church services, feeling on the sidelines and not in the game, and volunteering because they saw a need. Both young adults felt they needed more than the church they had grown up in.

A couple of older Gen-Z adults led the worship at the Good Friday service. At the end of the first worship set, they led in a chorus declaring, "Jesus, You are my King." My thoughts locked in on the phrase, "You are my King." Not "Jesus, You are the King,” but, my King. A simple difference between "the" and "my" reveals a significant change. The transformation stories I captured told of the change from Jesus being a King to Jesus being their King. In their transformation, they moved from the audience to the engaged, from the sideline to the field, from volunteers to team members, and from consumers to partners in Jesus' Kingdom.

As we move past the celebration of Jesus’ resurrection, do you find yourself calling Jesus the King or your King? Is your faith sufficient to meet your needs today? Stories of transformation are powerful and persuasive. What is your transformation story?