ASBURY CIRCUIT RIDER Once Upon a Time (The elements of style ) Volume 19 Issue 1 I remember buying a that Jesus once asked His fol- September 1, 2019 book for a writing class years lowers, “What are the crowds ago. The book was titled The saying about me?” Of course, Elements of Style. One of the the more important question Special points of interest: for each of us is the followup contemporary versions of th this book is now in its 4 question that Jesus asks them >>> Worship Design will meet and us, “Who do you say I edition. I haven’t opened this on Monday, September 9th at book in years and I’m not am?” This is the place where 6pm in the Asbury Library. sure if I could find it. our story intersects with the story of our origin and what The Elements of Style In this this article I refer- has happened since. So the >>> Leadership Team will was originally written ence this book more for the question is whether I realize meet on Monday, September by William Strunk Jr. in title than for its content since that my life is intricately inter- 16th at 6pm in Asbury Library. 1918. It has been published twined with the life of Jesus this article is focused more on in a number of editions using telling our story verbally than Christ? EVERYONE HAVE A SAFE the original content that is in through writing. But both are Both authenticity and how a the public domain, updating important. In fact, any form of AND WONDERFUL the language and adding story ends are critical ele- telling our story, depending LABOR DAY! content. This book has been ments of style in telling our on our circumstances, can story. A story that simply a best seller and used in work. The point of this article classrooms all over the U.S. leaves us in suspense is not is to tell our story with style. I very interesting. Unless the In 2011 Time named The want us all to learn how to story ends in a “cliff hanger” Elements of Style as one of become better storytellers. the 100 best and most Page 2 influential books written in We began our series. Tell Inside this issue: English since 1923. your story, with a question Once upon a time 1 Back to the Future 1 Back to the Future (Who do you say He is?) In Our Prayers/Coming up this Week 3 The movie, Back to the together. Otherwise, time and actually change Asbury Worship Series-Back to Future Future, is about a 17 year Marty never existed in the what happened? A sort of “do 4 old, Marty McFly, who future. -over” that erases a choice or Pastor’s Book Club 4 experiences time travel in an outcome that you regret? Leadership in Worship & Service 4 his friend’s invention. Of course, humankind, at this Asbury Worship Series 5 Marty’s trip illustrates a point, can only dream of time Once upon a time 6 paradox. What if he does travel. Those of us who are Asbury Farm to Table 7 something that alters the hoping to experience time future? In the movie’s travel are hopeful that not all Small Group Questions & Notes 8 storyline, Marty has to of the DeLorean cars Have you ever wished Back to the Future 9 find a way to make sure that you could go back in Once upon a time 10 that his future parents get Page 2 Page 2 ASBURY CIRCUIT RIDER Back to the Future (Who do you say He is )...cont. from page 1 disappear before a real scientist discov- ed. We were created to tell and hear the people who saw you at your ers how to turn it into a plutonium- each other’s stories. We can’t change worst and at your best in the past. powered, time machine. the past. But we can definitely the fu- What will they be thinking when you ture. And we can do this by just telling talk about the future? Will your his- What is missing in our daydreaming our story. tory be a good predictor of the future about going back in time to change the that you are hoping will unfold for future is the life-giving opportunity to One of the stories found in the Gos- you? share our story as it really happened. pel of Luke tells about a time when But what happened in the past is not Jesus returned to Nazareth and at- Jesus is given one of the sacred necessarily what will happen in the tended the church where He grew up. scrolls. It is the scroll that contains future. But there is a vast difference. Imagine that you are attending a high the Book of Isaiah. It is a book of The future hasn’t happened yet. school reunion or some other event prophecy. Isaiah is the name given to where you will spend time with peo- at least a couple of prophets who As we come to the end of our wor- ple who knew you before you were an lived a long time ago. Jesus reads the ship series, Tell your story, our focus adult. Many knew about the capers prophecy about a future Messiah. turns to the point of our series, We are you pulled. A few told your parents “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me be- each called to tell our story so that oth- when they saw you in places where cause he has chosen me to bring good ers can make a more informed decision you didn’t belong. They knew the news to the poor. He has sent me to today, about what their future could “former” you. proclaim liberty to the captives and become. This makes our story poten- recovery of sight to the blind, to set tially life-giving. Now you have an opportunity to be free the oppressed and announce that seen and heard by this hometown Over the past few weeks, we talked the time has come when the Lord will crowd. Maybe you are planning to run about the power that stories have as a save his people.” for public office. Perhaps you are result of how our body is constructed starting a new business. You speak to Page 9 so that we become emotionally invest- Once upon a time (The elements of style) cont. from page 1 ” with the intention of a continuation The woman has been unable to straighten One day this woman went to we are left feeling unsatisfied. It is not up for 18 years. Suppose this woman was the Synagogue. It was the Sabbath as that all stories end with “happily ever telling you her story. Imagine that her was her custom. Perhaps she faithfully after,” but we at least expect the loose story begins with promise. A young teen- went by herself week after week pray- ends to be brought together in a way that ager finding her passion, meeting her life- ing for relief from her affliction. The leaves us with a sense of completeness. mate and charging into life with energy suspense continues to build. And stories with happy endings are gener- and promise. One day she is struck by an ally our favorites. affliction. Perhaps it happened over many One Sabbath day something was years and slowly reached the point of different. She couldn’t really see much Last week we talked about what hap- where she was when you met her. of what was going on but there was this pens when we hear a story that captivates man who came that day that they call us. The suspense causes dopamine to be Is this the end of her story? This is a Jesus. He was a rabbi and some say a release into our body which sharpens our sad story and one that leaves us in sus- prophet. The woman had heard stories. focus. We want to know what happens pense. The dopamine levels will soon next. We become emotionally invested. subside but not in a way that we hoped for. But is there more to her story. She Page 6 In chapter 13 of Luke, Jesus encoun- continues. ters a woman who is bent over physically. Volume 19 Issue 1 Page 3 Coming up this week In our Prayers Sept 2 Mon 5:00pm Youth Choir 7:00pm Flint Jubilee Curtis Young Shirley Craig Sept 3 Tues 10am-2pm Water Distribution Rachel Bastine Christopher Lewis Norma Buzzard Sarah Tanner 6:00pm Community Gospel Choir Virginia Bigger Elizabeth Wright Sept 4 Wed 12Noon Pastor Book Club Barbara McIvor Judy Tanner Austin & Mary Suffle Mary Lyons 6:00pm Beginners Bible Study 6:00pm Youth Group Sept 5 Thu 4:30-6pm Gaming as Education FRIENDS AND LOVED ONES WHO ARE HOMEBOUND OR IN NURSING CARE 6:00pm Worship Band Practice Sept 6 Fri 10am-2pm Asbury Cafe Open Mary Nations Mary Russell 6:00pm Asbury Youth Group Elaine Lamoreaux Sept 7 Sat 10am-12N Japanese Jiu Jitsi Sept 8 Sun 8am-10am Japanese Jiu Jitsi 9:30am Café Open 10:30am New Beginnings Contemporary Worship SUNDAY, August 25th 9:30am Café Opens 10:30am New Beginnings Contemporary Worship Last Week for Worship Attendance 38 Offering $ 841 Page 4 ASBURY CIRCUIT RIDER Asbury Worship Series cause it offers an interesting paradox. Back to the Future How can we go back to a time that “Pilgrim’s Progress” hasn’t happened yet? The answer in the movie is time travel, which is the We invited our community to watch invention that the movie asks us to the newly released movie, The Pilgrim’s imagine possible.