Get Your Pretense On!

40 • Get Your Pretense On!

5. The stories of God precede, produce, and empower the community of God’s people .

6. Community story implies censure, rebuke, and accountability.

7. Stories produce theology .

8. Stories produce many theologies .

9. Stories produce ritual and sacrament .

10. Stories are history .

Bausch, a wonderful teller of both biblical and folk tales, through these propositions offers an insightful look into the relationship of story to theology and history. As disciples of the Story of God, we need to always seek to be clear on the role of the Kingdom to the biblical narrative, and how that relates to our new identity in Christ. Reversal and the Biblical Framework of the Kingdom Every great story has a center, a core, a unifying motif, theme, or idea that provides harmony, connection, and integration to every character, episode, and scene in the story. One of the most important theological concepts associated with the rule of God (i.e., the Kingdom) in Scripture is the principle of reversal . 9 The story of the Kingdom (which is historical and true) as outlined in the Scriptures concerns God’s intent to reverse the effects of Satan’s rebellion, the disobedience of the first human pair, and the lasting impact their fall has had on creation: the curse, death, sin, and judgment. Without a doubt, the Kingdom of God is God’s sovereign intent to re-establish his rule and authority in this world, and to do so through the redemptive work of his Son, Jesus of Nazareth. This