Anyone who knows me knows that I like stories. I love stories worth telling. I love to hear them, read them, and tell them. Stories are particularly powerful in the context of a sermon. Probably much of the reason for why I like stories is that I like to see people connect with the story. A truth is good, but a story that illustrates a truth is better.
Stories have a way of opening the truth to a person. Jesus used this medium extensively. No one has ever been a story teller like Jesus.
The most read story for December is a powerful story that really connects with people. It’s the story of Charlie Plumb, a fighter pilot who was shot down over Vietnam and held for six years. The story involves Charlie Plumb’s meeting the sailor who packed his parachute and thus saved his life. Please reread the story. It’s called “Who’s Packing Your Parachute?”.
Charlie Plumb reminds us that we all have people who are indispensable in our life journey. Like the sailor on the USS Kitty Hawk, they may be unseen people who never get any credit. Charlie Plumb reminds us that we could not do what we do without them.
As pastors and church leaders, we need to remember the many volunteers who make a church work. I think of nursery workers, maintenance folks, and those who give without any desire for reward. These folks are packing our parachute and making the church work.
Around our house, Martha and I often remember that there are people packing our parachute who we could not do without. We remind each other by using the phrase: “This is one of those people who is packing our parachute.” The phrase simply connects. By itself, it reminds us to be appreciative of people who pack our parachute and, in turn, to do a good job of packing other people’s parachutes.
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