“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth; we have beheld his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father.” – John 1:14
One of my favorite hymns is, “I Love to Tell the Story.” This beautiful song is filled with language that makes our connection with Jesus seem so intimate. As you sing through the lyrics, you hear the joy and passion that Jesus invokes in the person who has heard the great story of his love and wonderful works done while on earth. This hymn lifts my spirits every time I sing it.
The writer of this beautiful hymn is Katherine Hankey. It was published as a two-part poem in 1866, The Story Wanted and The Story Told. Katherine was not a preacher, great hymn writer or educated theologian. Katherine wrote this poem after she had experienced a lengthy illness. The lyrics reflect the joy she found as she searches for, and encounters the love of God found in Christ Jesus.
Each time I sing this song, it reminds me of how the story of God’s love, revealed in Jesus, has shaped my life. Like Katherine Hankey, I also love to tell the story. I love to share it today, because it made such a difference in my life when I first began to learn the story. It continued to make a difference in my life as I immersed myself in the Gospels. The more I read of Jesus, the more I want to know about him and the more I want to connect with him.
I love to teach Bible Study classes like Disciple, Wednesday Night Alive and The Epic of Eden. I try to tell every class the reason I lead the class is that it keeps me reading the story. It is a life-giving, hope-filled story that has captured my imagination and transforms my life for the better. I hope you will continue to encounter this amazing story. As Katherine Hanky writes, “I love to tell the story, more wonderful it seems than all the golden fancies of all our golden dreams. I love to tell the story, it did so much for me; and that is just the reason I tell it now to thee.”
Keep reading the story. Join a Bible study class here at St. Luke’s or take one of our on-demand courses. Look to Jesus and the wonderful story of our faith. When we encounter the old, old story, see the love and mercy that follows us wherever we go.
– Rev. Keith King, Pastor of Worship
