GLST 220-001 God's Story Reflection Template
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Feb 20, 2024
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Intercultural Communication & Engagement
GLST 220
God’s Story Reflection Template
Due February 9 by 11:59 pm (75 points)
NAME: Grace Macurda
Course-Section: 220-001
The term “gospel” is used in many different ways in our current Christian culture. This assignment asks you to reflect on your understanding of the gospel story (from Genesis to Revelation not just from Matthew to Acts) and the cultural influences that contributed to your understanding prior to this class. How have The True Story of the Whole World
by Goheen & Bartholomew, Grand Narrative teaching, class discussions about God’s Story, and a deeper look at the biblical text impacted your understanding? Use this document as a template and answer each question in a 150-200 word, single-spaced paragraph following the question. Answers should be typed in 12 point Times New Roman font. 1.
Describe two examples of ways that American culture has influenced the general understanding of the gospel in the United States (i.e. salvation gospel vs. kingdom gospel)? (10pts)
The first example is that American society is an extremely consumer-based culture. We think mostly about what we can gain from an idea or object, not the implications of the choice to invest in it. The Gospel is delivered to Americans to please their consumer-based ideology. People preach that Christianity will offer them forgiveness, an escape from the shame of their actions, and the gift of eternal life. However, they fail to detail the brutal death that was paid so that we could have these things, or the promise that the Christian life will not be easy. The second example is that American society is extremely self-centered. The gospel, in turn, is presented with ourselves as the focus instead of God- MY purpose, MY future, died for ME, etc. They fail to present the Gospel for what it is: GOD’s story. 2.
Discuss two passages of Scripture (or two parts of the Story with scriptural references) from the Old Testament and how they have expanded your understanding of the gospel. The first must be a specific example from Professor Dent’s lectures (referencing the Act of the story and the scriptural passage). The second must be from the textbook (referencing the Act of the story and page number from the book). (20pts)
In Act Three of Dent’s lectures, Dent discusses how God grants His people access to His presence. Exodus 29:46 says, “And they shall know that I am the Lord their God, who brought them out of the land of Egypt that I might dwell among them”. The rest of Exodus details the specifics surrounding the tabernacle, where the Lord’s presence was to dwell with them throughout their journey. This expanded my view of the Gospel because God not only gave us the free gift of eternal life when he died and rose again, He gave us easy access to His presence through the Holy Spirit. No priestly garments, special buildings, or specific offerings. Just full and complete access to an intimate relationship with the Holy God. Secondly, in Act 1 of The True Story of the Whole World my view of the Gospel was expanded as the four relationships of humankind were explained: our relationship with God, with ourselves, with fellow humans, and with the nonhuman creation (pg 16-17). This means that without a relationship with the Lord GLST 220
Intercultural Communication & Engagement
GLST 220
affecting every other aspect of our human lives, our hearts will be restless and we will not experience harmony. 3.
Discuss two passages of Scripture (or two parts of the Story with scriptural references) from the New Testament and how they have expanded your understanding of the gospel. The first must be a specific example from Professor Dent’s lectures (referencing the Act of the story and the scriptural passage). The second must be from the textbook (referencing the Act of the story and page number from the book). (20pts)
The first example is from Matthew 9. There was a woman who suffered from bleeding for twelve
years, and back in those times I you had touched her you would have been considered unclean. In Act Four of Dent’s lectures, she talks about how instead of Jesus becoming unclean when she touched Him, His purity made her clean. This expanded my understanding of the Gospel because
of how significant this would have been to the culture of that time, and the beautiful picture it paints of Jesus’ holiness over any and everything, not the other way around. The second example
comes from page 116 of The True Story of the Whole World, “Jesus explains why his ministry is directed primarily toward sinners and not the ‘righteous’ (Mark 2:17): he has come, ‘to seek and to save the lost’”. This truth expanded my understanding of the Gospel because it clarifies the mission of the Christian life- not to simply be a friend to other Christians and an example to the lost, but a true friend of the lost so that they might find life in Christ. 4.
The textbook identifies several ways that culture influences our reading and/or understanding
of the story of the world. Discuss two cultural insights from the book (with page number references) and how they impact your understanding of the story of the world. (10 points)
The first way that culture influenced my understanding of the story of the world was through the idea of circumcision. Page 38 of The True Story of the Whole World says, “circumcision becomes a sign, cut into their flesh, of the covenant between God, Abraham, and his descendents”. God marks His chosen people through an element of their culture, circumcision. Secondly, culture influenced my understanding of the story of the world through the nature of Near Eastern Law. Page 48 of The True Story of the Whole World
says, “Israel’s law values people above mere property, for only people, of all God’s creatures, have been fashioned in His image. Moreover, as other law codes protected the rich and powerful, God’s law protects the poor and vulnerable”. The nature of the Near Eastern laws highlight how different Israelite laws were in comparison, and how different our way of life should look as Christ followers. 5.
In the textbook, the authors identify specific ways Jesus instructs and prepares his disciples to be citizens of the kingdom distinctively in contrast to this world. Identify two examples that are given (10pts). Discuss at least one specific example of how to live this out today. (5pts)
The first example that is given in the textbook is on page 48. “Israel’s law values people above mere property, for only people, of all God’s creatures, have been fashioned in His image. Moreover, as other law codes protected the rich and powerful, God’s law protects the poor and vulnerable”. This quote details the specific contrast between the Near Eastern Laws of the time and the laws that the Israelites were to follow, loving others and valuing them as made in the image of God rather than as property. The second example is given on page 57, “Israel is called to be a nation of people who are restored to their full humanity and whose lives are so attractive that other nations are drawn to them and thus to the one true God”. God calls Israel to be set apart in contrast with the other nations as they fulfill what humanity was supposed to be by dwelling with God in their midst and living in obedience to His laws. See course syllabus for details regarding the policy for the late submission of assignments
GLST 220
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