“What’s Your Story?”
Preached Sunday, July 9, 2023
Good morning! At this point, I would think that you all know who I am - my name at the very least. And still, allow me to introduce myself again. I am the Rev. Allison LeBrun, I like to be called Pastor Allison by those in my congregation. And this morning, this first Sunday that I have the awesome and humble privilege to be your pastor and to lead you in worship, I’d like to tell you part of my story. I hope by the end of this sermon, you will have a better idea of who I am, as a person, as a preacher, as a minister of God. And, before I tell you my story, I’d like to begin with a question for you. I’d like you to leave today and consider this question, let it be a guiding point for you as we embark on this new season of life together as a congregation. And the question is:
What is your story?
And I don’t necessarily mean, what are the facts of your life, where you were born, where you grew up and went to school and such - although those can factor into your story and over the next couple weeks and months I hope to learn those types of facts about each and every one of you.
My facts are something like this:
My name is Allison **** LeBrun. I was born in **** Ohio to Judy and Frank. I am the youngest of three siblings and grew up in Canfield, was baptized and confirmed at Canfield United Methodist Church, and graduated from Canfield High School. I went to The University of Mount Union where I majored in Religious Studies and minored in Japanese. I met my now-husband, Zach, while working as camp counselors at Camp Asbury. We got married 5 months after I graduated college and 3 months before we moved to Nashville, Tennessee for me to get my Masters of Divinity from Vanderbilt Divinity School. I was commissioned as a United Methodist Pastor in 2017, ordained in 2019, had my daughter **** in 2020, and have served the last 6 years in Vermilion, Ohio. And now I have the great privilege and opportunity to move back to what feels like home, Boardman, and to be your pastor.
And as important as the facts of our stories are - your facts and my facts, they are just the foundation of our stories. When I say I want you to consider the question, “What is your story?” I am talking about your story that is more than just a compilation of dates, locations, and facts about your life. This story, your story, is more than that, it is your operating story for who you are, it is the meaning making story that you tell yourself to make sense of the person you are. It motivates and justifies your actions. It gets to the core of who you are, what you value, and how you relate to others.
As ministers, we are required to think a lot about our stories. When I went up before the Board of Ordained Ministry - that’s our conference-level licensing body as United Methodists - every minister who wants to be ordained in our conference has to come before them. At least two times. Once to be commissioned and once to be ordained. So when I came before the Board, I had seven minutes, and no more, it was timed, to share my story as it relates to my call to ministry. Of course, we all know that our stories, our full stories, take a lot longer than 7 minutes. My full story includes dreams I had as a child, nights under the stars at summer camp, studying abroad and being a stranger in a strange land, falling in love with the sacrament of Holy Communion, becoming a mom…and so much more...but whenever I tell my story, short or long version of it, I always include three women:
My great-grandmother, Marjorie ****. My grandmother, Alice Ann ****. And my mother, Judy ****.
My story often starts here. Allow me to share some of it with you. When I think of my story, my faith, my calling to ministry in the United Methodist Church, I trace my spiritual heritage through the strong women of faith in my family. Each of them Methodists. Each with their own commitment to justice and God. They taught each other and they taught me. They taught me love of God and love of neighbor. They are strong women who raised strong women, to love fiercely, to be compassionate and generous, to be committed members of a faith community. My faith and my belonging to The United Methodist Church is a part of me, it is a core of who I am, it is in my very bones, passed on to me through the genetics and love of these women. This church, the United Methodist Church, is my home, where I belong. It is my history, my present, and my future. I love it and it, through the people of God, has loved me.
This is only a small part of my story, but I think you can see how this story shapes me. Now, my sister has the same mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother that I have - but her story is not the same as my story. The facts may be the same but how we make them our story, how they operate in our lives is different. And I hope you can see, through even a small section of my story, how my story shapes what I value: family, strong leadership, female empowerment, church community. These values, which become evident through how I shape and tell my story, will then shape how I speak and how I act.
In essence, our stories are vital to know who we are, what we value, and what our role is to play in this world.
But so often, we forget our stories. Or we never take the time to reflect, cultivate, and work on our stories. We can live our lives, our day to day, our week to week, our month to month, year to year…without ever doing the inner work of cultivating our stories. And I believe that is a dangerous thing. When we don’t know who we are, why we are who we are, and what our purpose is, we diminish ourselves. We shrink to something that is less than what God intends for us - which is nothing less than being beloved children of God who have life and have it abundantly. And when we diminish ourselves, we can so easily let someone or something else write our narrative for us - for make no mistake, there are plenty of other agencies, new sources, clubs, groups out there ready to supply a narrative for us that will control who we are and what we value so that we think, vote, and act like them.
I believe that the Disney movie Moana talks to the theme of the importance of story and knowing who you are. How many here have seen the movie Moana? Show of hands? Parents or grandparents who have seen it? In the weeks leading up to my ordination interview, and this was before I had a Disney-obsessed toddler, I could not get enough of the soundtrack to Moana. One day I told Zach that I had a problem, I was listening to Moana nonstop. He told me my problem wasn’t hurting anyone, so it was okay. Well, several days and I’m sure what seemed like several hundred plays through the soundtrack later, Zach had to say, “You know that Moana thing? Yeah, now, it’s a problem and ya gotta stop.”
I think I’m drawn to this movie and music because it is a story of a young woman discovering her own story, a story that will shape her as an individual and her whole community - for we have communal narratives as well. For those who don’t know the basic plot of Moana: Moana is the daughter of the village chief who has always dreamed of leaving her island - something they don’t do. But the Ocean chooses her to take a journey that will restore harmony to the land and health to her island…a journey that not only saves her community but one that is a journey of self discovery too. And there comes a scene in the movie where she is defeated, she has lost her purpose, and she doesn’t know who she is anymore, what to do, where to go...and it is in this scene that she is reminded of who she is.
The ghost of her grandmother appears to her and starts to remind her who she is:
“I know a girl from an island
She stands apart from the crowd
She loves the sea and her people
She makes her whole family proud.”
She sings, “Moana, listen, do you know who you are?”
And then Moana begins to sing her own story:
“Who am I?
I am the girl who loves my island
I'm the girl who loves the sea
It calls me…”
She sings - cause it’s Disney - but she is really telling herself her story, her meaning-making story, and through remembering her story, she is reminded not only of the facts but who she is in her core - the type of person she is, what she is capable of, what her purpose is. She is re-centered, re-invigorated, and re-empowered to be the person she was called to be.
This is why it’s so important to know our story! In the words of Moana, “so come what may, I know the way!” Amidst the competing narratives trying to tell us who we are, amidst the turmoil and strife of this world, the grief and pain - if we know who we are, if we know our story, we know who we are, we know whose we are, and we know the way.
And this was a vitally important message, not just in the movie Moana but in the book of Deuteronomy. Now, the book of Deuteronomy is presented as if it was one long sermon given by Moses but actually it is a collection of writings written and gathered over a 150 year period. And in this book, it was highly important to the writers, to Moses, to the Israelites that they remember their story. The commandment to remember their story is given over 30 times in this book. One commentator calls it the drum beat, keeping the rhythm throughout the book. I would also like to think of it as a heartbeat - in that our story is that which pushes life into and through our system and keeps us alive to who God calls us to be. Over and over again Moses says don’t forget your story! Don’t forget where you came from! Don’t forget what God has done for us.
So, what is the story of the Israelites, the story they can’t forget as presented in Deuteronomy?
That story begins: my ancestor was a wandering Aramean - this could translate better today to, “my ancestor was a destitute vagrant.” This refers to Jacob - you know Jacob, son of Isaac and Rebekah, brother of Esau, Jacob who stole his brother’s birthright, who married Leah and Rachel, who wrestled with God, that Jacob. And it refers to him as a destitute vagrant, a wandering Aramean, because it was him and his family that took refuge in Egypt, and then as a people in Egypt, being afflicted in to slavery, and then being led out of slavery, to wander in the desert, and finally come to the promised land. The story they are commanded to remember and to retell over 30 times in the book of Deuteronomy, it is the story of who their ancestors are. It is a story of hardship, trial, and tribulation. And it is also a story of the goodness and greatness of God and the fulfillment of God’s promises. This is the story they were commanded not to forget. And not only were they commanded not to forget it, but they were to recite it yearly in the temple, giving an offering, a tithe to the Lord - and then, this tithe wasn’t kept by the temple, no, it was used to throw a great feast for all, for those who brought the offerings and those who didn’t have anything to bring: the destitute, the widow, the orphan - all feasting together at the table. When they remembered their story, it connected them to the generous heart of God. Their story reminded them that they belonged to God and God was good to them. Their story reminded them that it was only by the grace of God that they had been saved. And so, from knowing their story, through letting it be the drumbeat, the heartbeat that led them through their lives, their story overflowed in their actions of generosity as they gave their first fruits to a joyous feast.
So, as we near the end of this sermon, I’d like to ask you again: What is your story?
And, does that story include Jesus? Is your story shaped by the generous heart of God? Is your faith, is the Gospel of Jesus Christ, is living in a faith community - are these things central to your story? Is it, as Paul says in Romans “on your lips and in your heart - that is, the word of faith that we proclaim.” Does your story include the story we proclaim every time we gather at the altar table? There is a reason we recite the story of Jesus every time we take Communion. Because, we need to remember. The story of the Gospel, of Christ, needs to be a drumbeat, a heartbeat in our lives. It is a story that reminds us of God’s greatness and goodness. And it is a story that reminds us that we are beloved children who are called to make room for all at the table.
So - what is your story? And does your story lead you to the heart of God? Does it lead you to value what God values? Does your story lead you to love God and love neighbor as self? Does it lead you to this table? Does your story lead you to the generous heart of God?
Because not all stories we tell ourselves do. Not all stories others try to tell us about ourselves do. There are stories that tell us lies. There are stories that tell us that we are better than other people. Or that we are less than what God has called us to be, beloved children. There are stories that lead us not to places of generosity and love but to scarcity, fear, and hate. There are stories that lead us to war and violence, poverty of soul and spirit, that lead us to closed doors and exclusion - these stories are not the stories God would have us tell ourselves or tell each other. Our stories should include the stories of Jesus and those stories will always lead us to love, hope, peace, and joy.
And so, as we start a new chapter in our stories together as Boardman United Methodist Church, I’d like you to carefully consider your story - write it down even. You don’t need to share what you write down - do it just for you. And if there are parts of your story that you realize are rooted in fear rather than love and parts of your story that lead you to places of scarcity rather than generosity, exclusivity rather than God’s radical inclusivity, use this season of new beginnings to start anew. Edit those parts out of your story. This is a painful process and it is a necessary one - it is nothing less than living the Christian life that we are called to live.
So today, I have shared some of my story with you - the facts and also some of the deeper story that shapes who I am. And together, we have heard some of the stories of our faith that shape us: Wandering Arameans and Jesus… and when we leave from this place today, may we remember those stories, may we cultivate our stories, tell them to ourselves and to each other, and see how the story of Jesus is woven throughout our stories…that collectively, knowing our stories, and knowing the stories of our Faith, we may remember who we are, whose we are, where we have come from, and what God has done, is doing, and will do for us. Remember your story.
Amen.
This is why it’s so important to know our story! In the words of Moana, “so come what may, I know the way!” Amidst the competing narratives trying to tell us who we are, amidst the turmoil and strife of this world, the grief and pain - if we know who we are, if we know our story, we know who we are, we know whose we are, and we know the way.
And this was a vitally important message, not just in the movie Moana but in the book of Deuteronomy. Now, the book of Deuteronomy is presented as if it was one long sermon given by Moses but actually it is a collection of writings written and gathered over a 150 year period. And in this book, it was highly important to the writers, to Moses, to the Israelites that they remember their story. The commandment to remember their story is given over 30 times in this book. One commentator calls it the drum beat, keeping the rhythm throughout the book. I would also like to think of it as a heartbeat - in that our story is that which pushes life into and through our system and keeps us alive to who God calls us to be. Over and over again Moses says don’t forget your story! Don’t forget where you came from! Don’t forget what God has done for us.
So, what is the story of the Israelites, the story they can’t forget as presented in Deuteronomy?
That story begins: my ancestor was a wandering Aramean - this could translate better today to, “my ancestor was a destitute vagrant.” This refers to Jacob - you know Jacob, son of Isaac and Rebekah, brother of Esau, Jacob who stole his brother’s birthright, who married Leah and Rachel, who wrestled with God, that Jacob. And it refers to him as a destitute vagrant, a wandering Aramean, because it was him and his family that took refuge in Egypt, and then as a people in Egypt, being afflicted in to slavery, and then being led out of slavery, to wander in the desert, and finally come to the promised land. The story they are commanded to remember and to retell over 30 times in the book of Deuteronomy, it is the story of who their ancestors are. It is a story of hardship, trial, and tribulation. And it is also a story of the goodness and greatness of God and the fulfillment of God’s promises. This is the story they were commanded not to forget. And not only were they commanded not to forget it, but they were to recite it yearly in the temple, giving an offering, a tithe to the Lord - and then, this tithe wasn’t kept by the temple, no, it was used to throw a great feast for all, for those who brought the offerings and those who didn’t have anything to bring: the destitute, the widow, the orphan - all feasting together at the table. When they remembered their story, it connected them to the generous heart of God. Their story reminded them that they belonged to God and God was good to them. Their story reminded them that it was only by the grace of God that they had been saved. And so, from knowing their story, through letting it be the drumbeat, the heartbeat that led them through their lives, their story overflowed in their actions of generosity as they gave their first fruits to a joyous feast.
So, as we near the end of this sermon, I’d like to ask you again: What is your story?
And, does that story include Jesus? Is your story shaped by the generous heart of God? Is your faith, is the Gospel of Jesus Christ, is living in a faith community - are these things central to your story? Is it, as Paul says in Romans “on your lips and in your heart - that is, the word of faith that we proclaim.” Does your story include the story we proclaim every time we gather at the altar table? There is a reason we recite the story of Jesus every time we take Communion. Because, we need to remember. The story of the Gospel, of Christ, needs to be a drumbeat, a heartbeat in our lives. It is a story that reminds us of God’s greatness and goodness. And it is a story that reminds us that we are beloved children who are called to make room for all at the table.
So - what is your story? And does your story lead you to the heart of God? Does it lead you to value what God values? Does your story lead you to love God and love neighbor as self? Does it lead you to this table? Does your story lead you to the generous heart of God?
Because not all stories we tell ourselves do. Not all stories others try to tell us about ourselves do. There are stories that tell us lies. There are stories that tell us that we are better than other people. Or that we are less than what God has called us to be, beloved children. There are stories that lead us not to places of generosity and love but to scarcity, fear, and hate. There are stories that lead us to war and violence, poverty of soul and spirit, that lead us to closed doors and exclusion - these stories are not the stories God would have us tell ourselves or tell each other. Our stories should include the stories of Jesus and those stories will always lead us to love, hope, peace, and joy.
And so, as we start a new chapter in our stories together as Boardman United Methodist Church, I’d like you to carefully consider your story - write it down even. You don’t need to share what you write down - do it just for you. And if there are parts of your story that you realize are rooted in fear rather than love and parts of your story that lead you to places of scarcity rather than generosity, exclusivity rather than God’s radical inclusivity, use this season of new beginnings to start anew. Edit those parts out of your story. This is a painful process and it is a necessary one - it is nothing less than living the Christian life that we are called to live.
So today, I have shared some of my story with you - the facts and also some of the deeper story that shapes who I am. And together, we have heard some of the stories of our faith that shape us: Wandering Arameans and Jesus… and when we leave from this place today, may we remember those stories, may we cultivate our stories, tell them to ourselves and to each other, and see how the story of Jesus is woven throughout our stories…that collectively, knowing our stories, and knowing the stories of our Faith, we may remember who we are, whose we are, where we have come from, and what God has done, is doing, and will do for us. Remember your story.
Amen.
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