September 25, 2018 SHARE: Reading time: two minutes. It’s not just a “Post-Church” era in which we live. Barna Trends 2018 suggests we live in a “Post-Truth” era. The truth doesn’t seem to matter to people anymore. Here’s what Barna says: “When patently false news spreads like wildfire among those eager to believe it, the value of telling the truth diminishes. Instead, we find, the best storyteller wins.” Really? The best storyteller wins? That’s a little frightening for those of us in the truth business. I’ve got a couple of suggestions for how to navigate the troubled waters of an ever-changing world: Know THE story, and know your story. Here’s what I mean… In a word, we define spiritual wellness as “receptivity.” Luther called our theology a “receptive theology” (please see John Kleinig’s “Grace Upon Grace”). Spiritual wellbeing means being saturated in the Word of God, the best good news story the world has ever heard. In a world confused about what is true, we have the Truth with a capital T. Now more than ever, it’s critical to our wellness (and our witness) to know the story inside out and upside down, to study, reflect, meditate, ponder and hold these things close in our hearts. There’s a reason why the Bible is the best selling book in the history of the world. It’s the truth the world needs to know. It’s a message that trumps every story told by “the best storytellers” of our time because it’s so completely unique. No storyteller could make up something like grace. You can’t fabricate a message about a God who suffers, a God who is far greater than our imaginations but far nearer to us than we know. This story of God’s redeeming love far surpasses anything the storytellers come up with. And secondly, in an age where “what’s true for you” seems to dominate spiritual conversation, it’s important for us to have a good grasp on our own personal testimonies of what the grace of Christ means to us, individually and personally. C. S. Lewis suggested that people can’t argue with our own changed lives. Who I am in Christ is not only real, it’s true. Spiritual wellness is having the peace and joy that comes from knowing by faith the wonderful blessing of the intersection of the gospel of Jesus Christ with my own life. It’s the story where each of us is the world’s foremost authority. That’s where Jesus tells the story of what He is up to these days. And Jesus wins. His is the best story, because it is truth and life. Thanks for reading. Are you interested in helping bring a Grace Place Wellness Retreat to your region? We’d love to hear from you. Contact our President/CEO Randy Fauser today to begin exploring the possibilities. Let’s have a conversation about bringing our Church Worker Retreat to your area soon!