AND NOW THE REST OF THE STORY . . .

I confess frustration when a suspenseful TV program peaks in the story line and then onto the screen comes the words, “To Be Continued.”  Ugh!  I want to know the rest of the story now!  I don’t want to wait a whole week to see how it turns out.

In 1976, Paul Harvey became a well-known radio personality for his program “And Now the Rest of the Story.”  In each broadcast, Harvey began the most engaging stories.  Then he left his listeners hanging while the program cut to the sponsor’s commercial.  It was a brilliant marketing ploy.  Then, he was back to finish the story by saying, “And now the rest of the story."  The ending was always a surprise.  It was great entertainment.

If you are of a certain age, you may remember the 1965 movie “The Greatest Story Ever Told.”   It was one of many Hollywood portrayals of the life of Christ right through the crucifixion and resurrection.  Where was Paul Harvey when that script was written (and so many other movie scripts of the same genre)?  The audience only gets half of the story.  What about the rest?  The good news of the Gospel doesn’t end with the resurrection or Christ’s ascension.  There’s more!

For the rest of the story, read the book of Acts.  The Anglican pastor and author, John Stott, writes that it is not really the “Acts of the Apostles.”  Rather Acts chronicles “The continuing work of Jesus Christ by the Holy Spirit through the church to the world.”  How that happens is captured in the writings of the Apostle Paul (Ephesians 3:16-21).  That’s the rest of the story.

But wait, that’s not all.  The story continues.  The work is not finished.  The rest of the story is still being written in and through our lives.  We are the rest of the story.  The story is still being written!  Thanks be to God!