In this narcissistic age we are consumed with personal stories turning out well. By contrast, followers of Jesus need to be grounded in the larger biblical Story about who we now are in Christ and how we fit into God's big Story and ongoing mission.
Worship should help with this, not increase the self-centeredness. We cannot settle for worship that primarily nurtures intangible feelings about God that drive us further into personal stories where there are no real answers. Our personal stories are tiny and contingent while the Christian sacramental life shows the
whole Story.
Showing the larger Story reveals how every moment and every person is charged with divine grace and potential. The sacramental life enacts the reality out of which we Christians must live if we want the world to see Jesus. It is in the sacramental life that we remember who we are and gain the vision needed to live out of that God-given identity.
J. Michael Jordan is Associate Professor of Theology at Houghton University. He has served in various pastoral capacities for twenty years, including eleven as Dean of the Chapel at Houghton. He holds a Ph.D. in Liturgical Studies from Drew University and is the author of
Worship in an Age of Anxiety. 
