I think the idea of God as Storyteller is foundational to what the Bible reveals to us about the divine. I mean, what do you call an entity who is outside the narrative and creating every aspect of it? The author. The writer exists even if the story is never penned. While human authors can only dabble with the ink of a pen or the typing on a computer screen to create their worlds, God writes upon time, space and matter. Speaking effortless words, sparking the flame of life and exploding every molecule into its preordained place, the stage was set.

Now here’s something that takes it from the amazing to the fantastical: the Author, the storyteller of storytellers writes himself into the plot. The director makes a cameo in the beginning walking with Adam and Eve in the garden. He visits his friend Abraham. He burns in a bush. He guides his people through the wilderness. He is figured in prophesies hundreds of times up until the grand unveiling when the Word becomes flesh and dwells among us.

God comes down, in the person of Jesus of Nazareth, and draws to himself all of the sin and the shame, the rebellion and the hate, the sickness and the death, and swallows it whole. And he swallows it by letting it swallow him. The Dragon is crushed in the crushing of the Prince of Peace.

And here we are, written into this epic story. The 139th psalm tells us that our days have been recorded in a book before we were even born and in Scripture’s finale, we read that our names and all our works are written down. Paul tells us in Ephesians 2:10 that we are God’s poeima. His poem. His work of art. His masterpiece.

Just as characters in a story do not comprehend all the details that the Author is conveying to the reader, so we often see our emotional agony, family dramas, everyday frustrations, and disabilities, and they seem bleak and pointless from our limited vantage point. Our hope, our confidence, is that we only know a fraction of the plot points of our own lives. Our hope is that it will come together into a coherent and meaningful whole. Praise God, we have the last chapter given to us as inextinguishable fuel for this confidence.

These song selections are meant to lay bare the experiences of life. Funny and dark; sweet and bitter; sad and hopeful; lost and found. As we face the arrival of virtual worlds, may Christians be the ones who remain active participants in this divine story. May we ever strive, in our supporting roles, to bring notoriety to the lead character and to call the unwitting extras on the global set to join the cast before the credits run. We await with eager expectation the sequel. No more numbers on the page. No more chapters building to the culmination of all the loose plot lines. The glorious final cut: the red carpet event. Awards will be given and we will lay them all at the feet of the cause of all causes, the Author Himself.

These songs are not just my story. They’re also your story. And ultimately, all of our stories are His story.

We are His poiema.

Recorded and produced by: Tommy Cooper Tracks recorded at: Watershed Recording Studio, Nashville Engineers: Tommy Cooper, Joshua Keith Vocals recorded and mixed at: AFAB Studio, Nashville Mastering: Keith Compton, Nashville Graphics: McClearen Creative, Nashville Photography: Martha Pike Replication: TCA (Tape Corporation of America)

Piano/Organ/Accordions/Marxophone: Jeff Taylor Drums/Percussion: John Hammond Percussion: Ashur Peterson Electric Bass/Upright Bass: Byron House Electric Guitars: Kelly Back Acoustic Guitar/Banjo: Ron Block Background Vocals: Miles Pike, Reggie & Ladye Love Smith Orchestrations: Larry Hall Harmonica on “Promenade”: Buddy Greene Steel guitar on “Walking Her Home”: Scotty Sanders Organ on “Somebody Died For Me”: Larry Hall Piano and arrangement for “Perfectly Honest”: Martha Pike Lyrics and soundtracks are available at www.MilesPikeMusic.com

Joy Deep As Sorrow Bob Bennett

Matthew John Denver

Walking Her Home Mark Schultz

Roll Away, Troubled River Ann Ballard

Don’t Sit In My Pew Tim Lovelace

Perfectly Honest Mark Bishop

I Would Daryl Mosley

Somebody Died For Me Kyle Matthews/Christy Sutherland

What Trouble Are Giants Rich Mullins

I’m Part Of The In-Crowd Now Mark Bishop

God Didn’t Come To Save The Angels Mark Bishop

What He’s Seeing Now James Pike/Martha Pike

The Voice I Could Not Resist Rodney Griffin

Promenade Rich Mullins