Entering the Story

This past year I haven't done much speaking / preaching in anything larger than a small group... until recently.  When we were in South Dakota I preached twice.  I'll be preaching in Minneapolis in a couple of weeks.  And I've just finished working on a message for a wedding I'm officiating on Saturday.

My speaking / preaching lately has consisted mostly of story telling.  Sometimes in the first person, sometimes in the third.  The friends who dug a hole in a roof to get their friend to Jesus.  The woman with the issue of blood, healed by Jesus.  Jesus' first miracle, turning water into wine.

I used to think that this kind of "preaching" was almost cheating... for me, with my creative drama background, it seemed too easy.  But lately, I've realized it's a gift.  Somehow, entering the story can make us hear the voice of God in ways that more academic preaching / teaching can't.

Next time you pick up your Bible and read one of it's stories, try this:  place yourself in the story.  Who are you?  Where are you?  Why are you there?  What do you learn?

Let the Story live in you... let the Word live in you...