Pastoral Transitions Fall 1983

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The pastor of stern countenance began his sermon by saying solemnly, "I am not here to entertain you with a lot of interesting stories; I am here to preach the Word of God."

He proved to be prophetic. He was neither entertaining nor interesting. As a matter of fact, he was quite dull. Like so many who lack the imagination to use good illustrations, he condemned their use as a vice, their nonuse as a virtue.

In vilifying the use of stories in preaching, he was unwittingly criticizing a style used most frequently by a well-known itinerate of the first century. Evidently no one ever warned that former carpenter it was a sin to be entertaining and that solemnity was a sign of sanctity. Having never been to seminary, he never mastered alliteration either.

So he resorted to the only style he knew, which was to relate homey, human-interest stories-what we call parables. He told stories about families, farmers, fishermen, and financiers. Some of his stories were quite humorous. There was the one about the fellow who tried to patch his trousers with an unSanforized piece of cloth. The first rain shower proved embarrassing when the patch shrunk and pulled away from the trousers, leaving him exposed to public view. That story must have produced a thoughtful chuckle or two.

On the other hand, some of his stories were rather sad. Did you hear the one about the wealthy farmer whose plans for an early retirement were interrupted by an early funeral?

From that Galilean preacher we learn that telling stories from the pulpit is not a sin to be condemned but an art to be copied. The most effective preachers are those who can communicate truth with a well-chosen illustration.

However, having said this, there needs to be a word of caution. Probably ...

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