Preaching by Number
July 1, 2000
Some preachers are natural born storytellers. The rest of us have to learn to be interesting. But if we preach, we need to become competent with storytelling both for expounding Bible narratives and adding vivid illustrations. We can increase our skills by practicing what the naturals know instinctively: it's the color that makes a sermon lively and engaging. Turn up the tension
In the movie, The Truman Show, Jim Carrey portrays a guy living in an apparently idyllic world, unaware he is the subject of a TV show. Will Truman find out? And can he escape the artificial world of the giant studio? Any good story needs conflict. Consider the conflicts in Moses' story: What will happen to the baby? Will Moses be punished for the murder? Will he accept God's call? Will the people of Israel listen to him? No wonder his story makes a terrific movie. Storyteller Clifford Wame writes: "Conflict is the essence, the essential ingredient of any story. If you don't have conflict, you don't have a story. If you don't have conflict, you won't have an audience either." So be alert to the conflict. When preaching on a biblical narrative or parable, ask, Where is the conflict in this story? Next, a good story needs suspense. Jack Gibson is a slow-talking Australian sportscaster with a dry wit. After his favorite rugby team was thrashed in one game, Jack remarked, "They were in it right up until the national anthem." It was a dull game because it had no suspense. Stories, even more than football games, depend on suspense. Good storytellers know how to create it. Take Jesus' classic tale of the Good Samaritan. As soon as Jesus said the traveler was journeying down the Jericho road, his listeners felt some suspense because they knew it was a dangerous road. ...
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