Tuesday, March 07, 2006

Telling stories

Preaching as storytelling? Well, not exactly. Then again, why not? Jesus told stories. In a post-literate age I have always felt a need to review how best to communicate essential truths in new ways. The didactic passages obviously require a more ’formal’ or expository approach, but the Gospels in particular, lend themselves to stories.

So with these thoughts in mind, I made my way to Rev Dr Richard Jensen’s preaching workshop at BLC. Public speaking - much less preaching – has never been easy although I do a lot of both. How do you engage a jaded and media-saturated congregation anyway?

Interesting sessions, and I'm really glad to be present even if I was the only Free Church guy in a room full of Lutherans (Thanks Sivin for the invite). "Ears need orality," so says Dr Jensen. Someone once said that public speaking is really a kind of theatre of the mind. Making a connection in the heart, mind and soul is theatre. Conviction, on the other hand, is something that only the Spirit brings about.

Read/Hear/Watch Dr Jensen here.

1 comment:

Sivin Kit said...

Great to have you and Dr. Jensen who's still here until Friday speaks fondly of his interactions with you :-)