I have a lot to say about Bible storytelling. I also have a lot to learn. I expect that after I learn some more, I will have more to say and also find I have even more to learn which will lead to having more to say and then...

Well, you get the idea. You can expect to hear a lot more about this topic as time goes on.

Three methods of preaching

When I was in bible college, I recall being taught three different ways to preach. If there were others, I probably slept through them after working until the wee hours of the morning at my great job as a closer at Burger King.

First, there was the topical method. With this one, you just pick a topic, any topic, pulling passages from all over the Bible. It is highly popular and also easily abused.

Second, there is the textual method which bases itself in a Bible passage and then seeks support from other verses to back up the theme of that passage. A lot of people consider this expository preaching, but my teacher preferred to separate them.

Third, there is the expository method which chooses a passage and does not stray from that passage seeking to pull out whatever truths are in that particular passage.

I have discovered, however, there is yet another very important method that is distinct from those just discussed.

Narrative preaching

Storytelling or narrative preaching finds a Bible story and bases the message in that story. In some cases, it may pick up a storyline through numerous Bible passages.

Some of you are already up in arms and looking for the comment section to tell me that storytelling isn't preaching. Before you leave a comment, take a look at Stephen's sermon in Acts 7.

I don't just mean that illustrations or Bible stories are incorporated into one of the before mentioned styles, but that the message itself is based upon a Bible story. A lot of preachers are storytellers, but don't use this method. It might help, but you don't have to be an animated storyteller to use this method.

When I talk about narrative preaching here, I am talking about the basis and organization of the message more than the style of delivery.

Benefits

There are a number of benefits to narrative preaching both for the preacher and the listeners. For reasons I plan to discuss in a future post, for church members and visitors who are not avid readers, it may be the only method they really thrive on. In preaching to children, I would suggest that narrative preaching is without equal.

The neurons can't find each other

Unfortunately, it represents an enormous mind shift for most North American preachers. It is almost the antithesis of what we were taught about preaching and the methods we tend to employ in our personal Bible study. For many of us, learning to preach narrative messages is almost like learning to preach all over again. Perhaps worse.

In over my head

Several years ago, I jumped in with both feet and started preaching most of my messages in this style. At the same time, I (temporarily) stopped using notes. I am not suggesting the "cold turkey" method for most preachers. I think a softer transition is more appropriate for most, but that is what I did. I still don't feel really comfortable with it, and realize that I have a lot to learn and a long way to go.

When I started to read the Bible in my personal study concentrating on following the stories, it was like reading it for the first time. I saw things in a totally different light. I think it is fair to say that I started to see certain things more as they were intended rather than as I had perceived them.

Coming up

In this article, I have told you how excited I am about storytelling. In my next post on this subject next Thursday, I want to back up and tell you the story of the things that led me to start using this method of preaching.

In later posts, I want to open up the topic of storytelling and its importance in communicating doctrine to children as well as Bible study methods, teaching methods and some other branches of this topic.

The study of storytelling is closely related to the study of literacy. Together, they have far reaching implications for preachers, teachers, students, missionaries, social workers, families, music, and many other areas you probably never realized.

—Luke

This is the first article in this series. You can find the second one here.