In the history of our civilization millions of stories have been told and retold. No doubt, there are many ways to tell an effective story. One of the most helpful ways to learn is to observe a process and then try it ourselves. Therefore, why not take a look at one approach to the construction of a story sermon?
In the course of analyzing and presenting a story sermon -- "Granny's Leaven" -- a number of important aspects of the craft as well as a consideration of the creative process are in order.
Any story, whether it be secular or religious, has to begin with an idea. It is especially hard to conceive of any good story being written in which the author is not inspired by the given idea.
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Ideas can come from a variety of objective sources -- books, newspapers, magazines, and friends. However, those ideas which are based on personal experience stand the best chance of being developed. People write best about those things which are most familiar.
In the case of proclaiming the gospel through story, an idea might be based on a theological conclusion about life which is taught in scripture and has been deeply felt in the preacher's experience. When people allow their experiences to be touched by parts of the gospel message, strong feelings can help to develop their ideas.
In the story at hand, entitled "Granny's Leaven," the development of the central idea emerged out of the many inspired hours this writer spent as a young boy watching his grandmother bake and listening to her tell Bible stories.
The question that had to be asked for the purpose of Christian storytelling was what those experiences with Grandmother conveyed in terms of a New Testament conclusion or proclamation on the way the world is or ought to be. The answer to the question seemed to be in the fact that Grandmother embodied the spirit of the church.
There was never a person she would not invite to sit at her kitchen table. In fact, people from all walks of life came and found nourishment there.
Her great service to others was in the fact that she had this unusual ability to inspire others to believe in themselves and do the very best with their personal resources. That the church is called into the building of God's kingdom through trust and sharing is certainly a possibility in the formulation of the central idea of the story.
Now that there is some general sense of direction in terms of writing about Grandmother and her personal portrayal of the church, the focus has to be narrowed.
The preacher must be able to state concisely three things in relation to the central idea: 1) What will be the major task of the story? 2) How do you feel about this task? 3) What can be proven or established through the story? Knowing beforehand the answers to these questions will prevent one from drifting.
In writing "Granny's Leaven," I paid special attention to the twelfth chapter of 1 Corinthians. "Granny's Leaven" was written with the strong belief that ministry is not one-sided, but is rather a corporate effort in which everyone participates through an open contribution of their own unique gifts and talents.
