Pablo A. Jiménezwww.drpablojimenez.net

The narrative-storytelling sermon may be conveyed through different sermon patterns or forms.

In this presentation we will explore some of the different options available to contemporary preacher.

There are two basic narrative patterns.

IntroductionBody (2 to 5 points)

First episode or scene Second episode or scene Third episode or scene, etc.

Conclusion

Inductive sermons may use the narrative outline as a guideline for its design.

SettingPlot (may be divided in scenes or episodes)

ClimaxResolution

You may use the form and the literary structure of your text as a pattern for your sermon.

Most of the biblical stories found in the OT are “sagas”.

The saga is a narrative that preserves and transmits the folklore and self-understanding of a given community.

There are three main types of sagas in the Bible: primeval, family and heroic.

Sagas usually follow the basic form of the short story.

SettingPlot (may be divided in episodes)

ClimaxResolution

Primeval sagas explain the origins of the world, of a group, of a place, or of an specific practice.

Family & heroic sagas usually have two main characters: a protagonist and an antagonist.

They have many literary “layers” because they were orally transmitted for centuries.

The prophetic call is a narrative that describes how a specific biblical character was commissioned as a spoke person for God.

Although they are appear mostly in the OT prophetic books, they are also found in Exodus 3 (the call of Moses) and in the NT (mostly in Luke & Acts).

Introduction Confrontation between the divine person and the “prophet”

Commission: The divine agent issues the call to ministry

Reaction or protest: The “prophet” tries—in vain—to resist the call

Reassurance: The divine agent answers—and invalidates—the objections, restating the call. This section may include a salvation oracle (¨fear not…¨).

The Miracle Story is a narrative that describes God’s salvific intervention in human history on behalf of a particular person, group or place.

There are four basic miracle stories:▪ Healing▪ Exorcism▪ Miracle of Nature▪ Miracle with controversy

Statement of the needEncounter with the divine agent (In the OT is usually a prophet. In the NT such agent is usually Jesus).

The miraculous event (healing, casting out demons, a miracle of “nature”, etc.)

Evidence that the miracle has occurred

Parables are didactic stories whose main purpose is to challenge and shatter the world view of the audience. They have surprising elements, such as an outrageous setting, incredible events or a reversal at the end.

As a rule, they collapse the latter elements of a short story (climax and resolution) into a surprising ending.

SettingPlot (may be divided into episodes)

Surprising ending

You may also use the following advanced patterns with either biblical or non-biblical stories.

Upsetting the equilibrium, Oops!

Analyzing the discrepancy, Ugh!Finding the clue to the resolution, Aha!

Experiencing the Gospel, Wee!Anticipating the consequences, Yeah!

Lowry also suggests forms that vary according to the timing of the story:

Running the storyDelaying the storySuspending the storyAlternating the story

These options may be used sparsely.

Sermons in the first person.

A pastoral letter.A historical sermon

Use your creativity in the development of forms, patterns and structures for narrative preaching.

You may mix and match the story with elements such as literature, song, or argumentation, among others.

Now we offer 12 tips regarding the preparation, design and delivery of the narrative-storytelling sermon.

See the additional handout that suggests a methodology for memorizing stories.

Main Character: The main character is fully developed. There may be more than one.

Secondary characters: They are important to the story, but they are not as developed as the main character.

Types: These characters represent a larger group. We rarely learn their names.

Shadows: They are part of the scenery (e.g. the multitude).

Study the social, political and historical background of the biblical text.

Do not be discouraged by this task. Remember that this kind of research has a cumulative effect.

Be aware of the events that immediately precede and follow your story.

Remember that most NT stories use OT stories as sub-text.

Study the geography of the place(s) where the story develops.

A good biblical atlas may help you to achieve a good handling of these details.

Consider the possibility of taking a (tax-deductible!) trip to Israel.

Maintain the order of the story.

Do not add details.Do not eliminate details.

Read between the lines

There are two pitfalls to avoid:

Anachronisms that stem out of biblical illiteracy.

Anachronisms that transpose contemporary experiences to the past.

Stories that describe encounters or confrontations between biblical characters are excellent sources for narrative preaching.

Direct discourse adds dramatic impact to the sermon. Contrast the following:

And Jesus, touching the leper, said to him: “I do choose to heal you. Be made clean!”

Jesus touched and cleaned the leper.

Talk about colors, odors and textures. Without adding details, describe vividly those the different elements of the story.

In storytelling, the verb is more important than the adjective.

Sprinkle your re-telling of the story with contemporary elements that may be common to your audience’s experience.

James Earl Massey, Designing the Sermon, pp. 35-49

Lowry, The Lowry Loop, Doing Time in the Pulpit, How to Preach a Parable, & The Sermon: Dancing at the Edge of Mistery

Robinson, Journeys to Narrative Preaching

Steimle, et. al, Preaching the Story