Issue 17 Preaching and the CrossBlog | How I prepare by Esther Longe
How I prepare by Esther Longe
Author: Andy PeckPost Date: 27.12.18
I’ve been preaching for about 20 years, but it’s only recently that I’ve started to combine my love of stories with first person narrative sermons, when I tell the story from the viewpoint of one character. I’ve found this a transformative experience that enables me to share God’s love and grace with people in a fresh way. How I prepare a narrative sermon is quite different to preparing a traditional sermon.
IS IT SUITABLE?
Does the passage lend itself to a narrative sermon? For me, the best readings to use are those where a central character encounters God, such as the woman at the well. For these stories, the narrative sermon almost jumps off the page. You can always use a different passage for a narrative sermon, but because of the point of view I use, I have found these to be the most compelling.
CHOOSE YOUR CHARACTER
I always use the first-person point of view, talking as if the events happened to me. I believe it comes across more powerfully and it links with one of the purposes of narrative sermons which is to bring people into the presence of God. To do this they need you to step inside the character who is meeting with God. Therefore when choosing a character, most of the time it’s easy. It will be the woman who touched Jesus’ cloak, Moses as he meets God at the burning bush ... and so on.
