Post by Murph on Dec 25, 2023 8:54:18 GMT -6
Commentary
Telling the Story that Changed the World
Let this Christmas season be one of telling the story of our Savior as we equip our people to tell others the reason for this season.
By D. Scott Hildreth
There are 5.7 billion people in the world—nearly 80% of the global population—who are considered oral learners. This short descriptive phrase simply means these individuals do not learn by reading or by more literate teaching modes—lists, detailed instructions, simplified propositions or other communication techniques that rely on reading.
As we consider these numbers, don’t assume these men, women, and children are illiterate or can’t read well. While illiteracy is a contributing factor, a significant percentage of oral learners are literate and live in highly literate countries. They can read, but they prefer to learn (or learn best) through stories or other visual media.
Rather than pointing to statistics, perhaps considering how we choose to learn is a better illustration. I have a Ph.D., teach graduate and doctoral students, have published several books, and write posts like this on a regular basis; I am the model literate person. However, just this week I ordered a file cabinet. It arrived knocked down with more than “some assembly” required. What did I do first? Scanned the instructions, tossed them aside, and searched YouTube for assembly help. Why? My preference was to learn through the medium of images and story not a list or static illustrations.
Telling the Christmas story
What does this mean for our ministries? Quite simply, those of us charged with teaching the message need to highlight the story of the gospel rather than teach simplified lists, points, or principles. While the Christian faith is confessional by nature—that is, our core beliefs have been laid out in negotiated statements and propositions—Christianity is, at its heart, a “story faith.”
“Those of us charged with teaching the message need to highlight the story of the gospel rather than teach simplified lists, points, or principles.” — @dshildreth
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The Bible doesn’t begin with a list of facts about God and the nature of humanity. It starts with a story of creation, human rebellion, and God’s promise of redemption. We also find examples of telling stories in some of the most significant sermons in the Bible. Consider this sample list:
Nehemiah 9
Acts 2:14-41
Acts 3:11-26
Acts 7:2-53
Perhaps one of the more impressive story telling moments in scripture is in Luke 2. The angels fill the heavens to tell the shepherds about the birth of their Savior. Then these men tell the story far and wide. The people were amazed, and Mary treasured this story to such a degree we can safely assume she is the one who told it to Luke when he set out to research and write this gospel.
This Christmas story example is more stunning when we consider the findings of a Lifeway Research study that reveals even though a majority of Americans celebrate Christmas (91%) and 65% say Christmas should focus more on Jesus, only 1 in 5 (22%) have any confidence they could accurately retell the Christmas story found in the Bible. Just over half of those surveyed, (53%) said they could retell the story, but 31% said they may not get all the details correct. And 17% didn’t think they could tell any of it.
91% of Americans celebrate Christmas and 65% say the holiday should focus more on Jesus, but only 22% say they can accurately retell the biblical Christmas story.
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Emphasizing the Christmas story
This research should serve as a wake-up call to those of us charged with teaching in the church. Have we inadvertently reduced the Christmas message to a string of details and facts or even musical lines so those under our teaching ministries have missed the story? Perhaps we have assumed they already know the story and we need to spice it up. Maybe we believe storytelling is a child’s passion, rather than God’s method of revelation. No matter the reason, let’s consider emphasizing the Christmas story this season. Below are a few things you can try.
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1. At some point this holiday season, tell the whole Christmas story to your congregation and let them know why you are doing it—so they can tell the story to others.
Be creative. Read the story as part of your sermon’s text or as a longer illustration within a message. Tell it accurately and strive to be a good storyteller.
2. Take advantage of the many Old Testament allusions in the Christmas story to highlight the whole biblical story.
Here are a few examples. There are many others you could use.
Matthew 1:23 – Tell the story of God’s promise through Isaiah to King Ahaz.
Matthew 2 – In the story of the wise men, tell about Daniel’s ministry in Persia.
Luke 1:32-33 – Tell the story of Daniel’s vision in Daniel 7 of an eternal kingdom for all peoples, nations, and languages.
Luke 2:4 – Tell the story of King David and show how Jesus is the promised king.
By telling these stories, you will connect the story of the Bible to the birth and ministry of Jesus. This will also create some storytelling hooks for people. These simple phrases will help them remember and retell the story.
3. Encourage parents to tell the Christmas story often during this holiday season.
After God led the Israelites across the Jordan River, they made a pile of stones by the river as a reminder so that “when your children ask you, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’ you should tell them…” (Joshua 4:6-7a, CSB)
Christmas is filled with “stones of remembrance” that provide parents with natural opportunities to tell the story.
“Christmas is filled with ‘stones of remembrance’ that provide parents with natural opportunities to tell the story.” — @dshildreth
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Perhaps you can shift the statistics on storytelling among your people. Let this Christmas season be one of telling the wonderful story of our Savior as we equip our people to tell others the reason for this season.
research.lifeway.com/2023/12/15/telling-the-story-that-changed-the-world/