So I've been asked how the event in this post went.
Firstly can I say, that I'm a little surprised at the fact that every time we've this type of storying - in churches big and small, it has received a very positive response, people say that they love it. But I haven't seen it take off as a method of "word" focus in church services. I wonder whether our traditions are getting in the way of trying out new things which might be helpful for people who are not reached so well with the traditional sermon format.
Anway, here's what happened. I was speaking to a group of about 35 high school age kids. I the story from chapters 2-6 of 1 Samuel. I memorised it beforehand (which was made alot easier by the fact that I've told this story a couple of times before). Incidentally, I think it's a great way to meditate on the text - by indwelling the text until you're able to retell all the details of the text in your own words.
The kids were good kids, but they did tend to talk among themselves occasionally. What was interesting was that, while the story was being told, none of them made a sound - they were very attentive... maybe they were just being polite, but I got the feeling that they were actually paying attention the whole way through (and the story took about 12 minutes, so it wasn't quick). I find that often while doing this method of "bible study" or "sermon" people really get into the story and absorb long portions of OT narrative which they often wouldn't if such long portions were simply read from the front.
I told the kids beforehand that they would be the ones giving the sermon, and I told them the five questions that they were going to be asked at the end. Asking the questions was quite sucessful too - people love being able to say what they think. I was told beforehand that this group might not be very talkative (I've been told that before, but I never pay attention because it never turns out to be true.) It wasn't true, they came up with lots of good responses, and a few dodgy ones as well, but I'd rather that people felt free to talk and think and say what they really think, than just sit there in the pews thinking these things but not saying them.
Since I was asking the questions generally, I was able to answer them also, and say some things which I'd noticed from the passage too. From the prayers afterwards it seems that at least some kids absorbed the application.
In the service following the one where I told the story, I ran into someone who had heard me tell a story at a service a year and a half ago and he still remembered it and said how helpful he thought it was especially for more working class people, for whom the "sermon" doesn't really reach into their hearts as much.
Here's my challenge for readers of my blog: do a bit of reading about Bible Storying (here's a great place to start - and click on "further reading"), and try it out at your church (in addition to, or as a substitute for, the sermon) or at a Bible study.
If you do, let me know how it goes.
