personal stories

September 13

Personal stories as opposed to testimony help to make a preacher real to his her congregation. Without a story that is both faithful to our ongoing experiences and actions and examined critically for its faithfulness we cannot be fully human. Personal stories can be used to illustrate a point or as an introduction. In the post modern era of fragmentation and fracture narrative provides us with individual and communal identity.
Like any story, personal experiences can illuminate the point of the sermon. It is important to craft the story and to be aware of the point of view so that the spotlight stays on the sermon and is not changed to the preacher.