Last night was pretty rainy again. We went to the family in the big city and had a simple, but very effective storying session. I told the story from Acts 8, of Phillip and the Ethiopian. It only takes 3 minutes to tell. After I told the story, I asked the group to retell it. One person began, but didn't get far before she began abriviating the story and jumping around. I asked if anyone else could help.
When I saw that the story was not really heard, I told it again. This time, I asked them to tell the story together as a group. One person started and got to a point were she wasn't sure what was next, so another person gave the next portion of the story. He told a part and then passed the story to another. In the end, the entire group had told a part of the story. This was the first time I'd seen total group participation in telling the story. Usually one person or maybe two tell the story.
Our post story dialogue was quite rich. After it was over, I couldn't help but think about all the times in the past I used to tell only portions of a story or used a passage with a story just to get a theological point across. There's a difference in teaching the Bible and teaching theology. Now, I can see that clearly.
This couple is thinking about baptism and also thinking about what kind of church they want to be a part of. There are some traditional local churches nearby that they are thinking about visiting. I also suggested to them the idea of beginning a church in their own home and reaching out to their own family and friends who don't know Jesus. We'll see where it goes.
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