Hungry for the story

At In the Clearing, my friend Bob calls for preachers to tell the Great Story of the Scriptures:

Show me Jesus, Pastor. Don't assume I need a talking to about getting involved at church. Don't rifle the Scriptures for items that help you make your point. Take me through the Word, re-introduce me to the Great Story. Tell me about Abraham and how he fits into the grand plan, and Moses and how he does, and all the wild and visionary prophets; show me Jesus in the ancient Jewish texts, and show me the Roman world in which Paul traveled, and who it was that set him to journeying, and tell me what he meant when he said, "Not I who live, but Christ lives in me."

At a recent job interview, I was asked to summarize the whole scope of the Bible in twenty minutes. I tried to do it in three and so left out a great deal of very important truth. But the very effort of looking over and proclaiming the whole sweep of God's interaction with mankind was surprisingly energizing. I think Bob is on to something here.