SHARING DREAMS NOT NIGHTMARES.

In the Bible seminars our church organization offers, there is an activity called "Gospel Sharing."  We also do this activity in our Marriage Encounter prayer meetings.

What is gospel or bible sharing?  It is a prayerful reading of Scripture in a small group in order to better understand, pray and live the Word of God.

We call it Bible sharing because the passage we reflect on is taken from the Bible.  We also call it Gospel sharing because  "Gospel" means good news, and whatever is written in the Bible is meant to be good news for us.

This Bible sharing among family members, friends, neighbours and even office mates is a way of building Christian communities.

In these small gatherings, people share the messages they receive from God and the prayer response they give.

Acceptance, respect, and openness are necessary for successful bible sharing. And we always remind participants in our basic bible seminars to make their sharing actual, brief and Christ-centered.

Thus, what we share must inspire others.

TELL ME A STORY.

I attended a Kerygma Conference one time.  That was in 2014. In one of the sessions I went to, there were five preachers who talked about their style of preaching and talking to a large audience.  In that session alone, (two same sessions ran concurrently side by side) there were at least a thousand people.

All preachers were excellent.  I actually liked them all, in varying degrees. But one preacher stood out for me.  She was the only woman preacher in the crop.

Up to this day, almost 400 days later, I could still recall parts of the story. 

What made her "talk" stand out? She told a simple story; a very tiny slice of her life.

This was the story as I remember it told:
She and her sisters were about to exhume the remains of her late mother for transfer to another site and were debating who would supervise it. Although they loved their mother dearly, they felt queasy having to see her actual bones and all. So they assigned the family driver to oversee.

The preacher then related how her mother used to be very careful about her physical appearance when she was still alive, but now that she'd gone, and just all ashes and bones, all the speaker could remember of her mother were the values she imparted to her and her siblings. She then told a scene in which her son asked for a hotel room with a big tub, and how the little boy said he'd pray for it when she told him they could not afford a fancy room. Her son learned early the value of prayer that she inculcated in him.

Simple story. And simple stories touch the hearts of people.

We do not have to look farther. When we read the Bible, we will discover that it is full of stories. The entire Bible, Old and New Testament, is a STORY.

The Old Testament is the story of the coming of the Messiah, and the New Testament is the story of Jesus, the Messiah.

Jesus loved to tell stories or parables. In all, He told 46 parables.
Parables of Jesus in Chronological Order:
1 New cloth on an old coat 9:16 2:21 5:36
2 New wine in old wine skins 9:17 2:22 5:37-38
3 Lamp on a stand (also see #6) 5:14-15
4 Wise and foolish builders 7:24-27 6:47-49
5 Moneylender forgives unequal debts 7:41-43
6 Lamp on a stand (2nd time, see #3) 4:21-22 8:16, 11:33
7 Rich man foolishly builds bigger barns 12:16-21
8 Servants must remain watchful (also see #44) 12:35-40
9 Wise and foolish servants (also see #42) 12:42-48
10 Unfruitful fig tree 13:6-9
11 Sower and four types of soil 13:3-8, 18-23 4:3-8, 14-20 8:5-8, 11-15
12 Weeds among good plants (Kingdom of Heaven) 13:24-30, 36-43
13 Growing seed (Kingdom of Heaven) 4:26-29
14 Mustard seed (Kingdom of Heaven) 13:31-32 4:30-32 13:18-19
15 Yeast (Kingdom of Heaven) 13:33 13:20-21
16 Hidden treasure (Kingdom of Heaven) 13:44
17 Valuable pearl (Kingdom of Heaven) 13:45-46
18 Fishing net (Kingdom of Heaven) 13:47-50
19 Owner of a house (Kingdom of Heaven) 13:52
20 Lost sheep (sheep as children, also see #29) 18:12-14
21 The sheep, gate, and shepherd ( John 10:1-5, 7-18 )
22 Master and his servant 17:7-10
23 Unmerciful servant (Kingdom of Heaven) 18:23-34
24 Good Samaritan 10:30-37
25 Friend in need 11:5-8
26 Lowest seat at the feast 14:7-14
27 Invitation to a great banquet 14:16-24
28 Cost of discipleship 14:28-33
29 Lost sheep (sheep as sinners, also see #20) 15:4-7
30 Lost coin 15:8-10
31 Lost (prodigal) son 15:11-32
32 Shrewd manager 16:1-8
33 Rich man and Lazarus 16:19-31
34 Workers in the vineyard, early and late 20:1-16
35 Persistent widow and crooked judge 18:2-8
36 Pharisee and tax collector 18:10-14
37 King’s ten servants given minas (also see #45) 19:12-27
38 Two sons, one obeys one does not 21:28-32
39 Wicked tenants 21:33-44 12:1-11 20:9-18
40 Invitation to a wedding banquet 22:2-14
41 Signs of the future from a fig tree 24:32-35 13:28-29 21:29-31
42 Wise and foolish servants (2nd time, see #9) 24:45-51
43 Wise and foolish virgins 25:1-13
44 Servants must remain watchful (2nd time, see #8) 13:35-37
45 Three servants given talents (also see #37) 25:14-30
46 Sheep and goats will be separated 25:31-46

In the Basic Bible Seminars that we run through the Biblical Apostolate at our Parish of San Andres Apostol, participants learn Bible sharing, and they become earnest and eager when it's time to share their personal stories and encounter with Jesus.

I have had also many opportunities to deliver small talks in our prayer meetings, seminars and fellowships.  I always tell stories. 

LET ME TELL YOU A STORY.  I have many to tell.  In this very blog.  By the way, the woman preacher above is Rissa Singson Kawpeng, Editor-in-Chief of Kerygma Magazine.

God Listens. All the Time.

Let's drive for more blessings !

My God, My Director.