Sometimes in our zeal to proclaim God's message of truth and redemption, we overcomplicate it. As pastors, we sometimes believe that the greatest message is delivered in carefully planned sermons, with every nuance explained and every chapter and verse deconstructed. But what if we let the stories of Jesus speak for themselves?
Author and storyteller John B. Jamison asked himself this question, and it didn't take long for him to discover that when he simply stepped back and got out of the way, his preaching began to change. In
Simple Faith?, Jamison takes us through Jesus' journey to the cross, but rather than following the traditional sermon structure, he invites us to pull up a chair and listen, to imagine with him those days when Jesus walked the earth and ushered in the kingdom of heaven.
As Jamison seeks to revive the imaginations of congregations, he encourages pastors to use this resource as a tool for inspiration. The seventeen Lent/Easter, Cycle B, sermons included in this book, Jamison believes, hold powerful plots and themes that will transform in today's world as boldly as they did in ancient days.
Jamison's humble approach to storytelling makes this an accessible resource to not only pastors, but also to those seeking group studies, private devotionals, and a renewed understanding of the gospel text.
A few of the chapter titles included in this book are:
Some Greeks (John 12:20-33)
Where It Ends (John 13:1-17, 31b-35)
Tangled Up in the Vines (John 15:1-8)
John B. Jamison spent twenty plus years as a full-time pastor of United Methodist congregations in Illinois. Jamison still maintains his connection to the church by serving as an interim pastor for Presbyterian congregations. The author of
Time's Up! (CSS) and a section of
Sermons on the Second Readings, Series II, Cycle C, Jamison has also participated in the United Methodist Academy for Preaching, and he has created a variety of print, television, and radio material. Jamison is currently CEO of ImagiLearning, Inc. He is married and has one grown child and his hobbies include painting, bonsai, writing, gardening, playing guitar, and traveling.
