Book: Tell Me a Story
Author: Scott McClellan
Publisher: Moody Publishers
Publishing Date: March 1, 2013
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
My interest in this book: The title totally caught my attention. I love storytelling. And the foreword stuck it; I had to read it.
Type of book: (my take:) Evangelism, Communication, Lifestyle
(back cover:) Christian Living/Spiritual Growth/Spiritual Formation
Ideas / message / plot: Scott takes us on an incredible perspective shift about the importance of story in humanity and how that relates to our walk as Christians. Our lives are living, breathing stories--full of characters, pursuits, choices, conflicts, victories. Phenomenal!
Favorite lines/quotes: To be honest, there are highlights and underlines in every chapter and nearly on every page. Loved the Don Quixote & Dulcinea part; so true!
"Without objective, there's no pursuit; without pursuit, there's no story."
"We an either bemoan our circumstances and the fallen state of the cosmos, or we can make a decision about the kind of people we want to be."
Loved this prayer about living with conflict: "Here's another mystery to solve, God, another story to tell. Help me see it that way. Teach me to trust. Teach me to follow. Help me see the story as it unfolds."
"We are a people of hope, redemption, and story. If we won't back down, and if the source of the conflict won't back down either, then perhaps we'll make a mountain." (And aren't mountains beautiful?!)
When I finished this book, I felt: Wow! I'm changed forever. I am an introverted person so whenever I hear words spoken about evangelism and "go out and tell people about Jesus" I sort of freak out inside. I must be a horrible Christian because I can't do that! Scott's perspective reminds me that all I have to do is tell my story; live my story. He also softly encourages me to just be me but BE BOLD (like Jeff's example in the Foreword) because who knows what will happen when I do mention something to another character in my storyline about what God has done? I don't have to preach to them, I just have to tell them my story--God's story. Peter states in Acts 4:20: "As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard." Hearing it this way--evangelizing--it's so less intimidating! I'm a storyteller; telling stories is who we are. I can do that.
Overall: Thank you Scott for this fresh perspective! As a writer and storyteller, this is an incredibly well-told, easy to read message that adds value to the reader. This book will be my next book we use in our small group at church. Full five stars. #lifechanged
No comments:
Post a Comment