About This Blog--Stories

I really enjoy stories. That why I've titled this blog, "Living the Biblios." Biblios is a Greek word (the language of the New Testament) for "book," or "Bible."

When Dave Mallick at Dallas Theological Seminary showed me a simple "wheel" of how stories move (picture a clock with the ideal world at 12:00; mystery at 3:00; tragedy at 6:00; comedy at 9:00), I thought I had been given the secret to the universe.

And I was. Some preachers disdain telling stories in their sermons. It's "filler" that distracts from the logical explaination of doctrine. But look at Jesus' preaching. What did he do? He told stories about good samaritans, wayward sons, and houses built on shifting sands. Stories are the cradle for sound doctrine. When you hear a compelling story, it stays with you for a good long time.

One of the joys of small town living is being part of Lions Club. Last night our local chapter had its Valentine banquet. Four couples were at our table. We laughed and laughed all evening, telling stories about our lives. As the men were introducing the ladies, answering the question, "How we met our wives," my friend Kent said, "I met my wife on a blind date. Lucky for me, she was blind."

Earlier in the day I read quite a few pages from Annette Simmons' excellent book, The Story Factor, while sitting in the lobby a local car dealership, getting the window of my Honda fixed (how it got broke is a story in itself). She writes that everybody is subconciously living by a story. Don't be blind to yours.