Finding the Plot: Preaching in a Narrative Style

Preaching has been under fire for a long time. Whether it is Homer Simpson falling asleep during the Rev. Lovejoy's sermons in Springfield, or Alec Guinness' portrayal of Canon d'Ascoyne in the 1949 Ealing Comedy, the message is still the same: preachers and their sermons are boring.

Finding the Plot is not written as an answer to the problems that are perceived to confront the gospel preacher in today's world. Rather, it is written as a potential resource for those engaged in the demanding enterprise of contemporary preaching. It is a book that explores a potentially different style of preaching rather than seeking to alter its core content. Practical, powerful, and culturally relevant, Finding the Plot is for ministers, those training to be ministers, and all those who want to make an impact and engage with our storydriven culture.

Roger Standing is a Regional Minister and Team Leader within the Southern Counties Baptist Association. He has had contributions published in the Leadership Journal and is a contributor to Third Way.