Powerful Proclamation through Puzzlement

People enjoy a good story - something that gets them involved and their imaginations churning. For that reason, a puzzle that keeps them guessing is great.

There is a fine line however - too obscure, and you may loose your audience. This is something Jesus, as a great communicator knew well. Look at His story-telling technique and you will see it grounded in the lives of the people He was talking to. But His words puzzled them. His disciples would press Him for an explanation, the key to solving the riddles within the simple tales told.

Another issue is that the puzzle should not distract the listeners from the main purpose of the story - if anything it should reinforce it. Again, Jesus'parables illustrate this well - with truth on different levels. Both viewpoints of the story are equally true - but the dynamics of what happens on the natural level illustrate a pattern of spiritual reality to us.

Gospel Magic Tricks

A few thoughts on the subject of Gospel magic - along with reviews of resources and websites.