Claude Mariottini has a post entitled “The Golfer and the King” about a sermon illustration given by Joel Osteen in his book Your Best Life Now. He raises the question of whether the anecdote related by Osteen is one that actually happened or a story that Osteen invented to illustrate his point.
In my own sermons, I always make sure that I carefully distinguish between stories that are true and ones that I have made up (or someone else has made up). Usually, stories in the latter category are jokes, so it is obvious that they are not true. And it always annoys me when preachers illustrate sermons with stories that are not true.
It seems to me that if the gospel is true, there should be enough true stories to illustrate it without us having to make ones up.
On November 27th, 2007 at 6:08 pm
Kevin,
I agree with you. Preachers should not invent stories and then use them in the sermons as if they were true stories. If one uses illustrations or jokes, it becomes important to distinguish them from true stories.
Claude Mariottini
On November 27th, 2007 at 8:10 pm
Eh. I think that real life is rich enough,but sometimes not briefly stated enough to use in a sermon. I don’t mind a made up story—I can always tell which ones they are. I feel like sermons would be interrupted by constant referencing to what is true and what is not. A subtle clue-”imagine this,” “I once heard it said that,” etc. is plenty for me.
On November 27th, 2007 at 8:12 pm
Oh, and I’ll add that I believe this because the examples are illuminating the Truth, they aren’t the focus–or shouldn’t be. That said, I’ve heard an awful lot of sermons about one’s children or last vacation that fail to illuminate the Truth.