The Boy Who Always Told The Truth
Stories
Object:
Contents
What's Up This Week
"The Boy Who Always Told the Truth" by Rick McCracken-Bennett
"God Searches for a Spokesperson" by Rick McCracken-Bennett
"Taboo" by John S. Smylie
What's Up This Week
Getting along with people demands a certain sensitivity to the shortcomings of ourselves and others -- but we are often uncomfortable and sometimes even downright hostile to those refuse to engage in the little white lies that most of us engage in to grease the skids of social acceptability. Perhaps that's one reason a prophet's existence is so difficult; they find it impossible to be anything but brutally honest about what they see. In the featured story of this edition of StoryShare, Rick McCracken-Bennett tells the story of a young boy with an addiction to always telling the truth -- and of an enlightening heart-to-heart discussion between the boy and his father. Rick also shares a laugh-out-loud fable about the lengths God has to go to find a prophet (everyone has an excuse!). Finally, John Smylie reflects on Jesus' healing of a crippled woman on the Sabbath, and suggests that our Lord is calling us to also venture into areas that may be taboo to proclaim the truth and respond to the needs of others.
* * * * * * * * *
The Boy Who Always Told the Truth
Rick McCracken-Bennett
Then the Lord put out his hand and touched my mouth; and the Lord said to me, "Now I have put my words in your mouth. See, today I appoint you over nations and over kingdoms, to pluck up and to pull down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant."
Jeremiah 1:9-10
Jeremy was a 6th grader with a big problem.
Some say that he engaged his mouth before he had time to think about what he was going to say. Yes, some would say that -- but they would be wrong.
Now, it wasn't your typical 6th-grade boy-talk. He wasn't calling girls names and he wasn't trying to be rude or nasty. Jeremy was -- well, the best way to describe him would be to call him a truth-teller. Jeremy had the habit of telling the truth no matter what.
But... "truth-teller" is not what anyone else called him. At first kids called him a tattletale. That was 2nd grade. By 4th grade he was a snitch. And by the 6th grade, among other imaginative names, he was called a narc (even though no one was quite sure what that meant).
And it wasn't just the kids who had a problem with Jeremy's mouth. Oh, no. His parents were getting a little tired of all this truth-telling as well. You see, after a while his uncanny ability to tell right from wrong began to wear on just about everyone.
For example, if he overheard his mother making a phony excuse to a neighbor as to why they couldn't come over for a cookout, Jeremy would ask why. Why hadn't she told the truth? And if the conversation with the neighbor was in person and not over the phone, Jeremy would say something like, "No, Mom, we can go, we're not having company tonight."
And if his father came home before Christmas with rolls of tape from work for wrapping presents, Jeremy bugged him until he promised to take them back.
Jeremy couldn't help himself. The words would just come tumbling out. When someone was treated unfairly, he would point it out in no uncertain terms: whether that "someone" was his teacher, parent, or even their minister... he spoke out to whomever was the guilty party.
He tried to stop it. God knows it took its toll on him: detentions, time-outs, going to bed without his dinner. And friends -- well, he didn't really have any. Mostly Jeremy was alone and lonely.
One day his father took him fishing, and once they got settled he asked him, "Jeremy, why do you think you say the things that you do?"
"You mean when I tell the truth?"
"Well, yes," his father replied. "But why are you so quick to point out to people when they've done something or said something you think is wrong?"
Jeremy thought for a moment. "I don't know, Dad. The words just come out, like someone stuffed them in my mouth and I have to get them out before I choke or something."
Now it was his father's turn to think for a moment. "Son, don't take this wrong, but you're just a child. Sometimes it's better to say nothing, to let things slide, to swallow the truth. Some people, like the guy said in a movie once, just can't handle the truth."
Jeremy checked his hook for bait and cast his line again. "Dad?"
"Yes, son."
"Were you ever like me? Did you ever see bad things happen and couldn't help but say something even though you knew people didn't want to hear it?"
"Yes, and as a matter of fact, I still do. I see people hurting one another. I see injustice, prejudice, racism, all of that, all of the time. But sometimes I think you're better off keeping your mouth shut."
"Really?" Jeremy said. "Then help me understand something. If no one spoke up against these things -- what kind of a world would this be?"
Now it was his father's turn to tell the truth. "Pretty much the world we have now, Jeremy. Pretty much the world we have now."
Jeremy smiled at his dad, and for once he didn't have to say anything at all.
God Searches for a Spokesperson
Rick McCracken-Bennett
[The Lord said,] "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations." Then I said, "Ah, Lord God! Truly I do not know how to speak, for I am only a boy." But the Lord said to me, "Do not say, 'I am only a boy'; for you shall go to all to whom I send you, and you shall speak whatever I command you..."
Jeremiah 1:5-7
So God says to this guy, "I need your help. The people aren't listening to me -- again! I need someone who will speak for me and show them where they've gone astray. I need someone to call them back to me. It doesn't pay much, but you'd really be helping me out. What do you say?"
But the man says, "I wouldn't know what to say."
"Not a problem," says God. "I'll give you words. I'm just about done with the script now."
But the man says, "Oh God, I'd love to help, but I am an old man. I think I'll pass."
And God lets out a big, long sigh and goes in search for someone who can speak the truth to his people.
So God says to this middle-aged man, "I need your help. The people aren't listening to me -- again! I need someone who will speak for me and show them where they've gone astray. I need someone to call them back to me. It doesn't pay much, but you'd really be helping me out. What do you say?"
But the middle-aged man says, "I wouldn't have any idea what I would say."
And God says, "Not a problem. I'll give you words to say. I'm finishing up the script as we speak."
But the man says, "Oh, I'd love to help, I really would. But I've got a job and a wife and kids. I'm afraid I'm going to have to pass."
So God lets out another big, long sigh and continues his search for someone to speak the truth to his people.
God comes upon a young man, fresh out of college. "I need your help. The people aren't listening to me -- again! I need someone who will speak for me and show them where they've gone astray. I need someone to call them back to me. It doesn't pay much, but you'd really be helping me out. What do you say?"
And the young man says, "I took painting as my fine arts credit instead of public speaking. I wouldn't know what to say or how to say it."
And God says, "It really won't be a problem. I'm I working on the script and you'll get a copy of it in plenty of time. All you'll have to do is read it."
But the man says, "I'd love to help, seeing that I'm young and an idealist and want to change the world, but I've got to get a real job so that I can pay off my student loans first. I'll have to pass."
God sighs a little longer and louder now, and continues his search for someone -- anyone -- who will speak the truth to his people.
So God says to this teenager, "I need your help. The people aren't listening to me -- again! I need someone who will speak for me and show them where they've gone astray. I need someone to call them back to me. It doesn't pay much, but you'd really be helping me out. What do you say?"
And the teenager pulls his iPod earbuds out of his ears and says, "Huh?"
"I said, I need your help speaking to all the people of the world since they stopped listening to me."
And the teen says, "Like... well, you know, I like wouldn't know what to say, man."
And God says, "Not a problem. I'll give you all the words you need to say. I'll even read the script into a podcast, and you can listen to it and just tell them what I want them to hear."
And the teen says, "Dude, I would like to help, but man, like I've got to hang out with my friends and stuff. Be cool... I'll pass."
So God tries one more time. He comes upon a young boy, hardly 12 years old, and says to this child, "I need your help. The people aren't listening to me -- again! I need someone who will speak for me and show them where they've gone astray. I need someone to call them back to me. It doesn't pay much, but you'd really be helping me out. What do you say?"
And the child says, "But I'm just a kid. I wouldn't know what to say."
And God says, "Look, I'll write it down. I'll give you the words. Don't worry."
And the child says, "Sure... OK!"
Which just goes to remind us to never ask a man to do a child's job.
Rick McCracken-Bennett is an avid storyteller, an Episcopal priest and church planter, and the founding pastor of All Saints Episcopal Church in New Albany, Ohio. Rick began his ministry as a Roman Catholic priest, and he has also served as an alcohol and drug treatment counselor and as the director of an outpatient treatment center for adults and children.
Taboo
John S. Smylie
Luke 13:10-17
When principles or laws become more important than persons I think we have fallen into trouble. Our Lord did not come to change the law, he says, rather he came to fulfill it. Our Lord was not against the Sabbath, rather he recognized that there were needs greater than the strict keeping of the Sabbath that was held during his day. Why was it taboo to heal a woman who had been burdened for 18 years when it was acceptable to care for an animal on the farm? Our Lord had an uncanny gift for discovering the heart of the matter -- for discovering the deepest principle at stake in the present moment. It seems to me that our Lord is always more concerned about persons than he is about principles.
At times wisdom comes from unexpected places. There is a man at one of the churches that I have had the pleasure of serving who calls himself a janitor. He is the one who cares for all of our property, indoor and out. Before he was a janitor he served in the military, as a policeman in a rather large city, and in other capacities. In my mind he is a holy man, and he has a particularly strong relationship with St. Francis, a man in whom he sees the radical and strong presence of Christ. Not too long ago he asked me if he could change his hours a bit at the church so he could study physics at a local college. The study of physics was challenging him and was expanding his theological understanding of life and how the universe and world works. I said yes, while also letting him know I hoped we wouldn't loose him to another profession.
Over the years the basement floor of the church has become a storage area. It's filled with old chairs, sofas and love seats, filing cabinets, castaway computer parts, and all kinds of things that people felt they couldn't get rid of. We created a plan to clean the area, and after cataloging what it was we needed to hold on to, we've made available to the membership an opportunity to take whatever they want for their own use. After this we will contact shelters, who may have a desire for some of the material to serve others in the community, and following this action plan we will take the rest to the dump. I needed a file cabinet in my home; there were a few in the basement of the church, so the janitor (whom I will name Mike) had a pickup truck and was willing to help me haul the empty file cabinet to my home office.
As we were driving along Mike told me of a letter to the editor he had written that had been published recently. Mike attends the Roman Catholic church, and he was distressed at the attitude he was discovering in the local diocesan newspaper. There was an article in the diocesan newspaper commending the pro-life attitude and stance of the previous and newly appointed Wyoming senators. What pushed Mike's button was the pro-life label. He was very adamant in saying that these folks who were being commended were not pro-life -- at least they were not consistent in their pro-life attitude. He wasn't against them being anti-abortion; rather, he was upset by the inconsistency of their stance. So often those who call themselves pro-life, Mike said, were also pro-war, pro-death penalty, and pro-torture of prisoners. These inconsistencies really disturbed him. As I listened to Mike I couldn't help but find myself intrigued and informed by his thoughts and opinions.
In ministering to the woman who had been infirmed for 18 years and by healing on a Sabbath, I think our Lord was showing us something about the consistency with which God is concerned more for caring for people than with appearances.
Mike was passionate about his care for the vulnerable. And Mike was upset with those who mindlessly follow particular principles without examining the whole of their life. Perhaps in this week's Gospel reading our Lord is calling us to live more out of relationship with the Almighty God and with integrity than to live by a set of laws or principles or to attach ourselves to particular causes. Perhaps our Lord is challenging us to look beyond the narrow confines of our daily lives and our culturally informed viewpoints and open ourselves to the holiness of all creation. We have missed the mark when religious law or a cause or a principle becomes more important than persons and their real needs.
On the matter of abortion, I find myself in agreement with the Episcopal Church's stance. It is always sad, and yet abortion is understandable when the life of the mother is at stake and when the pregnancy has been caused by rape or some other sexual violation. Furthermore, the stance of the Episcopal Church has been to offer forgiveness for those who have had abortions and who wish to receive the sacrament of reconciliation. The church's stance has also made it clear that abortion is not an acceptable method of birth control.
Our Lord, Mike, and the Episcopal Church's stance on the issue of abortion are three distinct issues -- yet each reflects with sensitivity and integrity the intention of meeting individuals in a pastoral and at times challenging way. Thanks be to God for the courage that allows us to step into arenas that may appear taboo.
John S. Smylie is the rector of St. Mark's Episcopal Church in Casper, Wyoming. Previously he served as the dean of the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist in Spokane, Washington. He is a published author and storyteller as well as a singer-songwriter. Smylie recently completed Grace for Today, a collection of 25 stories that explores how grace, loss, and restoration are part of the same fabric.
**********************************************
How to Share Stories
You have good stories to share, probably more than you know: personal stories as well as stories from others that you have used over the years. If you have a story you like, whether fictional or "really happened," authored by you or a brief excerpt from a favorite book, send it to StoryShare for review. Simply email the story to us at storyshare@sermonsuite.com.
**************
StoryShare, August 26, 2007, issue.
Copyright 2007 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to the StoryShare service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons, in worship and classroom settings, in brief devotions, in radio spots, and as newsletter fillers. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to permissions@csspub.com or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 517 South Main Street, Lima, Ohio 45804.
What's Up This Week
"The Boy Who Always Told the Truth" by Rick McCracken-Bennett
"God Searches for a Spokesperson" by Rick McCracken-Bennett
"Taboo" by John S. Smylie
What's Up This Week
Getting along with people demands a certain sensitivity to the shortcomings of ourselves and others -- but we are often uncomfortable and sometimes even downright hostile to those refuse to engage in the little white lies that most of us engage in to grease the skids of social acceptability. Perhaps that's one reason a prophet's existence is so difficult; they find it impossible to be anything but brutally honest about what they see. In the featured story of this edition of StoryShare, Rick McCracken-Bennett tells the story of a young boy with an addiction to always telling the truth -- and of an enlightening heart-to-heart discussion between the boy and his father. Rick also shares a laugh-out-loud fable about the lengths God has to go to find a prophet (everyone has an excuse!). Finally, John Smylie reflects on Jesus' healing of a crippled woman on the Sabbath, and suggests that our Lord is calling us to also venture into areas that may be taboo to proclaim the truth and respond to the needs of others.
* * * * * * * * *
The Boy Who Always Told the Truth
Rick McCracken-Bennett
Then the Lord put out his hand and touched my mouth; and the Lord said to me, "Now I have put my words in your mouth. See, today I appoint you over nations and over kingdoms, to pluck up and to pull down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant."
Jeremiah 1:9-10
Jeremy was a 6th grader with a big problem.
Some say that he engaged his mouth before he had time to think about what he was going to say. Yes, some would say that -- but they would be wrong.
Now, it wasn't your typical 6th-grade boy-talk. He wasn't calling girls names and he wasn't trying to be rude or nasty. Jeremy was -- well, the best way to describe him would be to call him a truth-teller. Jeremy had the habit of telling the truth no matter what.
But... "truth-teller" is not what anyone else called him. At first kids called him a tattletale. That was 2nd grade. By 4th grade he was a snitch. And by the 6th grade, among other imaginative names, he was called a narc (even though no one was quite sure what that meant).
And it wasn't just the kids who had a problem with Jeremy's mouth. Oh, no. His parents were getting a little tired of all this truth-telling as well. You see, after a while his uncanny ability to tell right from wrong began to wear on just about everyone.
For example, if he overheard his mother making a phony excuse to a neighbor as to why they couldn't come over for a cookout, Jeremy would ask why. Why hadn't she told the truth? And if the conversation with the neighbor was in person and not over the phone, Jeremy would say something like, "No, Mom, we can go, we're not having company tonight."
And if his father came home before Christmas with rolls of tape from work for wrapping presents, Jeremy bugged him until he promised to take them back.
Jeremy couldn't help himself. The words would just come tumbling out. When someone was treated unfairly, he would point it out in no uncertain terms: whether that "someone" was his teacher, parent, or even their minister... he spoke out to whomever was the guilty party.
He tried to stop it. God knows it took its toll on him: detentions, time-outs, going to bed without his dinner. And friends -- well, he didn't really have any. Mostly Jeremy was alone and lonely.
One day his father took him fishing, and once they got settled he asked him, "Jeremy, why do you think you say the things that you do?"
"You mean when I tell the truth?"
"Well, yes," his father replied. "But why are you so quick to point out to people when they've done something or said something you think is wrong?"
Jeremy thought for a moment. "I don't know, Dad. The words just come out, like someone stuffed them in my mouth and I have to get them out before I choke or something."
Now it was his father's turn to think for a moment. "Son, don't take this wrong, but you're just a child. Sometimes it's better to say nothing, to let things slide, to swallow the truth. Some people, like the guy said in a movie once, just can't handle the truth."
Jeremy checked his hook for bait and cast his line again. "Dad?"
"Yes, son."
"Were you ever like me? Did you ever see bad things happen and couldn't help but say something even though you knew people didn't want to hear it?"
"Yes, and as a matter of fact, I still do. I see people hurting one another. I see injustice, prejudice, racism, all of that, all of the time. But sometimes I think you're better off keeping your mouth shut."
"Really?" Jeremy said. "Then help me understand something. If no one spoke up against these things -- what kind of a world would this be?"
Now it was his father's turn to tell the truth. "Pretty much the world we have now, Jeremy. Pretty much the world we have now."
Jeremy smiled at his dad, and for once he didn't have to say anything at all.
God Searches for a Spokesperson
Rick McCracken-Bennett
[The Lord said,] "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations." Then I said, "Ah, Lord God! Truly I do not know how to speak, for I am only a boy." But the Lord said to me, "Do not say, 'I am only a boy'; for you shall go to all to whom I send you, and you shall speak whatever I command you..."
Jeremiah 1:5-7
So God says to this guy, "I need your help. The people aren't listening to me -- again! I need someone who will speak for me and show them where they've gone astray. I need someone to call them back to me. It doesn't pay much, but you'd really be helping me out. What do you say?"
But the man says, "I wouldn't know what to say."
"Not a problem," says God. "I'll give you words. I'm just about done with the script now."
But the man says, "Oh God, I'd love to help, but I am an old man. I think I'll pass."
And God lets out a big, long sigh and goes in search for someone who can speak the truth to his people.
So God says to this middle-aged man, "I need your help. The people aren't listening to me -- again! I need someone who will speak for me and show them where they've gone astray. I need someone to call them back to me. It doesn't pay much, but you'd really be helping me out. What do you say?"
But the middle-aged man says, "I wouldn't have any idea what I would say."
And God says, "Not a problem. I'll give you words to say. I'm finishing up the script as we speak."
But the man says, "Oh, I'd love to help, I really would. But I've got a job and a wife and kids. I'm afraid I'm going to have to pass."
So God lets out another big, long sigh and continues his search for someone to speak the truth to his people.
God comes upon a young man, fresh out of college. "I need your help. The people aren't listening to me -- again! I need someone who will speak for me and show them where they've gone astray. I need someone to call them back to me. It doesn't pay much, but you'd really be helping me out. What do you say?"
And the young man says, "I took painting as my fine arts credit instead of public speaking. I wouldn't know what to say or how to say it."
And God says, "It really won't be a problem. I'm I working on the script and you'll get a copy of it in plenty of time. All you'll have to do is read it."
But the man says, "I'd love to help, seeing that I'm young and an idealist and want to change the world, but I've got to get a real job so that I can pay off my student loans first. I'll have to pass."
God sighs a little longer and louder now, and continues his search for someone -- anyone -- who will speak the truth to his people.
So God says to this teenager, "I need your help. The people aren't listening to me -- again! I need someone who will speak for me and show them where they've gone astray. I need someone to call them back to me. It doesn't pay much, but you'd really be helping me out. What do you say?"
And the teenager pulls his iPod earbuds out of his ears and says, "Huh?"
"I said, I need your help speaking to all the people of the world since they stopped listening to me."
And the teen says, "Like... well, you know, I like wouldn't know what to say, man."
And God says, "Not a problem. I'll give you all the words you need to say. I'll even read the script into a podcast, and you can listen to it and just tell them what I want them to hear."
And the teen says, "Dude, I would like to help, but man, like I've got to hang out with my friends and stuff. Be cool... I'll pass."
So God tries one more time. He comes upon a young boy, hardly 12 years old, and says to this child, "I need your help. The people aren't listening to me -- again! I need someone who will speak for me and show them where they've gone astray. I need someone to call them back to me. It doesn't pay much, but you'd really be helping me out. What do you say?"
And the child says, "But I'm just a kid. I wouldn't know what to say."
And God says, "Look, I'll write it down. I'll give you the words. Don't worry."
And the child says, "Sure... OK!"
Which just goes to remind us to never ask a man to do a child's job.
Rick McCracken-Bennett is an avid storyteller, an Episcopal priest and church planter, and the founding pastor of All Saints Episcopal Church in New Albany, Ohio. Rick began his ministry as a Roman Catholic priest, and he has also served as an alcohol and drug treatment counselor and as the director of an outpatient treatment center for adults and children.
Taboo
John S. Smylie
Luke 13:10-17
When principles or laws become more important than persons I think we have fallen into trouble. Our Lord did not come to change the law, he says, rather he came to fulfill it. Our Lord was not against the Sabbath, rather he recognized that there were needs greater than the strict keeping of the Sabbath that was held during his day. Why was it taboo to heal a woman who had been burdened for 18 years when it was acceptable to care for an animal on the farm? Our Lord had an uncanny gift for discovering the heart of the matter -- for discovering the deepest principle at stake in the present moment. It seems to me that our Lord is always more concerned about persons than he is about principles.
At times wisdom comes from unexpected places. There is a man at one of the churches that I have had the pleasure of serving who calls himself a janitor. He is the one who cares for all of our property, indoor and out. Before he was a janitor he served in the military, as a policeman in a rather large city, and in other capacities. In my mind he is a holy man, and he has a particularly strong relationship with St. Francis, a man in whom he sees the radical and strong presence of Christ. Not too long ago he asked me if he could change his hours a bit at the church so he could study physics at a local college. The study of physics was challenging him and was expanding his theological understanding of life and how the universe and world works. I said yes, while also letting him know I hoped we wouldn't loose him to another profession.
Over the years the basement floor of the church has become a storage area. It's filled with old chairs, sofas and love seats, filing cabinets, castaway computer parts, and all kinds of things that people felt they couldn't get rid of. We created a plan to clean the area, and after cataloging what it was we needed to hold on to, we've made available to the membership an opportunity to take whatever they want for their own use. After this we will contact shelters, who may have a desire for some of the material to serve others in the community, and following this action plan we will take the rest to the dump. I needed a file cabinet in my home; there were a few in the basement of the church, so the janitor (whom I will name Mike) had a pickup truck and was willing to help me haul the empty file cabinet to my home office.
As we were driving along Mike told me of a letter to the editor he had written that had been published recently. Mike attends the Roman Catholic church, and he was distressed at the attitude he was discovering in the local diocesan newspaper. There was an article in the diocesan newspaper commending the pro-life attitude and stance of the previous and newly appointed Wyoming senators. What pushed Mike's button was the pro-life label. He was very adamant in saying that these folks who were being commended were not pro-life -- at least they were not consistent in their pro-life attitude. He wasn't against them being anti-abortion; rather, he was upset by the inconsistency of their stance. So often those who call themselves pro-life, Mike said, were also pro-war, pro-death penalty, and pro-torture of prisoners. These inconsistencies really disturbed him. As I listened to Mike I couldn't help but find myself intrigued and informed by his thoughts and opinions.
In ministering to the woman who had been infirmed for 18 years and by healing on a Sabbath, I think our Lord was showing us something about the consistency with which God is concerned more for caring for people than with appearances.
Mike was passionate about his care for the vulnerable. And Mike was upset with those who mindlessly follow particular principles without examining the whole of their life. Perhaps in this week's Gospel reading our Lord is calling us to live more out of relationship with the Almighty God and with integrity than to live by a set of laws or principles or to attach ourselves to particular causes. Perhaps our Lord is challenging us to look beyond the narrow confines of our daily lives and our culturally informed viewpoints and open ourselves to the holiness of all creation. We have missed the mark when religious law or a cause or a principle becomes more important than persons and their real needs.
On the matter of abortion, I find myself in agreement with the Episcopal Church's stance. It is always sad, and yet abortion is understandable when the life of the mother is at stake and when the pregnancy has been caused by rape or some other sexual violation. Furthermore, the stance of the Episcopal Church has been to offer forgiveness for those who have had abortions and who wish to receive the sacrament of reconciliation. The church's stance has also made it clear that abortion is not an acceptable method of birth control.
Our Lord, Mike, and the Episcopal Church's stance on the issue of abortion are three distinct issues -- yet each reflects with sensitivity and integrity the intention of meeting individuals in a pastoral and at times challenging way. Thanks be to God for the courage that allows us to step into arenas that may appear taboo.
John S. Smylie is the rector of St. Mark's Episcopal Church in Casper, Wyoming. Previously he served as the dean of the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist in Spokane, Washington. He is a published author and storyteller as well as a singer-songwriter. Smylie recently completed Grace for Today, a collection of 25 stories that explores how grace, loss, and restoration are part of the same fabric.
**********************************************
How to Share Stories
You have good stories to share, probably more than you know: personal stories as well as stories from others that you have used over the years. If you have a story you like, whether fictional or "really happened," authored by you or a brief excerpt from a favorite book, send it to StoryShare for review. Simply email the story to us at storyshare@sermonsuite.com.
**************
StoryShare, August 26, 2007, issue.
Copyright 2007 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to the StoryShare service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons, in worship and classroom settings, in brief devotions, in radio spots, and as newsletter fillers. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to permissions@csspub.com or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 517 South Main Street, Lima, Ohio 45804.
