More from Barnes

I read this yesterday. Here, Craig Barnes is writing about the Samaritan woman at the well in John 4. What follows are excerpts from pages 83 and 84 of The Pastor as Minor Poet.

When parishioners discover that this is not simply an old story about people long dead, but it is their story, then the Word of God is speaking directly. Most preachers know this and are always trying to build bridges between biblical characters’ lives and our own lives. But the real challenge is not to point out similarities but to tell our contemporary life stories through the details of the biblical narrative. … Everyone in the church listening to this sermon is thirsting for something more in relationships, in work, in health, and most of all in spirituality. … The point is that no woman plans on being married five times. The system isn’t working for her. For the minor poet [the pastor], the more profound point is that this woman depicts the depths of our own desperation. It would be easy for those listening to the sermon to let themselves off the hook by claiming that at least they haven’t been married five times. Perhaps not. But they have tried five weight-reduction plans, five moves, five jobs, give degree programs, or five churches – and the system isn’t working for them either. Now the preacher is beneath the text.