Again and again I am asked how to share the "Good News" with Muslims using a simple set. This is a suggestion as a starting point. Please remember that you can always adapt such a set to suit the person you are talking to or the target group. If you have half an hour or a whole hour, for example, you can tell them all one after the other. Just as often, however, I only tell one or two stories in several different conversations. You will find all of the following stories ready to download in my handbook "Stories and Oral Bibles". As the numbering changes over time, please go to the table of contents and search for "Story set for Muslims", at the moment it is no. 106
A conversation starts by building a relationship, you get to know each other briefly, talk about Islam and fasting. Then I ask the question: "Can I tell you an interesting story about fasting from the Prophet Isa?" I tell the story in simple German: Two men praying Luke 18:9-14. Many people will know the story under "The parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector in the temple". Depending on the situation, I use the following as a cover or personal confession: "So I also believe that Jesus answers my prayers for forgiveness of my guilt. What do you think about that?" Or: "I am glad that Jesus sees my heart! How do you see that?"
If there is plenty of time, I will use the following story as the next one "The first disobedience against God Genesis 3:1-24". I emphasize afterwards that because of a single disobedience, the personal relationship with God has been destroyed to this day, even for us humans today. How can I manage to become righteous before God with good deeds?
Then I tell Abraham Genesis 12:1-7; 15:1-6. Lid: I am happy that I have a personal relationship with God, that I talk to him like with a family member. What does that look like in your life? Do you also have such a personal relationship?
Next story: God puts Abraham to the test Genesis 22:1-19. "Who provided the sacrificial lamb?" Muslims almost always answer that the sacrifice was given by God. This is then the template for the next story.
The deliverance of Abraham's descendants by Moses Exodus 12:1-33, Deuteronomy 18:15
Again and again I come across postmodern Muslims who say that all religions lead to God. That's why I have the following lid: only those who were in the house and under the protection of the blood were spared from judgment. It was no use saying, "I am an Egyptian who says all religions lead to God." "Remember, God makes the rules not you. What do you think about that?"
Now comes the Message of Hope Isaiah 52:13-53:12. A very brief summary of this story is recommended here. Again the question: What do you think about it?
As the last or penultimate story I use Jesus' baptism Luke 3:1-3, 10-22 Matthew 3:7-9, 13-15, John 1:29. I end the story with the cover: "I believe that Jesus is the sacrificial lamb of God who died and rose again as a sacrificial lamb for my disobedience, just as our common prophet Jachia (Arabic name for John the Baptist) said. What do you think about this?" You have to realize that this can come across as a serious provocation. Here you can see who is a seeker and who is not.
I use as a finish: The story of the prodigal sons Luke 15:11-32
Lid: "I believe that God welcomes us like a father welcomes his son. What do you think about this story?" Due to time constraints, the second part of the story about the second son can be omitted.
I always use stories to filter out who is really interested in spiritual conversation. "Who is seeking?" Anyone who has listened so far may find it worthwhile to spend a lot of time with more stories.
All stories are formulated in my manual and come with lots of tips. Especially for a storyteller with not so much experience, it can be worth learning and retelling a story every week.
I will also be introducing more story sets in my next blog posts, so it's worth coming back to the blog. A warm invitation to my Training in German and English.
During my training sessions, the participants always work on a story set for their particular context. These story sets are always a personal highlight for me, as I am often very richly rewarded and discover many new treasures in God's Word. A story set consists of 4-10 stories, which are either told one after the other or build on each other visit after visit. What does this look like in practice? Physiotherapists working somewhere in Asia took part in a training course. Disabled children or adults are considered a disgrace and are often hidden away. As a result, they do not receive the support they actually need. These physiotherapists travel to the villages and visit the families. Depending on the disability, they perform exercises or treatments and teach the parents how to repeat them. Afterwards, they sit together for a cup of tea or usually for a meal. During each visit, they tell one of the stories from the following set:
Creation of the world Gen 1-2 Possible conclusion: All people are created in the image of God, including people with disabilities.
The first disobedience against God Genesis 3:1-24 Focus: Through the disobedience of man, suffering also came into the world.
David and Mephibosheth 2 Samuel 9:1-13 Focus: King David has given all the land back to a severely disabled man and Mefi-Bosheth is a daily guest at the royal table.
Jesus heals a man born blind John 9:1-9 Possible conclusion: "The purpose of disability is not punishment for individual sins, but the glory of God."
Seeing the weak Luke 14:1.7-14 Focus: Jesus sees the suffering of the weak.
The story of the prodigal sons Luke 15:11-32 All are welcome with God, even people who are supposed to be a disgrace or shame.
The African Acts 8:26-39 Focus: The eunuch was castrated and becomes a follower of Jesus.
My personal favorite story from this set is David and Mephibosheth 2 Samuel 9:1-13
After David became king, he thought of his deceased friend Jonathan, the son of the former king Saul. David began to find out if any of Saul's family were still alive. He was determined to keep the promise he had made to Jonathan to do him good. One of his servants remembered that one of Jonathan's sons, Mephibosheth, was still alive. When he was a child, his nurse had accidentally dropped him while fleeing, and since then he had been paralyzed in both feet and could no longer walk. King David had him brought to him from a town some distance away. When Mephibosheth arrived at the royal court, he bowed before King David. David reassured him: "You needn't be afraid. Your father was my best friend, and I want to do you good. I will give you back all the fields that belonged to your grandfather Saul. You will eat at my table every day as my guest. Mefibosheth bowed again and asked: "What have I done to deserve this? I am worth as little as a dead dog." Then King David publicly declared, "I give all the possessions of King Saul to his grandson Mephibosheth.” King David treated Mephibosheth very well, even though he could have killed him. And so Mephibosheth ate with King David every day.
This is a true story from the Holy Scriptures.
Possible lid: What I like about this story is that King David treated a disabled person like a royal child.
Think about the effect this story has on parents who have only ever heard it: Disabled children are a disgrace and shame.
In future blog posts, I will also present a story set from time to time. You can find all the material in my handbook "Stories and Oral Bibles" under https://www.fivefingerfood.org/en_us/download/. As my handbook continues to grow, I can only give the current page page 171, but this will change. Otherwise look in the table of contents under "The church and people with disabilities". The photo is from https://www.freebibleimages.org, a free super resource for Bible photos or drawings.
In his doctoral thesis Coming to Faith in Christ: Case studies of Muslims in Kenya Reinhold Strähler has described four fascinating ways how Muslims find Jesus (Dissertation for download). If you tell stories to Muslims, as in this case, then you also have a goal in mind. That's why I think it's important to think about how Muslims, for example, can find Jesus and which stories fit in with this.
I have quoted the four ways here.
1. intellectual path: Miriam's path
As the daughter of a highly educated and respected family in Iraq, all paths were open to Miriam. Her career path from university to an academic career was a given, just as Islam was a natural part of her life and defined her identity. During her school years, a religious campaign began in which Islam was emphasised more strongly and the entire Koran was covered in class. Her family had little contact with Christians. As an educated and cosmopolitan family, they did have an Arabic Bible at home, but Miriam found the language difficult and the content incomprehensible.
When Miriam was 24 years old, her family moved to Germany and a new phase in her life began. She was fascinated by the completely different society and the associated freedoms and opportunities. The western image of women particularly appealed to her. She continued her studies and moved away from home, which is actually unthinkable for an unmarried woman from the Orient. But experiencing the great freedoms also showed her the challenges involved. It was not easy to keep her head above water with various jobs. The advance of the ‘Islamic State’ in her home country was a great burden for her. She needed people with whom she could talk about her longing for peace.
A German acquaintance criticised Muhammad, which made Miriam angry and even led her to defend suicide bombers. She got to know Korean Christians in her student hall of residence and attended their church services for eight years. She understood little of the content, as the topics discussed there were not geared towards people with a Muslim background. In an Arabic Bible that she received, she felt lost without guidance. She was bothered by the language, but read it again and again. At the time, she was watching Christian TV programmes with their religious and comparative religious debates. But at some point she had enough of it because her faith was always being attacked and ridiculed.
Miriam was looking for God, but didn't know where to look or who to pray to. She read a lot and followed many debates. At some point, she was so exhausted that she cried out to Jesus and asked for a sign. That night she had a dream in which she was on a sinking ship, but not sinking herself. She woke up terrified and deeply comforted at the same time. She prayed and thanked Jesus for saving her. After this dramatic experience, she received a Bible in a more comprehensible Arabic translation and began to understand more and more about the Christian faith. Through a German pastor, she came into contact with an Arabic church and was baptised there in 2017
2. Way of changing attitudes: Abdi's story
Abdi wuchs in einer dörflichen Umgebung in Kenia auf, die stark vom Islam geprägt ist und wo Christen als verachtete Minderheit gelten. Als Kind und Jugendlicher hatte er deshalb keine klare Vorstellung über den christlichen Glauben. »Wir kannten nur die eine Seite der Medaille«, erklärt er zu seiner Situation damals. Nach Beendigung der Sekundarstufe zog Abdi nach Nairobi, da seine Schwester schon in der Hauptstadt lebte. Durch sie kam er in Kontakt mit ausländischen Christen. Abdi war gerne mit ihnen zusammen, beim gemeinsamen Fußballspiel, bei Mahlzeiten und den Gesprächen über religiöse Themen. Nach und nach realisierte Abdi, dass die Bibel wertvolle Wahrheiten enthält, und er begann, diesen zu vertrauen.
Abdi had been brought up as a strict Muslim. He was not always enthusiastic about the religious rites, but he liked the communal aspect of Islam. For his own people, the Christian faith did not exist; they saw Christians as lost people. But when Abdi met such people in Nairobi, his attitude towards Christians changed dramatically. The love he experienced from them overwhelmed him. ‘The love that these Christians have for each other and even for members of other religions is what sparked my interest.’ This love made him realise that there was ‘another side to the coin’. For about two years, Abdi was in contact with these Christians, observed their lives and learnt a lot from them about the teachings of the Bible. Then he was ready to decide to follow Jesus Christ himself.
3. Mystical path: Vahid's story
Vahid is an electrical engineer and - like his wife Elham - comes from a wealthy middle-class family in Iran. Belief in God played no role for him. Rather, he had a critical attitude towards Islamic demands. Two and a half weeks after his wedding in 2013, his father died. As a result, Vahid became depressed and afraid of death, and his appetite for life dwindled. He fell into a deep crisis and felt like he was sinking into a swamp. In October 2016, an Iranian friend who lives in the USA visited the couple. She is a Christian. Vahid took her up on her offer to pray for him. During the prayer, Vahid experienced a sudden sense of relief and felt healed afterwards.
This profound emotional experience led to a cognitive examination of the Christian faith. The couple began to read the Bible together and search for information on the Internet. During a visit to France, they attended a Christian church service for the first time in their lives. On their return to Iran in March 2017, they came across a television program on the Christian channel Sat-7. At the end of the program, the speaker encouraged the listeners to entrust their lives to Jesus Christ and turn to him in faith. The couple did this with a prayer. During another visit to Germany in June 2017, they were baptized in a Persian church.
4 The solution-seeking path: Julia's story
Julia grew up in Iran in a liberal, cosmopolitan family. Her father only read the Koran at the request of his devout mother, and stopped reading it after her death. Julia's parents had a happy and rather unusual marriage before the Islamic revolution. Her mother was westernized in her dress and behavior. Julia's father commuted back and forth between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula as part of his work. He had American work colleagues there, some of whom were Christians. He learnt a lot about the Christian faith from them and eventually described himself as a Christian, but without ever officially converting to the Christian faith and being baptized. At home, he told his family a lot about what he had learnt about the Christian faith. Julia grew up with the example of her freedom-loving mother and free-thinking father and adopted their attitude, including their love of the Christian faith.
After graduating, Julia also went to work on the Arabian Peninsula. Three years later, she married out of necessity. Her father was in debt at the time and an acquaintance from Iran offered him a large bride wealth if Julia would marry his son. Julia agreed to the marriage for her father's sake. It soon became apparent that her husband was violent. He began to beat Julia. His family had a very conservative and restrictive attitude towards women's rights and so Julia was forced to wear a veil, even in the presence of her brothers-in-law, although this is actually unusual in Islam. Her husband became more and more suspicious and increasingly harassed his wife. Life became a living hell for her. The children, who had been born in the meantime, were also beaten by their father for the slightest neglect. At the same time, her husband had affairs with other women.
Her husband's religious fanaticism and his violence caused Julia to hate Islam. She began to search for Christian content on the internet. She was particularly fascinated by Jesus‘ miracles, his love for his enemies and his humility, such as the way he washed his disciples’ feet. She longed for an alternative to the narrowness of her life, to the violence and hypocrisy of people who pretended to be pious but behaved completely differently. Gradually, she became convinced that the Christian faith was the right path for her. She went to the family court twice, but only experienced rejection there. So Julia made plans to escape.
The opportunity arose when she visited her sister, who lived in Germany. After some pleading, her husband agreed to a visit. Once in Germany, Julia took the opportunity to go to the police with her children and apply for asylum. Her husband was furious, but as Julia had not told her sister, she was unable to help find Julia. While she was still in the initial reception centre in Heidelberg, Julia sought contact with a Christian church. She was later baptised in an Arabic-speaking church in Stuttgart.
Which paths do you know? Do you know any other ways? What could such paths look like for secular Germans? Why don't you write down different spiritual paths and send them to me via the Contact. Under Training you will find all the information you need to register for a training course
Challenge: Read the following stories and try to find out which one generally describes your ethnic group.
Think generously and be aware that there will be many exceptions.
Non-reader1: The story of Ali and Aigul
Ali used to be a farmer, but now he lives in the city and works as a laborer on a daily basis. He and his wife Aigul have two boys and a girl. Ali never went to school. Until recently, he didn't even get beyond the market, which is a three-hour walk from his farm. He sees writing in the city, but it has no meaning for him unless the color or appearance helps him find his way. Ali entertains his children with funny stories about his everyday work. But as soon as he has finished speaking, the story "disappears". It is gone forever, unless he repeats it. So the children ask him: "Tell it again!" and tell it to their friends the next day. Aigul also listens so that she can tell her neighbor something new over tea. They both use Whatsapp, but only for voice messages. Ali and Aigul learn through stories, anecdotes, proverbs, songs and practical experiences.
Non-reader 2: The story of Baris and Büschra
Baris is a former soldier who now works in the city and runs a small business. He and his wife Büschra have two daughters and one son. Before he joined the army, he went to business school. But when he finished school, he stopped reading. Büschra worked in a sewing shop before she became pregnant. They are both very proud of their older daughter, who is top of her class at school. But they are both secretly ashamed that they can't help her with her homework. At the age of eleven, she already reads and understands what she reads better than her parents, especially if it's a subject they don't know much about. Like some of his friends, Baris buys the newspaper and sits in the teahouse reading it. But he mainly gets news from his friends and forms his opinions by talking to his friends and listening to the radio. Büschra likes to meet with neighbors and relatives. Printed information has little influence on their values or behavior. They both use Whatsapp for short messages. They also both like to watch videos on YouTube. Their lives are based on what they learn through stories, discussions, anecdotes, proverbs, songs, videos and practical experiences.
Non-reader 3 Cem and Canan
Cem and Canan both grew up in the city and both finished school. After leaving school, Cem trained in a commercial profession and then did his military service in a special unit. Canan worked as an employee until the birth of her first child. She wrote Cem a detailed letter every week while he was in the military. And he wrote her a detailed letter in return. Canan likes to read. She mostly reads novels that she borrows from friends or the library. But her favorite entertainment is television and the radio. Canan helps her older daughter with her schoolwork and makes sure that all her homework is done on time. But when Canan or Cem need information for themselves, they don't look it up in the library, even though they are capable of doing so. Instead, they find someone to tell them or show them. Despite their education, they still believe that people are the best source of information. Canan understands a little when someone explains something with the help of sketches, points, lists, tables, diagrams, or steps, but she finds this kind of information difficult to remember and difficult to pass on to other people. Canan prefers oral information to printed information. She learns best and easiest through stories, anecdotes, proverbs, songs, practical experiences and intensive discussions.
Readers: Demir and Deniz
Demir is a 26-year-old university student majoring in mathematics. He hopes to get a job at a teacher training college. He likes to read and buys books on subjects he is interested in, even if they are not needed for his classes. His wife Deniz is like Demir. She also does a lot of research on the computer to learn and acquire knowledge beyond mathematics. They both like to learn new things. Demir also likes it when the text has a lot of pictures. He picked up this preference on the Internet. That's why he groans when he sees textbooks with long chapters, long paragraphs and no illustrations! Both prefer to use outlines, lists, tables, and diagrams to learn new things or share them with others. Both enjoy a good movie.
Based on your understanding of oral and written communication, your group would be categorized as one of these examples:
On my journey of discovery into the world of orality, I was very challenged by the following article from 2002:
SOUTHERN SUDAN (BP)--Eighteen men and women graduated with a certificate from Southwestern B.-Theological Seminary recently, without ever opening a book or writing a single paper.
Deep in the heart of southern Sudan, a Bible school teaches local church leaders without the use of textbooks, notebooks or pencils. The only tools students need are ears for listening, eyes for seeing and a voice for telling. International Mission Board missionaries and a Kenya missionary teach everything orally
"The highest level among the students is grade five," says Tom Ogalo, Kenyan missionary. "Many people in this area cannot read. Reading is also not the way they gather information. Their history is passed down orally from generation to generation. So it just makes sense for us to start doing theological education orally. Educating Christians in a society that does not read is a serious challenge for missionaries. The Southwestern B. Missionary in Fort Worth, Texas, is working with the IMB to find ways to equip oral learners with biblical truths. Many missionaries around the world use the chronological Bible study introduced by New Tribes Mission. This concept teaches by telling Bible stories in chronological order. Each story is repeated several times and each story relates to the next. This method is used for evangelism and discipleship.
"As the good news successfully spread in oral cultures through this method, missionaries were faced with the task and challenge of how to equip these new believers in the churches they planted." Said Grant Lovejoy, professor at the seminary. "We found that many of these oral learners were not qualified to attend local seminaries. Some of them couldn't even benefit from distance learning theological courses because of their oral culture." Says Lovejoy. "The whole approach is designed to equip people whose ways of learning and communicating are oral. The training does not use lectures, notes, textbooks, workbooks or any of the other learning activities normally associated with Western education. The curriculum and methodology of instruction are designed specifically for people who will be living and working in cultures where reading and writing are rarely practiced. The certificate from Southwestern Baptist Seminary helps bring credibility and standards to those who complete the Oral Bible School. Ogalo and IMB missionary Tom Reed learned this traditional method of teaching from the South Sudanese.
After the class has gathered in the courtyard of the largest mud house in the village, the lesson begins with a review of the last lesson. They talk about various aspects of the story, its meaning and its application in everyday life before moving on to the next lesson. Ogalo then tells a story from the letters of St. Paul. "This school requires a lot of memorization." Ogalo explains. "If you tell the story wrong, the students will learn it wrong and they will tell it wrong to their church members." After the story, Ogalo and Reed ask questions and begin a discussion about theology and church leadership. Reed guides the students to answer questions through the richness of the stories they have already learned. Each student has learned more than 200 Bible stories. Students are given oral tests every week and a comprehensive oral exam every three months. They learn evangelism, discipleship, church planting and leadership, counseling and ethical issues in the light of the Bible.
"It's all about repetition. These people have to repeat every single thing, it's not possible for them to read or refresh their memory," Reed explains. "That's why we have a lot of culturally appropriate exercises. In each lesson, students develop a drama and a song to illustrate the biblical truths." Students often do four or five songs per story. People from distant villages walk to the school every Friday night to learn the new songs for the week. While they stay up until the early morning, they sing the new songs and go over old songs as well.
Ogalo smiles as he hears the songs being practiced and notes how much the village has changed in the last three years.
"When we first got here, no one came to this village or even lived here. There was no water," he said. "Now there is a borehole and this is the gathering spot for people. Not just because of the borehole, but because of the seminary. God's Word is spreading and people are embracing the stories."
One student said that when he returns to his village to tell the stories he learns in school, the response is better than ever. "They tell me it is the first time they have understood the Bible and what it means to be a Christian," he said.
Most of the students in the program are pastors in their home villages. The school's guidelines require them to plant new churches. Students tell the stories and lead discussions, they perform a drama and teach new songs and dances. Reed says the response from the villagers has been amazing. "We go so far into the bush that people wear leaves as clothes. It's amazing to see how people respond to the students' sermons and songs. This oral way of preaching is a way of reaching people who are traditionally Bushmen on the African continent. "
www.bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?id=13996, published here with permission
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