Reviewed Book: Chatfield, Donald F. Dinner with Jesus and Other Left-Handed Story-Sermons. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1988

Milleville, Randy P.

Riegert, Eduard R.

English

Wilfrid Laurier University

ConsensusVolume 18Issue 1 Issues in Church Life Article 225-1-1992Dinner with Jesus and Other Left-Handed Story-SermonsRandy P. MillevilleEduard R. RiegertFollow this and additional works at: http://scholars.wlu.ca/consensusThis Book Reviews is brought to you for free and open access by Scholars Commons @ Laurier. It has been accepted for inclusion in Consensus by anauthorized editor of Scholars Commons @ Laurier. For more information, please contact scholarscommons@wlu.ca.Recommended CitationMilleville, Randy P. and Riegert, Eduard R. (1992) "Dinner with Jesus and Other Left-Handed Story-Sermons," Consensus: Vol. 18 :Iss. 1 , Article 22.Available at: http://scholars.wlu.ca/consensus/vol18/iss1/22Book Reviews 151Often writing autobiographically, Carroll provides much testimony andreflection through personal experience in ministry, as well as vignettes ofothers’ pastoral or lay ministry; all this engaging narrative gives the readerample opportunity to engage her/his faith and ministry stories reflectively.This is a text which will be of great value to all leaders in the church,whether clergy or laity. It is also a book which will serve as an excel-lent study text, whether in seminary courses on ministry and leadership orcongregational adult study groups desiring to strengthen their ministries.Arnold D. WeigelWaterloo Lutheran SeminaryDinner With Jesus and Other Left-handed Story-sermonsDonald F. ChatfieldGrand Rapids: Zondervan, 1988128 pp. $9.50This book is a collection of twelve story-sermons composed by DonaldChatfield, a Presbyterian minister and Professor of Preaching at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary in Evanston, Illinois. The title matchesthe author’s imagination. He describes a left-handed sermon as “one thatencourages the right side of the brain to take the lead for a while” (9). Con-gregations not used to the story-sermon or narrative style of preaching mayneed some help in listening; apparently the congregations Chatfield servedresponded enthusiastically. Chatfield introduces each sermon, telling ussomething of its genesis, the intentions he had for it, and how it developed.The first sermon, “Dinner with Jesus”, takes the form of an inter-officememo from Matthew to his supervisor in the tax office, explaining hisabrupt departure and submitting his resignation. Chatfield is at his besthere in the use of humor and creative anachronism. “The Greatest Gift” isa story of Christmas. A single, middle-aged, Protestant woman sets out topurchase a Christmas gift for herself and discovers, in a Roman Catholicchurch, the greatest gift of all. “The Sign of Jonah” was meant for children,and so Jonah is a youngster who is convinced the Ninevites have stolen hisSwiss Army knife. A fine yarn especially in a youth retreat or camp setting.“So It Was You All the Time” is an engrossing pacing through Abraham’slife. It is safe to say that all people have experienced God without beingaware of God’s presence; here is a poignant reminder of that presence, en-couraging reflective searching for those times when God was indeed present,yet silently so. “The Pilgrim’s River” is in the “fantasy” mode, or perhapsthe allegorical mode. The Christ motif is evident, but following the river152 Consensusas a paradigm of discipleship (if that is what is meant) was less than ef-fective. “What If. . . ?” is a startling reversal of Jesus’ determination “togo to Jerusalem”: Peter, in spite of Jesus’ rebuke, persuades him not togo! “The Fastest Gun in The West” is an allegory about messianic expec-tations. “Who is the Least?” is also an allegory, though very closely tiedto the parable of the last judgment. Though somewhat abstract, it is pow-erfully moving and cause for honest self-examination. In “Michal” David’swife tells her story of life with David and of how her jealousy has cost hereverything. The sermon seems a bit contrived, yet a youth retreat settingmay prove a useful setting for this retelling of the biblical narrative. In“The Godless Agreement” Moses’ public relations man remonstrates aboutMoses’ invisible God and how difficult this God will be to “sell”. It isa refreshing and poignant approach to the first commandment—and verychallenging! Cain (“Cain’s Story”) tells how he finally came to accept his“mark” as a sign of God’s mercy and love. And in “The Day Jesus Cameto the City” several persons, including the donkey, share their experienceof Palm Sunday; some of the endings get a bit mushy, and one feels theneed to get beyond the characters.These story-sermons are the product of an imaginative mind. They areexamples of several ways to shape the plots of such sermons, and motivateone to attempt such preaching. Above all, they demonstrate nicely thecontrast between right-brain and left-brain preaching.Randy P. Milleville and Eduard R. RiegertWaterloo Lutheran SeminaryThe Teaching MinisterClark M. Williamson and Ronald J. AllenLouisville, KY: Westminster/John Knox Press, 1991138 pp.Two teachers at Christian Theological Seminary, Indianapolis, namely,Clark M. Williamson, Professor of Theology, and Ronald J. Allen, Assis-tant Professor of Preaching, have co-authored a provocative, searching andchallenging text which incorporates insightful sociological, theological andpastoral scholarship.In response to a set of critical questions facing the church today: “Whatshould be the image, model or role of the clergy? How should Christianpastors understand what the church properly expects and needs from them?What is the central task of the ministry?” (7), the authors state plainlyand emphatically: “The central task of ministry is teaching the Christianfaith” (7).

Dinner with Jesus and Other Left-Handed Story-Sermons

Scholars Commons

Consensus
Volume 18
Issue 1 Issues in Church Life Article 22
5-1-1992
Dinner with Jesus and Other Left-Handed Story-
Sermons
Randy P. Milleville
Eduard R. Riegert
Follow this and additional works at: http://scholars.wlu.ca/consensus
This Book Reviews is brought to you for free and open access by Scholars Commons @ Laurier. It has been accepted for inclusion in Consensus by an
authorized editor of Scholars Commons @ Laurier. For more information, please contact scholarscommons@wlu.ca.
Recommended Citation
Milleville, Randy P. and Riegert, Eduard R. (1992) "Dinner with Jesus and Other Left-Handed Story-Sermons," Consensus: Vol. 18 :
Iss. 1 , Article 22.
Available at: http://scholars.wlu.ca/consensus/vol18/iss1/22
Book Reviews 151
Often writing autobiographically, Carroll provides much testimony and
reflection through personal experience in ministry, as well as vignettes of
others’ pastoral or lay ministry; all this engaging narrative gives the reader
ample opportunity to engage her/his faith and ministry stories reflectively.
This is a text which will be of great value to all leaders in the church,
whether clergy or laity. It is also a book which will serve as an excel-
lent study text, whether in seminary courses on ministry and leadership or
congregational adult study groups desiring to strengthen their ministries.
Arnold D. Weigel
Waterloo Lutheran Seminary
Dinner With Jesus and Other Left-handed Story-
sermons
Donald F. Chatfield
Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1988
128 pp. $9.50
This book is a collection of twelve story-sermons composed by Donald
Chatfield, a Presbyterian minister and Professor of Preaching at Garrett-
Evangelical Theological Seminary in Evanston, Illinois. The title matches
the author’s imagination. He describes a left-handed sermon as “one that
encourages the right side of the brain to take the lead for a while” (9). Con-
gregations not used to the story-sermon or narrative style of preaching may
need some help in listening; apparently the congregations Chatfield served
responded enthusiastically. Chatfield introduces each sermon, telling us
something of its genesis, the intentions he had for it, and how it developed.
The first sermon, “Dinner with Jesus”, takes the form of an inter-office
memo from Matthew to his supervisor in the tax office, explaining his
abrupt departure and submitting his resignation. Chatfield is at his best
here in the use of humor and creative anachronism. “The Greatest Gift” is
a story of Christmas. A single, middle-aged, Protestant woman sets out to
purchase a Christmas gift for herself and discovers, in a Roman Catholic
church, the greatest gift of all. “The Sign of Jonah” was meant for children,
and so Jonah is a youngster who is convinced the Ninevites have stolen his
Swiss Army knife. A fine yarn especially in a youth retreat or camp setting.
“So It Was You All the Time” is an engrossing pacing through Abraham’s
life. It is safe to say that all people have experienced God without being
aware of God’s presence; here is a poignant reminder of that presence, en-
couraging reflective searching for those times when God was indeed present,
yet silently so. “The Pilgrim’s River” is in the “fantasy” mode, or perhaps
the allegorical mode. The Christ motif is evident, but following the river
152 Consensus
as a paradigm of discipleship (if that is what is meant) was less than ef-
fective. “What If. . . ?” is a startling reversal of Jesus’ determination “to
go to Jerusalem”: Peter, in spite of Jesus’ rebuke, persuades him not to
go! “The Fastest Gun in The West” is an allegory about messianic expec-
tations. “Who is the Least?” is also an allegory, though very closely tied
to the parable of the last judgment. Though somewhat abstract, it is pow-
erfully moving and cause for honest self-examination. In “Michal” David’s
wife tells her story of life with David and of how her jealousy has cost her
everything. The sermon seems a bit contrived, yet a youth retreat setting
may prove a useful setting for this retelling of the biblical narrative. In
“The Godless Agreement” Moses’ public relations man remonstrates about
Moses’ invisible God and how difficult this God will be to “sell”. It is
a refreshing and poignant approach to the first commandment—and very
challenging! Cain (“Cain’s Story”) tells how he finally came to accept his
“mark” as a sign of God’s mercy and love. And in “The Day Jesus Came
to the City” several persons, including the donkey, share their experience
of Palm Sunday; some of the endings get a bit mushy, and one feels the
need to get beyond the characters.
These story-sermons are the product of an imaginative mind. They are
examples of several ways to shape the plots of such sermons, and motivate
one to attempt such preaching. Above all, they demonstrate nicely the
contrast between right-brain and left-brain preaching.
Randy P. Milleville and Eduard R. Riegert
Waterloo Lutheran Seminary
The Teaching Minister
Clark M. Williamson and Ronald J. Allen
Louisville, KY: Westminster/John Knox Press, 1991
138 pp.
Two teachers at Christian Theological Seminary, Indianapolis, namely,
Clark M. Williamson, Professor of Theology, and Ronald J. Allen, Assis-
tant Professor of Preaching, have co-authored a provocative, searching and
challenging text which incorporates insightful sociological, theological and
pastoral scholarship.
In response to a set of critical questions facing the church today: “What
should be the image, model or role of the clergy? How should Christian
pastors understand what the church properly expects and needs from them?
What is the central task of the ministry?” (7), the authors state plainly
and emphatically: “The central task of ministry is teaching the Christian
faith” (7).


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