Bishop Porter Taylor Presents Lenten Event

John Shea says “We turn our pain into narrative so we can bear it; we turn our ecstasy into narrative so we can prolong it; we tell our stories to live.” The premise of Bishop Porter Taylor's workshop is that we make meaning through stories. As Christians, therefore, we seek to locate our biographical story within the context of Christ’s never-ending story of death and resurrection. Our personal narrative only makes complete sense when it is connected to the sacred narrative.

Once we make this connection, we are equipped to spread the Good News by sharing our story with others. At its heart evangelism is not about any newcomer committees or welcoming programs although both of those are important. Evangelism is about sharing the Good News which always begins with us. People don’t want to know about Church; they want to know about our faith—about what has happened in us and through us. They want to hear our story to see if it connects with theirs.

This Lenten workshop on Saturday, 24 February seeks to equip participants to articulate parts of their story and relate them to our story of faith. The format is presentation, individual reflection, small group storytelling, and plenary.

Porter Taylor is the retired Bishop of Western North Carolina. He currently is a Visiting Professor in Episcopal Studies at Wake Forest University Divinity School. He is the author of two books: From Anger to Zion: An Alphabet of Faith and To Dream as God Dreams.