Telling the story of Jesus has been a part of Christian practice for nearly 2000 years.  In fact, one of the earliest forms of Christian preaching was storytelling, or telling Jesus stories.  These early story/sermons provided the raw material for the gospel narratives.  Because the gospel writers wrote down these early stories and preserved them, today we can read the story of Jesus in the Bible.  Yet we still have an age-old longing to hear the story told, in the same manner as it has been told by generations of storytellers from ages past.   This volume is designed to help the reader do just that.  The editors have taken a representative collection of stories about Jesus from the synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) and provided for each story a new analysis that illuminates how it works as a story.  Paired with each analysis is a creative retelling of the story by a professional storyteller-preacher.  The goal is to provide the reader with insights into the Biblical story and suggestions on how it might be retold for audiences today. Edited by Michael E. Williams and Dennis E. Smith Commentary by Mikeal C. Parsons Storytellers:  Jo-Ann Elizabeth (Little) Jennings   Pam McGrath