Witness: Learning to Tell the Stories of Grace That Illumine Our Lives

by Leonard J. DeLorenzo

Overview

Beginning with the apostles themselves, Christians have practiced the art of telling their stories to bring others to faith. Leonard J. DeLorenzo, theology professor and director of Notre Dame Vision—a program designed to help youth and young adults find their true vocation—presents seven guiding principles to help you share your faith in a genuine way and teach others to do so as well.

Unlike many evangelical Christians, Catholics often find it difficult to tell their faith stories. Leonard DeLorenzo has taught thousands of teens and young adults to relate their moments of grace in a way that is compelling, convincing, and free of clichés and vague generalizations. The seven guiding principles he includes in Witness are:

• Tell it as a story
• Begin with what happened
• Express it in style
• Modify it for your audience
• Ensure there is sufficient closure
• Embrace natural emotions and
• Pray and practice

DeLorenzo includes literary examples of writers such as C. S. Lewis and Flannery O’Connor, the conversion stories of St. Paul and St. Augustine, and real-life accounts of grace told by young adults he’s worked with. Their stories are born out of battling an anxiety disorder, struggling with a loved one’s Alzheimer’s disease, dealing with the effects of alcoholism, learning from people with mental disabilities, and overcoming an eating disorder. DeLorenzo teaches us that  by paying close attention to particular aspects of these stories, we can attune ourselves to the surprising and specific ways that grace moved through their experiences—as it does in our own. DeLorenzo provides a model for the kind of attentiveness we should foster when crafting our own stories of grace, and lead others to do so by providing an example of God’s presence in our everyday life.

Witness is a unique resource for faith-formation ministers and adults of all ages to appreciate the ways that grace is at work in your life, to inspire hope, and to build community by telling your own faith story.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781594716881
Publisher:	Ave Maria Press
Publication date:	12/05/2016
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	160
File size:	6 MB

About the Author

Leonard J. DeLorenzo has worked at the McGrath Institute for Church Life since 2003 and teaches theology at the University of Notre Dame. He is an award-winning author who has written or edited eleven books, including Witness and What Matters Most.

Through the McGrath Institute, DeLorenzo is developing the Sullivan Family Saints Initiative, devoted to fostering scholarship on, and devotion to, the saints. He also launched, produces, and hosts Church Life Today––a popular radio show and podcast. In addition to writing books, articles, and essays, he speaks regularly in academic and pastoral settings on the saints, biblical catechesis, vocation and discernment, and the theological imagination, among other topics.

DeLorenzo and his wife, Lisa, live in South Bend, Indiana, with their children.

Table of Contents

Introduction: The Stories We Tell Each Other xi

1 The Light by Which We See: The Problem and Promise of Identity 1

2 Bending Light: Responding to God's Humility with Disciplined Creativity 33

3 Speaking of Light: Studying the Splendor and Language of Grace 71

4 Catching Up to the Speed of Light: Forging Communion through Regular Practices 101

Epilogue: The Stories We Tell Ourselves 127

Notes 131

Editorial Reviews

"Here is a rich resource for anyone seeking to pass on the faith with clarity and conviction—whether in the pulpit, in the classroom, or in daily life. Witness reminds us of the power in our stories, and offers tools for telling them in ways that convey God's grace at work in our lives. Leonard DeLorenzo is a gifted storyteller himself, and makes us eager to put his ideas to work. What a blessing this will be to so many!" —Deacon Greg Kandra , Catholic blogger and journalist

"Incorporating 'stories of grace' in catechesis, sacramental preparation, youth and young adult ministry, retreats, and theology classes is a powerful way to pass on the faith as a living and dynamic reality, an encounter with the true God who in not an unknown impersonal deity, but the God who showed us his face in Jesus Christ. He enters into our lives and speaks to us as truth, beauty, goodness, mercy, and love. Leonard DeLorenzo teaches us to form disciples who are able to see God's grace in their lives, and, like Pope Francis, discover their identity as persons 'looked upon by the Lord.' This book will help readers to bring their formation efforts to a whole new level, leading to a deeper and more personal engagement with the mysteries we teach—most importantly—the mystery of God who touches our lives with his grace." —Most Rev. Kevin C. Rhoades, Bishop of Fort Wayne-South Bend

"This unique resource helps Catholics of all ages witness to their faith by sharing with their families, neighbors, and colleagues 'stories of grace'—ways God is acting in their everyday lives." —Sr. Theresa Rickard, O.P. , President of RENEW International

"Many concerned Catholics are working hard to reconsider how to re-evangelize Catholic young people faithfully and effectively. Leonard DeLorenzo is one of the best I know who is devoted to this challenge. I highly recommend this book as an important contribution to the larger conversation." —Christian Smith, Coauthor of Young Catholic America

"The bad news is that emerging adults are leaving the Church. The good news is that Leonard DeLorenzo has written a remarkable and well-researched book full of personal stories about how the lost art of storytelling can bring them back. Telling one's story in front of others can be uncomfortable, but it can also work miracles. DeLorenzo has decades of experience forming disciples by helping them to move beyond clichés and sound bites to identify the messy work of grace in their lives." —Anna Nussbaum Keating, Coauthor of The Catholic Catalog

From the Publisher