The Whisper of Scripture

If you don't have this book, buy it. If you don't have children, buy it. If you do have children, buy it. If you're looking for ways to improve your storytelling, buy it. If you breathe in oxygen, buy it. Now.
Am I making myself clear?

The Jesus Storybook Bible: Every Story Whispers His Name

I can't even describe how amazing this book is, and if you already have it, you're nodding your head in complete agreement. Written by Sally Lloyd Jones and Illustrated by Jago, it is a far cry from the typical Children's Bible. Note: This is not a Children's Bible (and if you're looking for a good Children's Bible, that subject will come up in a future posting of comparing that strange breed of Bibles).

It is a story book, picking out some of the greatest stories in Scripture from Genesis to Revelation and continually pointing to the central person of Jesus. So essentially, it is accomplishing what the Bible has been telling us all along: those stories are all just sentences in a single epic story of God. If you want to know how to teach an Old Testament Bible story to your kids that is faithful to Scripture but is directly speaking about Jesus, this is the best tutorial you will ever receive. I've definitely learned some things! And forget about the moralistic anecdotes you often find in these kinds of books...this is a story book about blinding grace. And the pictures...I wish I could decorate our church nursery with such vivid beauty!

A quote:

No, the Bible isn’t a book of rules, or a book of heroes. The Bible is most of all a Story. It’s an adventure story about a young Hero who comes from a far country to win back his treasure. It’s a love story about a brave Prince who leaves his palace, his throne – everything – to rescue the ones he loves. It’s like the most wonderful of fairy tales that has come true in real life… There are lots of stories in the Bible, but all the stories are telling one Big Story. The Story of how God loves his children and comes to rescue them. It takes the whole Bible to tell this Story. And at the centre of the Story there is a baby. Every Story in the Bible whispers his name. He is like the missing piece in a puzzle – the piece that makes all the other pieces fit together, and suddenly you can see a beautiful picture.

Buy it. Or wait until Oct. 1 and buy the Deluxe Edition, with the incredible David Suchet (any Poirot fans out there? tap tap. Is this thing on?) reading from cover to cover. Actually, buy 2 or 3, and give them to your neighbors with a batch of cookies and invite them to Christ Church sometime. In the din of this chaotic world, here's hoping the whisper of Scripture will keep reaching our ears.