Resource | Moses at the Movies | Lectionary 23A | Exodus 12:1-14

"Moses" Testament: The Bible in Animation (1996).  Featuring the voice of Martin Jarvis (Moses), Simon Callow (Merneptah).  This animated series uses a variety of animation styles to depict some of the most well-known stories of the Old Testament: oil painting, paint on glass, stop motion photography, and traditional cel animation.  In the Moses episode, cel animation is used, with the animators depicting the characters in an angular, exaggerated manner.  As Moses gives instructions for the Passover meal (19:30 into the episode), open windows and closed doors are used to tell the story as if they were panels in a comic strip.  Watch at tinyurl.com/MosesMovie03b

 

Sabbatilog 2019 | Festival Gathering Workshops

Workshops that are done well can be the best part of continuing education events.  Last year I was only able to attend one day of the Festival Gathering and the workshops were one of the things that drew me back for the second year.  Workshop options were sent out earlier in the year and I chose the following:

Introduction to Biblical Storytelling with Amelia Boomershine, Parts 1 & 2

This workshop introduces the practice of biblical storytelling.  We will learn, explore, connect, and tell the story of "a disciple whose name was Tabitha" from Acts 9:36-43.  Our goal is to tell the story to at least one other person from start to finish without omitting something of major significance and without adding something of major significance.  Through a variety of activities, you will learn this particular biblical story as well as strategies for internalizing any biblical story.  We will also consider basics of performance and dealing with stage fright.

Amelia Boomershine has been active in NSB for 25 years.  She is an ordained deacon in the United Methodist Church and Director of GoTell Communications.  She has taught and told biblical stories to children, youth, and adults around the world, most recently in Guatemala.  Her doctoral research was on biblical storytelling with men and women who are incarcerated.  She leads a weekly "Circle of the Word" with women in jail and is author of A Breath of Fresh Air: Biblical Storytelling with Prisoners.  

Amelia Boomershine's workshops were excellent.  She began by telling the story of Tabitha.  I thought to myself, there is no way I can learn a story this long.  But by the end of the second day, I was able to tell it  "without omitting something of major significance and without adding something of major significance."  These workshops were considered "NBS 101," or an introduction to biblical storytelling.  There were two other sets of NBS 101 workshops that focused on the other theme passages for the Gathering.  Even though I "graduated," I would consider taking another NBS 101 workshop next year.  I feel like I could also take a lot of this workshop and use it to introduce others to biblical storytelling.    

Hearing the Psalms in Many Voices with Cliff Barbarick

The Psalms are complex compositions that resist easy interpretation.  As a result, hearing and seeing the Psalms refracted through multiple performances can be an essential tool to exploring their meaning.  In this session, we will explore selected Psalms by hearing multiple performances in order to see what layers of meaning emerge.  We will also share suggestions for how this approach might be used in classroom settings to welcome multiple voices into the interpretive process.  

Cliff Barbarick is a professor of Biblical Studies at Abilene Christian University in Abilene, Texas.  He regularly uses biblical storytelling in his classes to help students explore the riches of scripture and share it with others.  For this workshop, he will be joined by some of his undergraduate students who have distinguished themselves with their thoughtful performances.  

This workshop was cancelled and Cliff Barbarick offered another offering in its place, so I chose not to attend.  He is hoping to offer it next year, so this is my "note to self" to sign up for it again.  

Sound Matters: Sound Mapping the New Testament with Tom Boomershine
Historical study of the ancient Greek rhetoricians and grammarians has revealed that they thought in breath units called "the colon" and "the period."  In this workshop, we will study the cola and periods of Mark's Passion-Resurrection Narrative.  Sound mapping involves a graphic representation of the story in cola and periods, analogous to a musical manuscript in which sound is graphically presented for performance.  We will listen to the cola of representative stories and learn Mark's story of the anointing at Bethany in the original cola.

Tom Boomershine is the founder of the Network of Biblical Storytellers.  He is an ordained United Methodist elder and professor of New Testament Emeritus.  He has developed methods for teaching people to become witnesses to the power of the stories of God.  He has lectured and led workshops on biblical storytelling in digital culture around the world.  Tom is the author of The Messiah of Peace, Story Journey, and a series of scholarly and pastoral articles on the Bible as performance literature.

This workshop was a bit on the technical side.  I understand the concepts of "colon' and "period," but it is a little difficult to tell where the divisions would be looking at an English translation with modern punctuation.  

With Hearts, Hands, and Voices: Using Sign Language in Storytelling with Liz Bidgood Enders

American Sign Language (ASL) is the most commonly used form of communication for deaf people in the U.S.  More than an exact sign for each word, it has its own grammar and syntax.  However, techniques in ASL storytelling, including repetition and use of the whole body to tell a story, are similar to oral storytelling.  In this workshop, we'll learn connections between these art forms and some signs to help in learning and telling biblical stories.  

Liz Bidgood Enders is a pastor and certified biblical storyteller.  In elementary school, she had schoolmates who were deaf, and her desire to communicate with them sparked a life-long interest in sign language.  Incorporating signs into telling stories can help in creating muscle memory and broadening understanding of a story's meaning.

This workshop was very good.  The presenter did a good job of presenting ways to incorporate ASL into storytelling and offered things to avoid.  For example, if you don't sign "God" precisely, you can unintentionally sign an impolite word.  My only critique is that I would have liked this workshop to be more than one session!

Sabbatilog 2019 | Festival Gathering Epic Telling 3

Tonight was the Epic Telling at the Festival Gathering of the Network of Biblical Storytellers International.  I've been working on learning my passage, Acts 16:1-5, since I received it in March.  The past few days I spent trying to nail down the last section. 

The Epic Telling began at 7 p.m. and concluded at 9:20 p.m.  I was among 42 tellers, ranging in experience from first timers (me) to professional storytellers.  I especially enjoyed hearing the accents of the international tellers.  (Apparently in some English-speaking countries "shone" is pronounced "shawn" rather than "shown.")  There were quite a variety of styles, gestures, and approaches.  My passage was rather short; some were quite long.

In a previous post, I thanked the Northwestern Ohio Synod for its financial support of this educational opportunity.  I need to also thank my wife for taking vacation time to be with the kids so I could be here and give my full attention to learning and experiencing this week. 

Oh... I should probably mention that I did flub my lines a bit, but I was in good company.  One of the other tellers said Peter instead of Paul and one said Jesus instead of Paul.   

Already looking forward to next year!

Click Here to Watch the Video

Sabbatilog 2019 | Festival Gathering Epic Telling 2

On March 12, I received my assignment for the "Epic Telling" of Acts 15-28 at the Festival Gathering of the Network of Biblical Storytellers.  My portion of the story is Act 16:1-5:

Paul went on also to Derbe and to Lystra, where there was a disciple named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer; but his father was a Greek.  He was well spoken of by the believers in Lystra and Iconium.  Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him; and he took him and had him circumcised because of the Jews who were in those places, for that all knew that his father was a Greek.  As they went from town to town, the delivered to them for observance the decisions that had been reached by the apostles and elders who were in Jerusalem.  So the churches were strengthened in the faith and increased in numbers daily.

 

Sabbatilog 2019 | Festival Gathering Epic Telling

This summer I will be attending the Festival Gathering of the Network of Biblical Storytellers.  Biblical Storytelling involves internalizing and presenting biblical stories.  Internalizing biblical stories is like memorizing scripture, but always with the intention of sharing the story with others.  The four-day Festival Gathering program includes workshops, keynote speakers, master storytellers, and an “Epic Telling” of a large section of scripture.  This year’s Epic Telling is Acts 15-28.  The telling is broken up into 42 parts; each part will be told by a different storyteller, with no pauses or applause in between.  

Storytellers are asked to "bid" on a passage. I chose five passages that looked manageable, then narrowed it down to my top three choices.  Bidding opened on Saturday, Feb. 23.  I am waiting to see if I was chosen to be a part of the Epic Telling.

I am thankful to the Northwestern Ohio Synod for providing funding for me to attend this event through the "Theologian in Residence" grant program.  

Reflection | Doubt and Faith in the Age of Facebook

On the church calendar, the Feast Day of Thomas, Apostle, is July 3.  When July 3 falls on a Sunday, the day is transferred to July 4.  

With the publication of the Evangelical Lutheran Worship hymnal, our church now observes the Feast of St. Thomas on July 3, which is also my birthday.  Over the past few years, I have gained a greater appreciation for my namesake disciple, and I believe the witness of this 1st century Christian can help us be witnesses in the 21st century. 

Doubt While we celebrate Thomas’ faith, he is also remembered for his doubt.  “Doubting Thomas” is a nickname that won’t go away.  When the other disciples told Thomas they had seen the Risen Lord, his response was “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.”

I think we can commend Thomas for his caution.  He was a bit skeptical.  He wanted to investigate.  He wanted to do a little research.  He wanted to check things out for himself before he made his bold declaration of faith.   

In this age of Facebook and social media, we would do well to follow Thomas’ example.  Be a bit skeptical.  Investigate.  Do a little research.  Check things out before re-Tweeting or hitting the “Share” button.

The photo of President George W. Bush holding a children’s book upside-down?   Fake.  The photo of President and Mrs. Obama  and their “left handed salute”?  Also Fake.  The rumor that Pope Francis has hired J.K. Rowling (author of the Harry Potter series) to rewrite the Bible?  Satire.  The photos of the archaeological dig with the giant skeleton that ‘prove’ the story of Goliath?  Photoshop.

When we share these false things as if they were true our credibility as witnesses to the Truth is diminished. 

Faith Jesus appeared again to the disciples, and Thomas was among them.  Jesus said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.”  Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!”

Thomas’ confession of faith is a personal one.  He says, “MY Lord and MY God.”  While he could have easily said “THE Lord” and “The ONLY God,” he uses “I” statements to witness to the Risen Christ. 

If we simply share what we believe, what we have learned from our own faith, rather than arguing about religion or criticizing the beliefs of others, I think we will find that we can use social media to share the Good News of the Risen Christ with friends and neighbors around the world.  

Reflection | From seaside to mountaintop, God is with us

For over 25 years, my extended family vacationed on the coast of North Carolina.  For one week of the summer, we breathed in the salty air, buried our feet and bodies in the white sands of the beach, collected sea shells, tried to catch tiny crabs and lizards, and laughed and played in the waves of the Atlantic Ocean.  The last summer my own family was at the beach, we stayed up late to await the hatching of a nest of 100 loggerhead sea turtle eggs.  It was an awesome sight to see the 2-inch hatchlings crawl from the dunes to the ocean to begin their new life. 

Breaking tradition this year, the family gathered in the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee.  An early morning outing led a small group of us toward the peak of Clingmans Dome, 6643 feet above sea level.  After parking our vehicle, we hiked the final half mile to the observation tower.  I paused often to catch my breath in the higher altitude, and to survey the lush plant and animal life.  The National Park Service reports that over 17,000 species have been documented in the park, with the possibly of another 30,000 to 80,000 species yet to be cataloged.  Though the view from the top was limited, there was a mysterious beauty to the evergreen trees visible through the smoky fog.  

As I think about vacations past, the words of Psalm 139 come to mind: "Lord, you have searched me out; O Lord, you have known me... Where can I go from your Spirit?  Where can I flee from your presence?  If I climb up to heaven, you are there; if I make the grave my bed, you are there also.  If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand will lead me and your right hand hold me fast" (vv. 1, 7-9). 

Whether we're on the beach or at the bottom of the ocean, whether we're in the deepest canyon or on the highest peak, whether we're in the rain forest or on the prairie, whether we're away or at home, whether we're working or resting, God's people can trust that the Creator who marvelously made us and wonderfully works in us is leading us and holding us. 

Reflection | How Children Grow Strong, Grow Wise, and Grow with God

The Gospel of Luke tells us that the newborn Jesus "grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him" (Luke 2:40). 

As a parent of a four-year old boy and 21-month old triplets, that is what I want for my children.  For them to grow--to grow strong, to grow wise, to grow in their relationship with God.  As a pastor, that is what I want for the children of my congregations and communities.  For them to grow--to grow strong, to grow wise, to grow in their relationship with God. 

How does this happen?  How do children grow?  Earlier in Luke's gospel, we are told that Jesus' parents, Mary and Joseph, took him to Jerusalem to the Temple to present him to the Lord.  While at the Temple, they met Simeon.  Simeon is described as being righteous and devout and filled with the Spirit.  The text suggests that Simeon was an old man, close to death, but they Holy Spirit had revealed that he would not see death until he had seen God's chosen Messiah.  Simeon took Jesus in his arms and praised God saying, "Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation..." (2:29-30).

Mary, Joseph, and Jesus also met Anna at the Temple.  Anna was a great woman of a great age.  She never left the Temple, but worshipped there day and night, fasting and praying.  Anna, too, praises God because of the child Jesus (2:36-38). 

When Mary, and Joseph, and Jesus had finished at the Temple, they returned to Nazareth in Galilee.  Jesus grew strong, grew wise, and grew in his relationship with God.

How?  First, Mary and Joseph spent time with Jesus in the Temple, in God's presence.  Then Jesus grew.  Joseph and Jesus spent time with God's people, like Simeon.  Then Jesus grew strong.  Mary and Jesus spent time with a great woman like Anna.  Then Jesus became filled with wisdom.

Parenting children is a challenging task, helping them grow can be difficult.  However, my wife and I have found that when our children are in God's house of worship, when they are surrounded by God's people of all ages, when they hear the stories of God and of Jesus, when they are prayed for and blessed, when their child-like faith is nourished, then they flourish. 

That is how children grow. That is how children become strong.  That is how they become filled with wisdom.  That is how they grow in their relationship with God.

Reflection | "Wit and Wisdom" | Time After Pentecost

There’s a saying where I come from – “knee high by the fourth of July.’  It means if a field of corn is knee high by Independence Day, the crop is off to a good start.

There are other seasonal bits of wisdom that have become part of our language.  “In like a lion, out like a lamb,” sometimes describes the month of March.  Or how about, “April showers bring May flowers.”  (What do May flowers bring?  Pilgrims, of course). 

This one’s new to me: “A swarm in May is worth a load of hay; a swarm in June is worth a silver spoon; but a swarm in July is not worth a fly.” 

The Old Testament books of Job, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon, and Proverbs are the Bible’s books of wisdom.  The book of Proverbs contains a number of collections of short sayings that are often true about life.  Here are a few:

“Hatred stirs up disputes, but love covers all offenses” (10:2).

“Gray hair is a crown of glory; it is gained by virtuous living” (16:31).

“Charm is deceptive and beauty fleeting; the woman who fears the Lord is to be praised” (31:30).

The book of Proverbs has 31 chapters.  You could read one chapter each day during the month of July—read chapter 1 by July 1, chapter 2 by July 2, chapter 3 by July 3, and read chapter 4… “by the Fourth of July.” 

Reflection | "The Rest of the Story" | Season of Easter

Paul Harvey passed away on February 28, 2009.  From the young age of 14 until his death at age 90, Paul Harvey was involved in radio broadcasting.  Harvey was known for catch phrases he used at the beginning of his programs, such as “Hello, Americans, I’m Paul Harvey.  You know what the news is, in a minute, you’re going to hear… The Rest of the Story.”

Beginning as a part of his newscasts during World War II and then premiering as its own series in 1976, The Rest of the Story consists of factual stories on a variety of subjects with a surprise or “twist” saved until the end.  For instance, Paul Harvey might tell a story from the childhoods of Henry and his brother, Samuel, who was born in Florida.  In the end, The Rest of the Story is that Samuel is Samuel Clemens, born in Florida, Missouri, and is better known to most… as Mark Twain.

As I write, we are nearing the beginning of Holy Week.  On Palm Sunday, we will hear the story of Jesus’ Passion.  On Maundy Thursday, we hear the story of his Last Supper and how “the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, ‘This is my body that is for you.  Do this in remembrance of me” (1 Corinthians 11:23-24).  We hear the story of Jesus’ betrayal, how “the devil had already put in the heart of Judas son of Simon Iscariot to betray him” (John 13:2).

On Good Friday, the story continues with Peter’s denial, the flogging of Jesus, and the crown of thorns.  We hear the story of Jesus’ crucifixion and burial.  In the story of Jesus, we hear the words of Psalm 22 echo: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”  But the story does not end there…

On Easter morning, we hear the story of Jesus’ Resurrection.  On Easter, we hear The Rest of the Story:  “As the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb.  And suddenly there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord, descending from heaven, came and rolled back the stone and sat on it.  His appearance was like lightning and his clothing white as snow.  For fear of him the guards shook and became like dead men.  But the angel said to the women, ‘Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified.  He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said.  Come, see the place where he lay.  Then go quickly and tell his disciples, ‘He has been raised from the dead, and indeed he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him.’  This is my message to you.” 

And that, as Paul Harvey would say, is The Rest of the Story!