1 Pearl Van Geest C HURCH L IBRARY A SSOCIATION O F O NTARIO S PRING C ONFERENCE M AY 6, 2006 Sya...

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Pearl V

an Geest

CHURCH LIBRARY

ASSOCIATION OF ONTARIO

SPRING CONFERENCE

MAY 6, 2006

Sya van [email protected]

Peering into the mists of grayThat shroud the surface of the bay,Nothing I see except a veilOf fog surrounding every sail.Then suddenly against the capeA vast and silent form takes shape,A great ship lies against the shoreWhere nothing has appeared before.Those who see a truth must often gazeInto a fog for many days;It may seem very sure to themNothing is there but mist clouds dim.Then, suddenly, eyes will seeA shape where nothing used to be.Discoveries are missed each dayBy those who turn too quick away.

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Church Library Association May 06

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We Encounter the Stories

You must love the Lord your God with all your …

Deuteronomy 6:4; Luke 10:25; Matthew 22:35; Mark 12:28

S o u S o u ll

S o u S o u ll

H e a r H e a r tt

H e a r H e a r ttS t r e n g t S t r e n g t

hh M i n dM i n d

We Discern the Word with all our Faculties

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Jesus, The Ultimate StorytellerJesus, The Ultimate Storyteller

. . . literalism could not do the full job, which is why Jesus

spoke to them in parables.Smith, Huston. The Soul of Christianity: Restoring the Great Tradition. New York: HarperCollins, 2005. (19).

Stories can cause us to tap into the universal situations of

life, to stand in the shoes of others in all the world’s past,

present and future, taking risks, suffering, sorrowing,

laughing, wondering, challenging, feeling satisfied.David Booth


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Finding the Story For Telling

Let Scripture Speak to You

1. “He who has ears let him hear.” Mark 4:9

Reading the Bible is . . . active listening to hear God’s voice

a two-way encounter between you and God

a lifelong journey, a quest of faith, a search to learn

2. Claim the Bible as story of living people Real-live people . . . with real-life encounters . . . with a real-living God


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3. Select your reading preference The Bible: a Library of 66 books

Poetry, historical events, famous people, Jesus’ Parables, myths, laws, lyrics, prayers, biographies, letters

4. Find the stories you know and love

5. Read multiple versions of same text

E.g., Revised Standard, Jerusalem Bible, Good News

Finding the Story for Telling Let Scripture Speak to You


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Finding the Story for Telling Active Reading of The Bible

6. Enter the world of the story Go to the time & place in the theatre your mind Find yourself in the story Imagine yourself in their lives Visualize the landscape of the story Consider multiple points of view - characters, time, place Live in the story for some time

DOES THE STORY SPEAK TO YOU?

7. Shape your story for the ear Choose words for oral style ~ breath life into words


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Finding the Story for Telling

8. Find the key elements Consider the whole story

What are the essential moments, words, theme, thought, message

9. Read around the text Get a feel for context: what happened before / after

10. How does the story put us in touch with larger things? Note expressions of deep, universal feelings

hope, justice, love, compassion, joy, faith, fear,

grief, awe, courage, fear, questioning

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Enhance Your Understanding

11. Supplement with other resources

E.g., Bible Dictionary, Bible Atlas, Commentary Use the arts: visit art galleries, study picture books

12. Inform yourself Do background research as necessary Know historical, geographic, social realities of

time/place plants, symbols, objects, places religious beliefs, social norms


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Building Storytelling Skills The Preparation StageThe Preparation Stage

Build your story Shape an opening, build the body, plan a closing Consider formulas common to story type or culture Experiment with different styles (e.g., sensorimotor) Consider your audience – age, time and place

Shape your story for active listening

E.g., Ask “I wonder” or “can you imagine” question I wonder what it felt like to ~? I wonder why ~ ? Imagine their fear! Can you imagine his ~ ? Can you imagine the conversation when ~?


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Building Storytelling Skills The Preparation StageThe Preparation Stage

Get to know the characters How do they feel?

confused, awed, abandoned, jealous, vulnerable, frustrated Talk to the characters.

Ask them questions. Imagine answers Don’t take sides. Love all the characters – good and bad

Make your story a sensory experience Imagine and build in sounds, smells, sights, …

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Building Storytelling Skills

The Preparation StageThe Preparation Stage Vet your draft story for revisions

Ask a sympathetic, discerning head Be open to suggestions

Let the story percolate Be prepared to give it time Trust the Spirit to do its work

Consider any needs and constraints Your audience (age,size), your time, your setting

• E.g., sensorimotor components for young children

Love your story, love the people, love the audience Have fun!

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The Preparation StageThe Preparation Stage Storytelling is the interplay of three equal elements:

~ The story, the storyteller, the listener ~ It is not a recital nor theatre

Do not memorize your story word for word Keep the whole story in mind

Be familiar with the flow of story (sequence, rhythm)

Know key moments and words

Find the most effective pacing (pauses, clustering, silences)

Be at ease with words (pronunciation, phrasing, emphasis)

Tell it from the heart

THE STORYTELLER IS SIMPLY THE CONDUIT FOR STORY

LOVE AND RESPECT THE STORY! ENGAGE THE LISTENER!

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Building Storytelling Skills The Practicing StageThe Practicing Stage

Rehearse aloud, standing Strive for essential voice qualities

• volume, clarity, pace

Perfect timing of music, objects, drawings, movement• Don’t let them distract from story• Strive for fine balance

Practice in front of a mirror Strive for natural gestures, movements, facial

expressions, eye contact, dramatic gestures ~• all in sync with the words

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Building Storytelling Skills The Practicing StageThe Practicing Stage

Rehearse recovery imagine lapses, distractions (bells, announcements)

• Practice from beginning to end. • Don’t backtrack. • Insert missed parts if needed.

Do several dry runs Practice in front of sympathetic audiences What’s the best part? What could be better?

Live with the story: feel the story Have it in your head and go over it many, many times

• before falling asleep, while doing chores, driving


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Building Storytelling Skills The TellingThe Telling

Preparation the day of . . . Wear comfortable clothes, exercise voice,

arrive early, check the setup, organize your space if possible, stand in your space, organize props, get a glass of water

Get out of yourself and into the story Focus your emotions and energies on the story HAVE FUN!HAVE FUN!

Focus on the good listeners; be responsive Use their positive energies

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The TellingThe Telling If your audience flags

Use various techniques:• lower voice, lean into audience, ask a question, make large

dramatic gesture, raise voice, whisper, walk into the audience, shorten your story, change the pace

End your story Give it a true ending. Let the audience know. Be still for a moment. Experience the mood, tone. If possible facilitate discussion

Trust your instinctsThere is nono oneone way ~ develop a personal style


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The Wonder of Stories Building Storytelling Skills

Next StepsNext Steps Master one story at a time

Tell the stories you love and know best

Develop a story repertoire Analyze various techniques and experiment:

• audience response, imaging, story props, costume, story box, story skirt/vest/apron, puppets, song/chant, origami, cane, dance, rap, masks, sound-scape, audience response, map

Tap into your strengths (e.g., musical, artistic) Collect storytelling words and phrases

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Bringing Stories to LifeBringing Stories to LifeTips to Get into a Story

1. Dramatize the story in the theatre of your mind. Place yourself in the story. What do you see? What do you hear? What are the tones of conversations? What are the feelings displayed?

2. Imagine others in the story. (child, mother, wealthy or poor person, water carrier, merchant, street person)

3. What happened before? Describe actions that led up to the story.

4. Read between the lines. What is left out of the story? What happened behind the scenes?

5. Think of the family dynamics. (E.g.: ~ David-Goliath story ~ Why did David rush home? The house was quiet and subdued but smelled of fresh baking? Why? Imagine conversations.

~ Sister-Moses story ~ Describe the family dynamics. Think of the wonder of three-month-old babies, gurgling, laughing, responding. How did sister play with her baby brother? Imagine family discussions.

6. Imagine the feelings of various players? (fear, wonder, determination, anger, joy, amusement, playful, …) Get into role. Stand in front of a mirror and display those emotions. Talk to yourself about them.

7. Think of sequels to the story. Return to the story five years later / ten years later. What do you find? What changed? (behaviors, attitudes, relationships, etc.) Jonah returns to Nineveh,

8. Different people in the story meet each other. Imagine their conversations.

9. Work with partners. One is A the other B. Role-play various scenarios. Reverse roles. Talk after about what your partner said/did.

10. You’re a reporter. Interview any character who may have witnessed the story to find out what happened. Act out conversation either with yourself or with partners. E.g.: ~ David story ~ Officer in King’s tent as David is dressed in Saul’s armour. Why did they all break into fits of laughter? Etc.

~ Sister-Moses story ~ The servant who found the baby in among the reeds. How did she find the little boat? How did she feel when she saw this adorable baby? How would she describe the young Hebrew girl who stepped forward? Why was the girl at the river’s edge?


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Bringing Bible Stories to LifeExodus 2: 1-11

Moses’ Sister Helps Save Her Baby Brother

Jerusalem Bible: … When she could could hide him no longer, she got a papyrus

basket for him; … His sister stood some distance away to see what would

happen to him. … Then the child’s sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I

go and find you a nurse among the Hebrew women to suckle the child for

you?”

King James: …And when she could no longer longer hide him, she took for him an

ark of bulrushes … And his sister stood afar off, to wit what would be done to

him. Then said his sister to Pharaoh’s daughter, Shall I go and call to thee a

nurse of the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for thee?

International Children’s: … But after three months, she was not able to to hide

the baby any longer. So she got a basket made of reeds … The baby’s sister

stood a short distance away. She wanted to see what would happen to him. …

Then the baby’s sister asked the King’s daughter, “Would you like me to find

a Hebrew woman to nurse the baby for you?”


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Bringing Bible Stories to Life1 Samuel 17: 38 – 40

David Prepares to Fight Goliath

Jerusalem Bible: Saul made David put on his own armor and put a bronze helmet

on his head and gave him a breastplate to ear, and over David's armor he

buckled his own sword; but not being used to these things David found he

could not walk. “I cannot walk with these,” he said to Saul, “I am not used to

them.” So they took them off again.

King James: And Saul armed David with his armour, and he put an helmet of

brass upon his head; also he armed him with a coat of mail.

And David girded his sword upon his armour, and he assayed to go; for he

had not proved it. And David said unto Saul, I cannot go with these; for I have

not proved them. And David put them off him.

International Children’s: Saul put his own clothes on David. He put a bronze

helmet on David's head and armor on his body. David put on Saul’s sword and

tried to walk around. But he was not used to to all the armor Saul had put on

him.

He said to Saul, “I can’t go in this. I’m not used to it. Then David took it all of.


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Bringing Bible Stories to Life1 Samuel 17: 17 – 20

David Off to Find His Brothers

Jerusalem Bible: Jesse said to David his son, “Take your brothers this ephah of

roasted grain and these ten loaves, and hurry to your brothers’ camp. And take

these ten cheeses to their commanding officer; ask after your brothers’ health

and bring some token from them; they are with Saul and all the Israelites in the

Valley of Terebinth fighting the Philistines.”

King James: And Jesse said unto David his son, Take now for thy brethern an ephah of

this parched corn, and these ten loaves, and run to the camp of thy brethern; And

carry these ten cheeses unto the captain of their thousand, and look how thy

brethern fare, and take their pledge. Now Saul, and they, and all the men of

Israel, were in the Valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines.”

International Children’s: Now Jesse said to his son David, “Take this half bushel of

cooked grain. And take ten pieces of bread. Take them to your brothers in camp.

Also take ten pieces of cheese. Give them to the commander of your brothers’

group of 1,000 soldiers. See how your brothers are. Bring back something to show

me they are all right. Your brothers are with Saul and the army in the Valley of

Elah. They are fighting against the Philistines.”

1 Pearl Van Geest C HURCH L IBRARY A SSOCIATION O F O NTARIO S PRING C ONFERENCE M AY 6, 2006 Sya...

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