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TRANSCRIPT
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The Basics of Chronological Bible Storying
Part Four - Telling the Story by Jim Slack
A major part of the storying session is telling the story. It should be continually in our mind that it is a told
story. Literate people have a habit, when storying with primarily oral communicators, of ending up with a
written story that they tell. So if we remember what we learned from Crafting the Story (part 2), we should
be sure weve crafted a told story, and not a written story - and there is a difference. Told stories can be
remembered by primarily oral communicators far better than a read story. Even we would find it difficult to
be interested in and to remember a preachers sermon if he stood in the pulpit and read it to us. Lets tell a
told story.
We do have some options, though; how will we use the Bible? As some tell their story, they read a key verse
from the Bible related to their story, while others do not. Some choose instead to have a memory verse that
is given after the story (this will be discussed further in part 5 the Role of Dialogue).
Also, will they ever see our Bible? What place will the Bible have when youre telling the story? The common
practice is to take the Bible and open to the passage you will tell. Week by week, day by day or hour by
hour as we move through the Bible, the people see that the place we have open in our Bible is further than
before, and they understand that the story is moving along. However, some people do not hold a Bible or
even have one present. This is a choice the storier has to make. Those that do hold the Bible and have it
open, when they finish the story, close the Bible to signify the end. They put it down on a table and walk
away from it, telling the people that the story, as it appears in Gods Word, is now completed. So in telling
the story, we should find ways in a given culture to indicate this is a story from Gods Holy Word, which has
a written form to it; and, it is good to find a way to mark that weve finished the story. Those who do not use
a Bible are usually in an Islamic context. They avoid bringing a Bible into the room to avoid Quaranic issuesand the distracting discussions that result. But the storier needs to decide for them self how they will handle
and use the Bible.
Remember what we were told in Crafting the Story - were constantly to be aware that we literates haveour own way of telling stories. Primarily oral communicators have their own way as well. It could even be
different in different parts of a country. We need to be able to tell the story as close to the way that they
would tell a story, as we can. For instance, in Western Africa, if you listen to local story tellers, you may find
that 50-70% of the story is sung, not told. Some places in West and Southern Africa will even use drums
when they tell the story. So we want to be very aware. Telling might include singing. Telling might include
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drumming. Telling may include ways in
which they tell their stories - and not only
may, but we hope, it will.
We want to remember that were trying
to tell the story as close as possible to
the way in which they would.
As literates telling the story, we arealways plagued by the temptation to
teach. We are tempted to give an aside
here and go into teaching mode there.
As we tell the story, we are to stick to the
story, remembering the integrity of the
text, and were to tell the story as weve
prepared it - no modernisations, no asides and no digressions into exposition. One of our colleagues often
uses the term here no story interuptus. So be aware, were not to interrupt the story as we are prone to do. In
essence, as we tell the story, we need to remember that were giving them an oral Bible. Thats why we are so
concerned about telling the story, telling it with integrity, sticking to the text, no asides and no digressions.We are giving them an oral Bible. This is to be uppermost in our concern as we tell the story. We dont want to
re-write Gods Word; we dont want to change it in the telling of the story. Were to be very sensitive and careful
about this. This is why we should follow the chronology very carefully - this is why it is called chronological
Bible storying! It is a title that was chosen to set it apart from other forms of story-telling and narrative
presentations. This is chronological Bible storying, where we tell the stories as a part of a story session, setting
that story apart and alone as a told story that approximates Gods Word. This is how we are giving them an oral
Bible. There are other forms of storying - story-telling, narrative preaching, etc... - but their forms are based on
literacy. They assume literacy and that the listeners already have Gods written Word available to them.
Chronological Bible storying is based on the premise of telling the story as close to the biblical story as
possible, telling it in a way they would tell it. They will memorise it, and they will have an oral Bible with whichthey can be a minister in any way they want to be, as God calls them, whether they ever learn to read and write
or not. So this is telling the story to give them an oral Bible.
But isnt there any discussion? Is there any room for the people to ask questions? Yes, there is. In part 5 we
will discuss The Role of Dialogue in the Storying Session.
www.frontiers.org.uk Note: Article taken from IMBwww.imb.org