Exploring Bible stories with childrenMartyn Payne |
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On Your Marks: Many of the Bible stories that we use in our children's group will already be very familiar to us. It may even be the case that we have tackled these stories several times over the years. So how can we hear these stories afresh and bring them to life again as if we're hearing them for the first time? Unless we as leaders fall in love with the stories again each time, then how can we expect the children to wonder and explore the story with enthusiasm and discover something fresh in them for themselves. What follows are some tips for ways in which you can keep your own Bible reading alive in preparation for your work with the children's groups committed to your care. Get Set: No particular equipment is needed, just the Bible! Oh, and a willingness to use your imagination and see things differently! Perhaps this might mean spending longer just reading the story as of first importance, as opposed to spending time researching a new game, a clever craft or a complicated quiz! Go! Here are 10 ways that might be helpful to enable you to come to a story in the Bible and hear it speaking to you as if for the first time (' just as at the beginning' Acts 11:15) 1. Imagine who was there Think through who else was there at the time of the story but who is not mentioned in the text. Wonder about how the story looked and sounded from this person's point of view. e.g. One of the guests at Mathew's meal for Jesus (Matthew 9:10):
2. Ask about something puzzling Work out at least one question to do with the story to which you definitely do not know the answer! e.g.
3. Cross-question the people
4. Hear the story Read the story out loud to yourself a few times. Imagine the impact this would have had on the first century listeners, who would have heard and not read this story quietly to themselves as we do today. 5. Place the story Look at what story comes after and what story comes before the one you are reading. The writers put their stories together carefully and often with a very definite purpose in the order. Can you see a reason why this story is where it is in the book? Remember, by the way, that the punctuation, paragraphing and chapter divisions in our Bibles are not necessarily inspired! 6. Take it personally Imagine that this story is being told especially to you. Pause after each line and ask, 'I wonder why I need to read this story today? I wonder why I need to hear this now? I wonder why I am being reminded of this at this precise moment in my life?' 7. Translate the story Put each line of the story into your own words, expanding or contracting the information and the language to fit your normal everyday vocabulary. In other words, imagine you are a ‘translator’ creating your own British 'Message' version of this story. 8. Retell the story After a couple of readings, close the Bible and then tell the story out loud to yourself again. Note which parts have stayed most strongly with you and which parts you feel you needed to emphasize. Which parts of the story did you forget? Is there a reason, do you think? 9. Make 'senses' of the story Go through the story carefully and think what sounds, tastes and smells are involved. Visualise the story and take careful note of what you can see and touch. In other words create the story in your imagination as a 3-D film, in which all the five senses play a part. 10. Rework the story
Here are just some of the ways in which we can come to the stories of the Bible afresh and let the Holy Spirit take these timeless and inspired words and apply them first and foremost to our own lives, before we then explore them with our children. 'All scripture is inspired by God and useful for teaching; for putting us right; for sorting us out and for training us in what is right and pleasing to God. The result is that each one of us, as the people of God, is made complete, equipped for whatever good work God has for us to do.' 2 Timothy 3:16-17 |
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