The Art of Storytelling

Connecting God’s Story to the context of your audience

People of all cultures learn first thru’ story-telling!

• The oral stories of our ancestors an family history

• Bedtime stories we loved our parents to tell us

• We learned our language thru’ story-telling

• The context of our culture was transmitted thru’ storytelling

Informal learning is primary to all cultures• You learned your language from

your family in your home

• You learned your culture from your family in your home

• You listened to your ancestral stories in your home

Stories give meaning to our communication• The stories of our culture give meaning

to metaphors, stereotypes, relationships, slang, assumptions, humour, prejudices, and our ideas of who God is.

• Conclusion: Narrative theology is more significant in understanding God than propositional theology.

Ancient oral cultures have proven their ability to accurately pass their stories from generation to generation.

Is the concept of eternity in their hearts?

• Missiologist Don Richardson thinks so. His book “Eternity in their

hearts” based on Ecclesiastes 3 verses 11-14, gives us evidence of so many cultures having creation, sin and flood stories.

• Scholars have puzzled over why stories in extemely diverse times and places on the earth are so alike

Our stories reveal our common humanity• The stories of our race show a

common interest and inquisitiveness about;

- creation - good and evil - the origin of mankind - eternity and our future destiny - God, gods, angels and demons

Stories activate our right brain imagination..• They help us think with our hearts

rather than our heads• They create a tenderness in our spirits• They lead us to view the world

holistically and therefore to healing and wholeness

• They help us remember what God has done

• We would be an ungrateful, hard-hearted people without the stories of God’s provision for His people

Stories provide hope for humanity…

• Every human faces death• This is a paradox – we are given life only

to one day face death• The best stories help us understand the

paradoxes of life• They can give hope and teach morality

and social responsibility• They provide a basis for grace,

compassion and Christian ministry

The paradoxes of life can be learned thru’ stories

• Spirituality is rooted in our earthly experience

• Suffering produces godly character• Freedom is discovered in

obedience• The greatest leader is the servant

of all

Factors in story telling;

• Anthropology – the cultural setting of our race or tribe

• Pedagogical – the context of the informal learning of the generations in the home and community

• Theological – Our stories develop our understanding of God, eg O.T.

• Communication – commonness creates mutual understanding and provides a basis for new understanding

Storytellers must create context-specific stories.• That appeal to the culture of the

listeners• That are best delivered in an informal

setting of the listeners• That shape the listeners understanding

of God• That communicate with the listeners in

a language and medium they understand

The contexts a storyteller must consider……

• The contexts of the Bible, Hebrew, Roman and Greek

• The messengers context

• The listeners context

The process of contextualization• Understand the contexts of Biblical

stories and their meaning

• Decode the filters created by the storytellers context. Try to eliminate cultural bias and prejudice.

• Encode the story into the listeners context

Story telling as a means of conveying truth

• Narrative theology enables truth to be presented in an informal way

• An informal setting allows greater reflection on the truth

• The setting should reflect the context of the listener

• Subliminal (hidden) meaning is inoffensively communicated

• Transformation of mind, heart, emotions, and action is the goal

A modern version of the Good Samaritan story….• The people of Aceh experienced a great

disaster from a tsunami• They lay dying in disease infested swamps

created by the tsunami• Their own countrymen did not help them• Their Muslim clerics did not help them• The Americans who they despised came in

their helicopters and helped them with food, medical supplies and shelter.

• Who were the brothers and sisters of the people of Aceh?

• Truth – God loves all people regardless of their race or religion

The storytellers kit bag

• Collect the proverbs of the listeners. They reveal the values of the culture

• Collect the life-stories of the listeners.• Observe the pastimes of the listeners.• Participate in their social gatherings.

Respond to the social environment

• Decide which of the five “ways of life” are practiced by the listeners;

- Individualistic, collectivist, corporate, bureaucratic, hermit• Determine the method of storytelling

appropriate to the group or individual.

The Indonesian example

• Storytelling has been practiced for generations in village groups of men, women and children together.

• The Ramayana story has been told over and over again in a shadow puppet play for generations. A light behind a sheet with stick figures as puppets.

• People say they love this story the most, even though they have heard it hundreds of times, and it conveys life as full of tragedy.

• The story matches their fatalistic view of God. Allah wills. You cannot change things Allah doesn’t want changed.

Developing the storyline of truth…..

• The storyteller will want to develop a curriculum of truth so the listeners will grow in their

relationship with God• Jesus commanded us the make

disciples. Storytellers take their listeners from enemies of God, to babes in the faith, to maturity.

Jesus developed his storyline in three years with his disciples

• They changed their religious mindset• They came to know God in a new way• They experienced the presence and the

power of God• They became strong in character and

faith• They remembered his stories

Jesus revealed his storyline on the road to Emmaus

• Read Luke 24 verses 25-32• Jesus summarised the whole

storyline in one meeting• They now understood the truth of

the curriculum behind all the stories he had told them

Jesus used parables

• Parables are stories with hidden meanings that make people want to come back for

more• Parables are stories that make the

listeners want to come back for more.

• They created more questions than they answered.

Follow the pattern of story-telling Jesus used

• Don’t expect to reveal the whole storyline in one story

• Court the listener as in a love story• Create a paradox central to life’s

experiences• Leave several questions unanswered so

the listener or listeners will want to come back for more

How to help listeners respond…

• Study how the listeners make decisions• Evaluate what the listener

understands about the truths of the storyline thru’ questions

• Help the listeners affirm the truths they understand by a response appropriate to their context

Make arrangements for ongoing storytelling….

• Assure the listeners that this is one of many stories you have that will interest them• Arrange a venue and time for

another storytelling session • Ask them what stories they are

interested in?

Deal with your own ethnocentrism….

• Don’t despise the way the listeners’ culture responds or makes decisions• Always take responsibility for the

inadequate response as a result of your poor communication

• Acts 10:34-35 reminds us that “God accepts people from every nation who fear Him and do what is right”.

The power of the Story• Stories connect

with our imagination

• Listeners enjoy having their imaginations activated

• The art of storytelling is the pictures that the mind invents while listening

• Imagination activates our emotions

• Listeners see themselves in the scenes with the characters and feel their life experiences

People appreciate stories because they;

• Mirror their lives of fact and feeling• Interweave reason, mystery, and

reactions• Cause listeners to reflect on deep

issues in life• Make learning exciting and holistic

Every major religion uses stories;• To socialize its young• To convert potential followers• To indoctrinate followers• To develop values appropriate to

the religions teachings• To differentiate true members from

false• To formulate right behaviours

Select a story from your culture?

• Tell the person sitting next to you the story? (Allow 3minutes maximum)

• Take the sheet of paper provided for this workshop and write down an outline of the story

• What is the goal of your story?

Evaluate your selected story from your culture?• Does it convey a truth?• What is the truth?• How can you make the story exciting for

the listeners?• Will the listeners imagination and

emotions be activated?• What values will be conveyed by this

story?• Where does the story fit in the

continuum of your storyline?

How do people in your culture make decisions?

• What decision can your listeners make as a result of your story?

• Is the decision making mechanism appropriate or foreign to your people?

• Did you create one, two, or three unanswered questions in the minds of your audience?

What do you think?

• Would your story help people in your culture know God?• Would people in your culture be

interested in this story?• What else would they need to

know about God to be able to pray to him in a personal way?

Do you know people of another culture? Yes!• Think of a story that you could tell

them?• Tell the person sitting next to you the

culture and the story (allow 10 minutes)• Take the piece of paper provided and

summarise the story. Please write down the target culture as well!

• What is the goal of your story?

Evaluate your story for another culture?• Does it convey a truth?• What is the truth?• How can you make the story exciting for

the listeners?• Will the listeners imagination and

emotions be activated?• What values will be conveyed by this

story?• Where does the story fit in the

continuum of your storyline?

How do people in this culture make decisions?• What decision can your listeners make

as a result of your story?• Is the decision making mechanism

appropriate or foreign to the people of this culture?

• Did you create one, two, or three unanswered questions in the minds of your audience?

Acknowledgements

• The producer of this presentation is indebted to the following authors and their publishers;• William J Bausch – 23rd Publications• Dr Paul Hiebert – Baker Books• Karen Lee-Thorp – Navpress• Dr Louis Luzebetak - • John Pilch and Bruce Malina – Hendrickson• Don Richardson – Regal Books• Tom A Steffen – Biola University• Walter Wink – Galilee Books