Bible Stories through the Year

Bob Hartman

Description

Drawing on his extensive experience of engaging young and old alike, master storyteller Bob Hartman takes two readings for each week or special day from the Revised Common Lectionary and shows fresh ways to bring them to life. We all long to enjoy the Bible ' to savour it and taste its sweetness. Yet often we do not do it justice, as there are particular challenges to enjoying it in community, read aloud as part of our worship. Although this is how much of the Bible was originally shared, our experience of hearing it read can often seem far from sweet. To bring the Scriptures to life we need to spend time with the text, tasting and enjoying it ourselves, and understanding what we are presenting and to whom. Then comes the opportunity for creativity to add a spark as we encounter God's word together. Hartman demonstrates this with his characteristic flair.

Sujets

• Philosophie et théologie

Informations

• Publié par: Lion Hudson
• Date de parution: 28 août 2013
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9780857214591
• Langue: English

Extrait

BIBLE STORIES THROUGH THE YEAR
 
Lectionary readings for Year A, retold for maximum effect
 
 
BOB HARTMAN
 
 
 
 
 
 
Text copyright © 2013 Bob Hartman This edition copyright © 2013 Lion Hudson
 
The right of Bob Hartman to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
 
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
 
Published by Monarch Books an imprint of Lion Hudson plc Wilkinson House, Jordan Hill Road, Oxford OX2 8DR, England Email: [e-mail] www.lionhudson.com/monarch
 
ISBN 978 0 85721 329 7 e-ISBN 978 0 85721 459 1
 
First edition 2013
 
Acknowledgments Scripture quotations taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version Anglicised. Copyright © 1979, 1984, 2011 Biblica, formerly International Bible Society. Used by permission of Hodder & Stoughton Ltd, an Hachette UK company. All rights reserved. “NIV” is a registered trademark of Biblica. UK trademark number 1448790.
 
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
 
Cover image: RTimages/Alamy
 
 
 
 
 
Also by Bob Hartman and published by Lion Hudson:
 
Telling the Bible
Telling the Gospel
Anyone Can Tell a Bible Story
The Lion Storyteller Bible
The Lion Storyteller Christmas Book
Easter Angels
Bible Baddies
Old Testament Tales: The Unauthorized Version
New Testament Tales: The Unauthorized Version
 
 
 
For Lowell who gave me the idea and Chris who lent me the lectionary
Contents
Cover
Title Page
Copyright
Also By
Dedication
Introduction
 
Advent
THE FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT
THE SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT
THE THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT
THE FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT
CHRISTMAS EVE
 
Christmas
CHRISTMAS DAY
THE FIRST SUNDAY OF CHRISTMAS
THE SECOND SUNDAY OF CHRISTMAS
 
Epiphany
THE EPIPHANY
THE FIRST SUNDAY OF EPIPHANY – THE BAPTISM OF CHRIST
THE SECOND SUNDAY OF EPIPHANY
THE THIRD SUNDAY OF EPIPHANY
THE FOURTH SUNDAY OF EPIPHANY
THE PRESENTATION OF CHRIST IN THE TEMPLE (CANDLEMAS)
 
Ordinary Time
PROPER 1 – THE FIFTH SUNDAY BEFORE LENT
PROPER 2 – THE FOURTH SUNDAY BEFORE LENT
PROPER 3 – THE THIRD SUNDAY BEFORE LENT
THE SECOND SUNDAY BEFORE LENT
THE SUNDAY NEXT BEFORE LENT
 
Lent
ASH WEDNESDAY
THE FIRST SUNDAY OF LENT
THE SECOND SUNDAY OF LENT
THE THIRD SUNDAY OF LENT
THE FOURTH SUNDAY OF LENT
MOTHERING SUNDAY
THE FIFTH SUNDAY OF LENT
PALM SUNDAY
 
Holy Week
MONDAY OF HOLY WEEK
TUESDAY OF HOLY WEEK
WEDNESDAY OF HOLY WEEK
MAUNDY THURSDAY
GOOD FRIDAY
EASTER EVE
 
Easter
EASTER VIGIL
EASTER DAY
THE SECOND SUNDAY OF EASTER
THE THIRD SUNDAY OF EASTER
THE FOURTH SUNDAY OF EASTER
THE FIFTH SUNDAY OF EASTER
THE SIXTH SUNDAY OF EASTER
ASCENSION DAY
THE SEVENTH SUNDAY OF EASTER
DAY OF PENTECOST – WHIT SUNDAY
 
Ordinary Time
TRINITY SUNDAY
CORPUS CHRISTI
PROPER 3
PROPER 4
PROPER 5
PROPER 6
PROPER 7
PROPER 8
PROPER 9
PROPER 10
PROPER 11
PROPER 12
PROPER 13
PROPER 14
PROPER 15
PROPER 16
PROPER 17
PROPER 18
PROPER 19
PROPER 20
PROPER 21
PROPER 22
PROPER 23
PROPER 24
PROPER 25
LAST SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY IF OBSERVED AS BIBLE SUNDAY
ALL SAINTS’ DAY
FOURTH SUNDAY BEFORE ADVENT
THIRD SUNDAY BEFORE ADVENT
SECOND SUNDAY BEFORE ADVENT
CHRIST THE KING – THE SUNDAY NEXT BEFORE ADVENT
HARVEST FESTIVAL
DEDICATION FESTIVAL
 
Scripture Index
 
 
 
Introduction
This book is all about enjoying the Bible.
“Enjoy” is not the first word that came to mind. I thought “appreciate” or “honour” might work – but they both imply a certain distance. And this book is most definitely not about distance. It’s about crawling into the text and spending time with it and savouring it.
That’s a good word – savouring. Because to savour, you have to taste. And that’s about as “up close and personal” as you can get. But it’s still not quite right – largely because God’s Word isn’t “savour- y” . It’s sweet! At least that’s what Psalm 119:103 says – sweeter than honey, in fact. And I don’t know about you, but I’ve got a bit of a sweet tooth! I enjoy what’s sweet – in both the culinary and colloquial sense of the word.
We’re back where we started. This book is about enjoying the Bible. But enjoying it – tasting its sweetness – in a particular context. A public context. An out-loud context. A community context. The contexts, as it happens, in which much of the Bible was originally shared. Publicly, out loud, in community. As a part of worship.
Sadly, much of our experience of hearing the Bible read in that context is anything but sweet:
Sometimes the Bible is read with little enthusiasm – dry as a three-day-old scone.
Sometimes there’s not quite enough preparation – like an undercooked egg. Sometimes it’s like fast food – rushed through with no time to dwell on the meaning.
And sometimes it’s just boring – like, I don’t know, like turkey leftovers (not again!) five days after Christmas.
I concluded my book Anyone Can Tell a Bible Story with a chapter on Reading the Bible. And in that chapter, I suggested that an effective Bible reading requires preparation – understanding the meaning of the passage and the nature of the text (is it narrative, poetry, epistle?). It also requires practice (more than a quick skim during the notices), and creativity (are there characters who need bringing to life?).
That kind of reading, which comes from time spent with the text – understanding it, tasting it (and, yes, savouring it!) – benefits both the reader and the congregation and brings us to a place where we look forward to that moment when God’s Word is read. When we enjoy it!
There are many different ways to read the text, a whole variety of techniques that will help us to enjoy it. And that’s what this book attempts to illustrate. I have taken two readings from each week or special day from the Revised Common Lectionary and have suggested a fresh way to present those readings.
Sometimes that involves one, two, or more readers at the front. Sometimes it involves the congregation, or different groups within the congregation. Sometimes it’s a retelling or rewording of the text (and, yes, there is inevitably some degree of interpretation in every retelling or rewording). Sometimes it uses the actual Bible text. Sometimes there are actions. Sometimes there are even a few stage directions. Sometimes the reading is aimed at adults. Sometimes at the children. But in every case, my hope is that the suggestions I make will help the readers and the congregation to better understand and appreciate the meaning of the text and also to enjoy the experience of hearing it (although, for many of these readings, there’s a lot more than “hearing” going on).
For those of you who already use the lectionary, the way the book is set out will be familiar territory. It simply follows the readings in Year A. For those of you who do not use the lectionary, there is a Scripture index at the back of the book so you can find readings that fit the themes of your sermons and services.
Just as an aside, if you have never used the lectionary, it is a very freeing experience. I come from a tradition where we don’t commonly use it either, and the word “freeing” does sound that bit counter-intuitive. Isn’t it more freeing to preach from those passages you like or are led to? Well, sometimes, yes. But having committed myself to using the lectionary from time to time in my preaching career, I have discovered that the lectionary actually does free me from my own set of “pet” scriptures and themes and forces me to deal with passages I might never have preached from. Some of those sermons have been my best sermons, I think, and have stretched me as a preacher and a believer.
In the lectionary there are obviously more readings allocated for each week than I have covered, and some of you may be frustrated that you did not find the passage in a certain week that you were hoping for. However, you can use the readings I have presented as a guide to what is possible. My hope is that you will be encouraged to “have a go” and create readings and retellings of your own. (I would love to see them! And if you want to share them with others, please do send them to my website – www.nonstopstoryshop.com – and we can pass them around.) In fact, the entire book is open to your constant revision. Feel free to adjust and adapt the readings to your needs. I have tried to be reasonably comprehensive in setting out the suggestions, but I haven’t covered every base, so please do tinker and play!
Speaking of playing, it might be helpful to create a small group of “players” to do this, week by week. Many of us are accustomed to having a Worship Team to prepare and lead our sung worship. Why not another team to prepare and present these readings? They don’t need to be “players” in the strictest sense of the word (although dramatic gifts would be helpful for many of the readings), but people who are keen to spend time with these texts, play with them a little, and give their creative energy to sharing them with the congregation.
I wonder if you have come across a charity called Open the Book? This is a rapidly growing group of volunteers who tell Bible stories to children in schools right across the UK, and I have been involved with them almost from the beginning. As this book is being written, Open the Book teams and individuals are in over a thousand schools and reaching something like a quarter of a million children every week. Having worked with many Open the Book groups, I am constantly told how excited the children are when they see the teams coming to their schools and know that they