Story (re)telling

Storytelling is relating a tale to one or more listeners through voice and gesture. It is not the same as reading a story aloud or reciting a piece from memory or acting out a drama-though it shares common characteristics with these arts. The storyteller looks into the eyes of the audience and together they compose the tale. The storyteller begins to see and re-create, through voice and gesture, a series of mental images; the audience, from the first moment of listening, squints, stares, smiles, leans forward or falls asleep, letting the teller know whether to slow down, speed up, elaborate, or just finish. Each listener, as well as each teller, actually composes a unique set of story images derived from meanings associated with words, gestures, and sounds. The experience can be profound, exercising the thinking and touching emotions of both teller and listener. —The National Council of Teachers of English in support of storytelling in the academic classroom.

The Easter hunt this year (2016) included retelling the Story with a few friends. God our master story teller has been composing the Life story of Love together with each of us and each of us have our unique story images from listening to Him. The participants had heard the Story (again) while we decorated cupcakes as lambs to help us remember Jesus as the Lamb of God who takes away our sin. The story contributers shared their thoughts and questions while decorating the cup cakes. It did include a lot of giggles and cream licking oopses too. 🙂

The hunt included eggs: eggs that had a piece of candy (exciting factor :)!! ) and in every yellow egg (the choice of color was decided based on availability), was a symbol or a picture of an event that occurred between Jesus’ arrival into Jerusalem (Palm Sunday) all the way to His ascension. Each child could find eggs of different colors but only 1 yellow egg each.This year we had 8 events to narrate (8 yellow eggs). The events will always include the death, resurrection and the promise/fulfillment of the Holy Spirit. Listed below are the symbols/pictures representing the events for this year.

1. Palm branch – baby palm leaves in the egg. The palm branches represent Palm Sunday when the crowds rejoiced at the coming of their King and Messiah. They shouted “Hosanna” which means save us.
2. A picture of Jesus overthrowing tables -Jesus emphasizes the need to prayer and fellowship with our God.It is a house of prayer – so in a sense it is a call to prayer and communion with our Creator Father.
3. Cotton ball with perfume for the anointing of Jesus’ feet –  The lady who had been forgiven was willing to give her best for Jesus.
   (However the child who opened this egg used it to re-tell the part when the women took spices to anoint  Jesus’ body at the tomb.
   We just went with it.)
4. A picture of praying hands. Jesus pray at the Garden of Gethsemane. An invitation to prayer whatever our circumstance.
5. A picture of a Cup of wine and bread to represent the passover meal – remembering Jesus’ words that His blood will save us just like the lamb on the day of the Passover. And He is the pure sacrifice and there is no need for another.
6. A loop of thorns – to signify Jesus’ death (crown of thorns)
7. Empty yellow egg – empty tomb
8. A picture of a dove – The Holy Spirit. Jesus lived, died and rose again. Before He leaves (physically) He promises us the Holy Spirit who will be our Comforter and friend. We are never alone.

There was a map

The kids hunted out the eggs with the help of their parents. They opened them with excitement and matched the picture or object to a place on the map while re-telling the story as they informed the other participants about their choice on the map. The map can be as detailed as you want it to be.

In an article Why creativity experts believe storytelling and creating with stones may help unleash creativity in young and old, By Eric Schulzke, Deseret News Published: Wed, Jan. 20, 2016, 5:30 p.m. MST Rosa Chavez says:

“There is a key transition when objects come to stand as symbols in a child’s mind, They come to represent something other than themselves, as bridges between the concrete and the abstract.””

 Easter egg hunts are rampant. People do them just for fun as a cultural activity. This hunt however was intended to re-tell the Story of what is celebrated and enjoy doing that in community.
What are the objects you will use as a symbol this easter to see, re-create, associate, and exercise thinking?