Jesus and the power of storytelling come alive during Holy Week

Jesus and the power of storytelling come alive during Holy Week

Guest Column by Bishop Meggan Manlove | ELCA Northwest Intermountain Synod

Octopuses have had an excellent few years in pop culture. In 2020, there was the inspiring documentary, “My Octopus Teacher.” Two years later, Shelby Van Pelt’s novel “Remarkably Bright Creatures” became a best seller (I have not read it yet). My favorite story staring an octopus is a children’s picture book I adored as a kid, “Herman the Helper” by Robert Kraus.

I thought of this book during our Synod Council meeting when our guest Karen Kretschmann, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) coordinator for storytelling engagement, invited us to think of a story from our lives or a children’s story.

The illustrations and characters came flooding back so clearly with her prompting. As the title implies, a youth green octopus named Herman spends his entire day helping sea creatures. I have been trying hard to figure out why I absolutely loved that book — so much so that eventually I was given my own copy, instead of going back to the library.

Like many children’s books about young people or animals, the author simply invited young readers to relate to Herman. The surprising creatures Herman ended up helping also opened my own imagination.

Stories and storytelling can be tools for so many facets of ministry. Stories can help people heal from wounds, even trauma. Stories can help with financial stewardship. Stories can help us teach lessons or learn. Stories can be incorporated into the proclamation of the gospel. Stories can help us build new relationships and strengthen old relationships. Stories can give us hope and help us in imparting hope. Stories invite us to be part of something bigger than ourselves.

Storytelling can be professional, polished, poetic and witty. On the one hand, telling stories is like other skills, meaning that we can practice and get better. I can absolutely identify several of the more gifted storytellers in my life. On the other hand, every single person has a story to tell, and, often with simple questions, that story can be released to the listener. After all, stories go nowhere without a listener.

One of my favorite questions that I ask around fellowship hall tables or in a narthex before worship begins is, “How did you end up worshiping with this community?” Sometimes the person I ask moved to a town or neighborhood and found the ELCA congregation.

Then I ask a follow up about why they stayed or why they would invite a friend to this congregation. Much more often I get a story about their family’s needs, or a friend who invited them, or a unique ministry they noticed, or separation from another community of faith and landing here.

These are holy stories, and I thank you if you have shared yours with me. Do you know how everyone in your congregation ended up there? How could knowing more of those stories deepen relationships with one another and with the God we worship?

We are about to encounter again a story central to our faith and discipleship — the story of Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection. I always find it humbling to ponder how much of this story to explain, how much to let it speak for itself, how much to correct misinterpretations and what exactly to proclaim.

During Holy Week, I was and am grateful that stories are not just in our heads. We embody the stories during Holy Week: processing, washing, feasting, baptizing, singing, reading aloud, praying together and more. Blessings as you together encounter this amazing story anew this spring.

The views expressed in this opinion column are those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect the views of FāVS News. FāVS News values diverse perspectives and thoughtful analysis on matters of faith and spirituality.