📜 [EN] Brief summary of Lecture 6

Oral Bible Storying: A Five-Step Method and a Case Study (Mark 4:35–41)

This session presents a practical, reproducible process for oral Bible storying and applies it to the calming of the storm (Mark 4:35–41). The aim is to help teachers and facilitators lead groups from accurate retelling to discovery and obedience, using questions that include everyone and surface the “treasures” God has placed in the text.

The Five-Step Storying Process

1. Tell the story. One storyteller gives a clear, vivid telling in their own words. Having an open Bible visible signals to the group: this is God’s Word.
2. Invite a volunteer to retell. Ask someone from the group to retell the story immediately. This begins participation and reveals initial understanding. If no one volunteers, pair people and have them retell to a neighbor; this lowers the barrier to speaking in the larger group.
3. Walk back through the story with simple questions. The facilitator quickly leads the whole group to retell together by asking short, factual prompts (e.g., “Was it evening or morning?” “Where were they going?” “What did Jesus say to the waves?”). Keep it moving. If the group hesitates, briefly supply the answer and continue.
4. Search for the treasures. Use open questions to surface insights God has for us in the story (e.g., emotions, motives, character of Jesus, decisions made, implied promises).
5. Apply the story. Turn discovered truths into concrete, lived responses (“How will we do this?” “Who will we tell?”).

Why Step 3 (“Walk Back Through”) Matters

• Accuracy before interpretation. The group corrects omissions and accidental additions so discussion is grounded in what the passage actually says.
• Accessibility. Short, answerable prompts include quiet participants. Avoid trivia the text does not supply (e.g., “What color was the boat?”).
• Pace. Keep it brisk; if it drags, model the answer and move on.

Telling with Your Own Words (Not Word-for-Word)

The goal is to include all the details, not to memorize a translation verbatim. Use natural language while preserving the story’s events, sequence, and key lines (e.g., “Peace, be still”). Different Bible versions may phrase details differently; fidelity to the scene’s content is what matters.

Case Study: The Calming of the Storm (Mark 4:35–41)

Essential Details to Carry in the Telling

• Time setting: that same day, evening came.
• Jesus’ invitation: “Let us go to the other side” (an implied promise embedded in the call).
• They leave the crowd, take Jesus in the boat; other little boats accompany them.
• A furious storm: waves crash over the boat; it is about to sink.
• Jesus sleeps in the stern on a cushion.
• Disciples cry out: “Teacher, don’t you care that we are perishing?”
• Jesus rebukes wind and sea: “Peace! Be still!” Complete calm.
• Jesus’ questions to the disciples: “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?”
• Disciples are filled with great fear: “Who then is this, that even wind and sea obey him?”

“Treasures” to Discover with the Group

• Emotional landscape. If you were in the boat (water to your knees, Jesus asleep), what would you feel—panic, anger, frustration, fear? Naming emotions helps hearts engage.
• Choices and character.
  • Jesus’ choices: He invites the disciples to a new place; he goes with them; he rests (after a day of teaching). His invitation implies responsibility and intent to arrive.
  • Disciples’ choices: They could have refused, delayed until morning, or proposed alternatives—but they go. In crisis, they choose fear and accuse Jesus of not caring.
• Implied promise. “Let us go to the other side” signals destination with Jesus; the storm does not nullify his word.
• Testing and trust. The story invites reflection: does Jesus ever lead his followers into situations that expose fear and grow faith?
• Identity of Jesus. His authority over creation reframes the disciples’ fear: Who is this?

From Discovery to Application

• Bridge today’s storms. Where has Jesus invited you, and has that place become unstable? What does his word (“to the other side”) mean for your perseverance?
• Replace accusation with trust. When tempted to say, “Don’t you care?”, bring that fear to Jesus and act on his promise.
• Practice faith-filled speech. Memorize and speak Jesus’ words from the story in your next “storm.”

Facilitation Tips for Each Step

• Step 1: Keep the Bible visible; tell with energy and clarity.
• Step 2: If the room is quiet, use pair retells to warm participation.
• Step 3: Use short prompts; don’t quiz on unknowns; supply answers quickly when needed.
• Step 4: Ask heart-and-head questions (emotions, choices, character of God, implications). Let the group do the discovering.
• Step 5: Land on specific obedience; invite people to name one action and one person to tell.

Cross-Language Notes for Story Accuracy

• Translation differences exist. Some languages differ on terms (e.g., whether a story says “axe head” or “axe” elsewhere; how Bible books are named). Clarify such details ahead of time so actions and visuals match your wording.
• Principle: Guard the content of the scene, even as phrasing varies by language or version.

Summary

• Use a simple five-step process: tell, volunteer retell, walk back through, find the treasures, apply.
• Step 3 safeguards accuracy and inclusion; Step 4 moves truth from head to heart.
• In Mark 4:35–41, Jesus’ invitation carries an implied promise; the storm exposes fear; Jesus’ authority calls forth faith.
• Effective facilitation uses clear prompts, participant ownership, and concrete obedience steps so the story is both understood and lived.