Hannah has just vowed if God will give her a son she will give that boy back to the Lord. I’ve been reading 1 Samuel as a storyteller, looking for characters, patterns and cross references. So WHEN are we? Early the next morning. Hold onto your time clauses because we are about to leap years […]
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From weeping to eating, A Storytellers’ Bible Study 1 Sam 1:12-18
In the shadow of the tabernacle, Hannah the wife of Elkanah is kneeling, praying, weeping. I’ve been reading through her story, looking for the characters, cross references and patterns—the things storytellers look for. She’s praying in desperation for the Lord to look on her, remember her. But the first person who looks at her is […]
A Storyteller’s Bible Study—1 Sam 1:7-18
Crying, fighting, not eating—no this isn’t me finishing an anime binge. This is Hannah, the woman we met reading the first two paragraphs of the Biblical book of 1 Samuel. I’m reading through the Bible looking for the things that storytellers look for, strong characters, cross references and patterns. In verses 1-6, we saw “a […]
A Storyteller’s Bible Study—1 Samuel Soap Opera
When I sit down to retell a story from Scripture, first thing I need is a close read. I look word by word and scribble on (not down) everything I notice. Then I have a list of questions I ask. Who, When, Where, Why, How? Are there any translation notes? Are there any cross references, […]
Best Travel Advice
There are two responses we get telling people we’re going to Israel for three months. The first one is, “So what will do you there?” The second is, “Oh, I’ve been to the Holy Land. You have to go see/hear/eat…” followed by a travel guide’s worth of suggested locations that would overwhelm even Joshua’s itinerary […]
