The Power of the Story Retold: Using Bible-Story Retellings to Revive Interest in the Classroom

Rebecca Schelhaas | December 2008

"Class, please turn to 2 Kings 12. Today we're going to read the story of Joash." An audible groan ran across the room.

"Oh great...not another timeline of the kings! Booooring!" Abigail D. whispered as she reluctantly turned to 2 Kings 12.

Abigail Dykstra, a Dordt College student, reflects on the reality of Bible-class-boredom that has come to plague Christian schools. I too am a product of 15, going on 16, years of Christian education, and I can relate to students who get bored with memorizing Psalm 23 or performing the story of Mary and Joseph. I am not denying the importance of Bible stories and the life-changing impact they can have. Instead I am arguing that life-changing impact dwindles the more students do redundant activities with Bible stories.

Heidi Tschetter, a current 3rd - 4th grade teacher at Leota Christian School in Minnesota, admits that monotony can infect the Bible classroom. "Teaching Bible is definitely a challenge. Too often students attitude is 'we've heard this a million times'... so we need to shake things up." Mrs. Tschetter recognizes this problem of Bible-class-boredom and the responsibility she has to bring joy and meaning back into Scripture.

You might be asking yourself: "So how does this affect me?" As Christians, we share a common purpose—to surrender to the God who loves us and sacrificed for our sins; to live a new life in response to His unconditional love; and to worship eternally in heaven. This truth is found in Scripture, a key part of the Christian school curriculum. Therefore, Christian teachers have an open door to guide students toward that surrender and eternal future with Christ. If the impact of the truth of salvation is gone, something must be done. By God's grace, we can and must stop this cycle of Bible-class-boredom, and retelling Bible stories is one way to do it.

What do you mean by retelling Bible stories?

Instead of the same old routine in Bible class, let's try something new. Instead of asking students to turn to a certain passage of Scripture, ask the students to choose their own Scripture passage—a favorite story or one they want to learn more about. Then have them read and reread the story to discover the true message of the passage. Students may ask, "Why is this Bible passage included? What was it saying to the people during Bible times? What is the message for us today?" Then students get creative and imaginative. Using other examples of retold Bible stories, they choose how they want to rewrite their Bible story, sticking to the truth of the Biblical message and yet reviving hearts through imagination.

When I discovered the idea of retelling Bible stories, I had some concerns. I worried that I was ignoring the fact that the Bible is God's divinely inspired Word. "Who was I to think I could change what Scripture says?" I asked myself. Yet, as I started writing, I discovered that a quality retelling has no intentions of changing the message of Scripture. My solid foundation for rewriting Scripture was first to discover God's purpose for the story and then to keep that message as my central focus. Only from the starting point of the truth did I have the freedom to rewrite, which brought me renewed understanding and enjoyment of a Bible story that had lost its power. And the same can be true for students when they begin with the truth of Scripture and then allow the creative minds God gave them to explore.

What benefits will this have in my classroom?

Retelling Bible stories is a way to capture the awe and mystery of the Bible in a fresh and creative way, helping students bring the miracle back into the Word. Gary D. Schmidt, chair of Calvin College's English department and writer for Christian School Teacher, agrees with the power that retelling Bible stories has in student's lives. He points out, "In so doing they [Bible story rewriters] have rescued some of the tales from the mire of repetition or, what is even worse, mediocrity." Schmidt recognizes that lack of variety when studying Bible stories can turn them into just another ordinary tale that has lost its eternal impact. I agree with Schmidt; we must join in the mission to rescue Bible classrooms from monotony.

Not only can this classroom strategy refresh students' view of Bible stories, but it can also help students dive deeper into Scripture to discover its meaning. Retelling a Bible story is no task to take lightly; after all, this is the saving truth of salvation. The students' task is to imaginatively, yet accurately retell a Bible story. But first, they must dive into the story, dissect it, ask questions, and ultimately discover what the true message of the story is. Only after they have thoroughly studied the passage can they creatively pass on the message with full confidence.

Now students can discover what their rewriting options are by analyzing current examples, which is another benefit of retelling Bible stories. When I rewrote the story of Daniel in the Lion's Den, I got ideas from current examples of rewritten Bible stories. In doing so, I discovered both stories to renew bored Bible students (some of which I mention later in the text) and examples I wanted to take off the shelves. For example, Kathryn Hewitt's Two by Two: the Untold Story had skewed the truth of Scripture by forgetting about God's promise after the flood. By reading published examples of rewritten Bible stories, students can discern their accuracy and truth, or lack thereof. After all, a daunting challenge in a Christian's life is to discern God's truth from Satan's lies. Analyzing rewritten examples of Bible stories provides students with direct and supported discernment practice.

It is time for students to get writing, and this brings a new benefit into light—students use their gifts, interests, and imaginations to portray the truth of Scripture while practicing creative writing skills. Students have already been engaged by the task of rewriting a Bible story. They have chosen and dissected their story to discover its true message, and they have analyzed rewritten examples. Now it is time to use the gifts God has given them to write. But how?

How can students rewrite Bible stories?

Retelling a Bible story in simplified language is one strategy students could use to rewrite. I can remember many times when I simply did not understand the words of a Bible story because they were too hard or confusing, a problem I still face at times. The Bible has the most important message there is—the message of salvation. Rewriting in simplified language gives students a chance to adjust the language of the Biblical truth so all can understand. Jesus himself did this each time He told a parable—a story at His audience's level. An excellent example of Biblical truth relayed in simple language and pictures is The Usborne Children's Bible, or my personal childhood favorite was the Precious Moments Story Bible.

So often it is easy to see how Bible stories apply to the Bible-time audience, but how do they apply today? Rewriting Bible stories in contemporary language is another way to relay the truth of Scripture in a creative way. For example, students could imagine what Joseph would be like in our world today. Would Jacob give him a new leather coat instead of a coat of many colors? What things would happen to Joseph in today's world because of his faith in God? Because students keep their focus on truth throughout this process, they are free to take a Bible story into modern day life, relaying that truth as it applies to us today. For a high-quality example, Dr. Dobson and his daughter, Danae, have put the parables of Jesus into contemporary stories in their book, Parables for Kids.

How can this project be modified for students who struggle with writing? Another way to rewrite Bible stories is to add imaginative dialogue and details to the actual Scriptural text. Schmidt recommends Bernard Evslin's text, Signs and Wonders: Tales from the Old Testament, saying, "it is especially noteworthy for its use of dialogue, which frequently reveals characters' motivations." Students might consider adding what Cain might have thought or said in his fatal interaction with Abel. Yet, students must be discerning in their use of imagination. I am Joseph by Barbara Cohen uses inappropriately graphic pictures and descriptions of Joseph, particularly his experience with Potiphar's wife, to distract readers from the truth. To avoid this pitfall, students' sole focus must be the true message of their chosen Scripture passage.

Another way for students to rewrite a Bible story is from a new perspective. One way students could do this is to write from one character's thoughts. Sierra Zomer, a Dordt College student, recently became Joseph and wrote what could have been his journal. She learned much more about Joseph through this experience, uncovering the excruciating rejection and powerful temptations he felt and overcame only by his faithful obedience. Students could also choose an inanimate object to tell the story, such as the cross during Jesus' crucifixion. Yet another method is to add a new character and tell the story through their eyes. One of the best examples of this is Steve Jensen's The Shortest Disciple. In his book, Jensen tells the story of Jesus through the eyes of thirteen-year-old Jesse, Jesus' shortest disciple. The Bible never mentions Jesse, but reading what Jesus was like through his perspective brought new meaning to Jesus' ministry, stories in my life that at times grow cold.

I tried this method myself. I chose a new perspective, retelling Daniel in the Lions' Den from Leonard the Lion's perspective. Although this story is one of my favorites, I had forgotten what God was saying through Daniel. I went through the initial process and then transformed into Leonard, the selfish and hungry ruler of "Leonard's Lair" whose curiosity about God was sparked by Daniel's faith (even though Leonard's growling stomach was never filled with a juicy Daniel sandwich). This writing project gave life to a familiar Bible story that had fallen to the boredom of monotonous repetition.

Another option for students is to retell a big theme of Scripture in a fantasy world. It seems like every child in a Christian school loves the story of Peter, Susan, Edmond, and Lucy and their adventure in Narnia. But do they really know that this is the story of salvation rewritten in a whole new world? Students could try C.S. Lewis' style for themselves.

Another way to rewrite stories is to use picture-book format. The artistic students can use their gifts to create detailed illustrations that show the message of Scripture. Students could even partner up—artists with writers—to retell the story with added visual impact. Schmidt emphasizes the power of using both words and pictures to tell Bible stories. "The illustrations do not merely decorate; instead they add to the force and meaning of the tale... filling out the bare narrative with details that carry meaning in themselves." Telling Bible stories through pictures, such as done by Peter Spier in his wordless book, Noah's Ark, allows us to imaginatively relay the truth of Scripture in visual format.

When students have decided how to rewrite their Bible stories, the excitement and adventure continues. Students use their God-given gifts and imaginations, and you get to witness how the previous Bible-class-boredom turns into energy and passion as students discover and take ownership of God's truth. In addition, you now have a compilation of Bible story-retellings to share with bored Bible students for years to come; examples that remind you and your students how Jesus and His Word can transform your life.

The question is not whether the Bible has lost its power. The question is rather, "What is being done to help students experience that power again?" What is at stake here is the story of salvation and its life-changing impact. This is the goal—to bring the awe and mystery of God back into Bible classrooms, and rewriting Bible stories is one way to do it. Now audible groans are instead excited chatter about students' stories, and 'boring' is no longer in the Bible classroom vocabulary.

Rebecca Schelhaas is an education major at Dordt College in Sioux Center, Iowa.