When we did the Word I Heard activity for last week’s story about Jesus and the man with the unclean spirit several of us especially noticed how the spirit called him “the Holy One of God.” Strange how such a strikingly beautiful title should come from an negative source

These were responses to “Something I find meaningful about today’s story” from the participants:

• It made me think about things I need to work on
• How I can relate in my life
• That Jesus has the power to case out any bad spirit
• Today’s story was meaningful to me that God can command all things evil to come from you.

One woman offered comments on some of the activities we did:

• Create a storyboard—This is my favorite activity and I tend to learn form this the most
• Tell to small group—Repeating the story to peers helps greatly
• Drama bags—Drama bags was awesome and a great laugh!
• Connections—Connections is a very emotional part for the whole class

Below are two storyboards created to help learn and tell the story.

Our story in Sacred Stories (the jail Circle of the Word program) last Wednesday was about Jesus teaching in the synagogue of Capernaum, being confronted by a man with an unclean spirit, and freeing the man from it (Mark 1:21-28). It was hard learning the name “Capernaum.” Next time I will try some mnemonic tactics for remembering it, and also describe something about the city.

We had a smaller group than usual, but it was an excellent group with thoughtful, sincere participation. Being smaller made it more relaxed and intimate.

I used a drama bag for the first time. The woman who tried it out did an excellent job. Another woman narrated the story and she also did a very good job. This story was great for telling with a drama bag. The second time my fellow Circlekeeper took a turn inside it, and another woman narrated. They made a great pair, too, for presenting the story.

I surveyed the activities and all gave high marks. One general comment about the class was, “I feel this class is fun and memorable while touching on our personal issues so we can heal.”

Storyboard for the story of Jesus rebuking an unclean spirit in the synagogue of Capernaum

On Tuesday our church, Grace UMC, provided lunch and gift bags of donated toiletries to 35 women of the Women’s Therapeutic Court of Montgomery County (Ohio). They loved the lunch and the gifts and expressed their appreciation to us all.

Cassandra Rice, the staff attorney for Judge Singer who presides over the court (pictured below with the group of us who brought lunch—she’s the young one) had made a presentation at Grace on October 11 about Human Trafficking and the WTC, which are closely related. It was a powerful and passionate presentation, so when she asked for help with the luncheon we readily agreed.

After the luncheon we rode up the elevator with a group of women from the luncheon. We were on our way home. They were on their way to court. One of the women recognized one of us as her high school counselor. Another said of me, “I was in your Sacred Stories class!” They seemed very pleased to connect with us in these ways. We were pleased with the connections, too.

The luncheon crew, plus Cassandra Rice, director of the WTC Tuesday Luncheon/Program

Gift bagging the lotions and soaps in the Courthouse break room

Saturday I attended the annual Restoration, Recovery, Reentry Conference hosted by the Montgomery County Volunteer Jail Chaplaincy Ministry. I had a table display for Seeds of Grace with a focus on the Sacred Stories Circle at the jail. I also brought some Network of Biblical Storytellers info and Story Journey. Had good networking and discussions with a variety of people.

The candy coated sunflower seeds always attract attention. People don’t know what they are so that starts a conversation. They are popular and always get taken. Most of my Seeds of Grace brochures also were distributed so I felt like it was a successful display. I had a great location, the first table in the hallway and the only one with decent lighting.

At the close of each Circle of the Word at the jail, the women are invited to write prayer requests on an index card, if they would like the Monday morning prayer group at Grace Church to pray for them. They can also just write their names. Most everyone accepts the invitation; occasionally someone needs to dictate if writing is too much of a challenge. They write with sincerity and focused concentration. Sometimes they write their own prayers or express gratitude for the prayer group.

After reading and praying with the cards myself, I pass them on to the prayer group. The above photo was taken this morning when I brought the prayer cards from last Wednesday’s circle to the Monday morning prayer group (which today met at a home for seniors). Grace’s “prayer warriors” are silently reading the cards.

They then began the hour of prayer, as they do every Monday at 10:00 a.m., by reading aloud each prayer card. Following the reading of each card they pray, “Lord in your mercy…hear our prayer.” The person who reads the card will take it home and pray over it daily during the week.

The Grace prayer group has been doing this ministry for over a year, every week Sacred Stories class is held. It is a boundary-crossing spiritual experience for members of the prayer group, as well as for those of us physically going into the jail. Several Circlekeepers are also in the prayer group.

Grace’s senior pastor is a member of the prayer group and has observed how the cards have impacted it: “Through the prayer ministry for the women our Grace prayer group has connected with a world outside themselves. This connection has brought a growth in the prayer group participants’ understanding and experience of God’s love and God’s people.” For myself, I have learned as never before the importance of local church spiritual practice. I am grateful to have been shown a way to mobilize that practice in response to the needs of the women in the jail.

The story for Circle last week was Mark 1:9-11 about Jesus’ baptism.

Responses, as written, to “Something I wonder about today’s story” included:

• If I am worthy of God’s love, the way he loves Jesus
• How the spirit was like a Dove
• How great is god’s love
• I’m blessed
• How old was Jesus?
• Why it was John who Baptised Jesus

Responses, as written, to “Something I find meaningful about today’s story” included:

• The Heavens torn apart
• That Jesus was told by GOD he was loved and God was pleased
• Jesus sought out god too
• God loves the world
• That we are all God’s children and He loves us all as we are and that means a lot and I have true faith in God to still be here
• Love is a very powerful thing.
• Jesus getting baptized by John. Also God saying he loved him.

Sunday morning Pope Francis grounded his words of hope and transformation to inmates on the story of Jesus washing his disciples feet. It wasn’t just the inmates he called to transformation, it was also any system of incarceration that forgets the worth of every individual, no matter what they have done.

Another fill-in-the-blank item on the Circle feedback survey is “Something I wonder about today’s story.” Two wrote “nothing” and some left the item blank; here are other, as-written responses (the story was Mark 1:1-8 about John the Baptizer):

• Not sure how the story was told??
• What happens next
• More about John the Baptizer and how he baptized Jesus.
• What the camel hair represent?
• How John felt about his purpose and the turn out of his people.
• Why did John the baptist feel that he was not worthy enough to tie his shoes.
• How locust taste

The fish at the top of this storyboard was the ICTHUS symbol for “Jesus Christ Son of God Savior” which I suggested we use to convey verse 1, the title, of Mark. Then while they listened with their eyes closed, I mistakenly skipped part one of the story (the “Isaiah” quote) and told part two—about John appearing in the wilderness, preaching repentance and baptizing everybody. While they were drawing I recognized my omission so I alerted them. Then I told part one and suggested they number their boxes accordingly. That’s why this storyboard starts with 2. I figure I had them totally confused, but they didn’t complain at all; they just went with the flow.

Note the bee’s nest in part three for John’s diet of wild honey. She explained that the yellow design above part four symbolizes how the one coming after John would baptize with the Holy Spirit. Many of the women commented about the Holy Spirit during our Circle.

The Circle feedback survey has a fill-in-the-blank item for sharing “Something I find meaningful about today’s story.” Below are responses women in last week’s Circle gave to the story of John the Baptizer  from Mark 1:1-8 (edited for spelling only).

These responses reflect what the women got from the story, not something I told them they should get from it. I did not teach any theological concepts or doctrines. I just told and taught the story, until they could tell it to each other.

The Circle format gives the women space and time to engage the story on their terms. I did encourage them to listen for what God might have to say to them that particular day through the story.

• Being Blessed with the holy Spirit
• That the people all came to the Jordan River
• The Holy Spirit is so special
• That the people showed up to the Baptism of Repentance
• How no matter your surroundings you always feel the Holy Spirit
• That everyone came to be baptized
• Surviving the wilderness and showing up
• I’m not worthy, yet he will baptize me in the Holy Spirit
• We are not worthy
• The willingness of the people to listen, believe, and show up for baptism
• To show that everyone’s worthy in God’s eyes
• Is that your sins can be forgiven by asking forgiveness and baptism
• That all the people of the city came.

I’m the Director of a non-for-profit ministry called GoTell Communications whose mission is to help people learn and tell biblical stories by heart as a spiritual discipline for embodying Jesus’ way of peace in the world. The GoTell Board had its quarterly meeting last week. It was a fruitful meeting that included a great idea I will implement on this blog.

One GoTell board member, Mary Hallinan, is a leader of restorative justice work in Dayton and coordinates the Women’s Circle at our county jail. She provides training in Circlekeeping and has been an on-going mentor for my work in developing Circle of the Word. She gets credit for the “great idea” which I’ll now reveal.

The Circle I lead at the county jail downtown is called “Sacred Stories” instead of “Circle of the Word” so as not to be confused with the Women’s Circle. At the Board meeting, Mary suggested I anonymously post feedback from participants in Sacred Stories, with their permission, and invite them to look for their posts when they get out.

Mary reminded me that the women like to be part of something bigger than themselves, especially if it will be helpful to others. That had been my experience both with women at the jail and with men at the state prison when I was doing research for my Doctor of Ministry project.

The more I thought about it, the more I thought it was a brilliant, win-win-win idea. Motivating and affirming for the women, inspirational and informational for readers, and a blessing for me to have on-going worthwhile material to post.

Not only that, but easy to implement. I re-purposed a survey I had already developed for Circle feedback. I offered it as an optional activity at the end of class Wednesday. I explained that its purpose was research on biblical storytelling and posting online. I told them women that their responses would add much value to a blog dedicated to restorative justice and to a Facebook page on biblical storytelling. I invited them to look for their responses on this blog and on the GoTell Communications Facebook page when they get out.

The first item on the survey asked whether or not permission was granted to share responses. All fourteen women in class agreed. One woman didn’t know how to read. I told her she was probably a great oral learner and I read her the survey so she could give her responses.

I also asked if anyone would be willing to share her storyboard online. I took photos of several storyboards from volunteers. One is included in Wednesday’s post (9/16/15). I’ll include the others in future posts, along with survey feedback from the women.

Many thanks, Mary, for a great idea. We’ll see if it works out as well as I anticipate.

You can download the PDF of the survey here or from the Activities section of this site.