This week, Bishop Ward and Steve Taylor talk about Biblical Animation, a great resource offered through our Annual Conference.
Bishop Ward
Grace and peace to you in the name of Jesus Christ.As we continue to love the scripture – study it, teach it, preach it, engage it – we have a wonderful resource offered through our Annual Conference: Biblical Animation.
Steve Taylor is a great artist in this regard. Can you share with us more about Biblical Animation?
Steve
Sure. Thank you, Bishop. It’s a wonderful way to engage scripture in a creative and experiential way where we literally live out the characters that we see in scripture.I know it sounds a little cheesy, but once you begin to do it, you begin to think much more deeply about, “who are these folks,” “how are they living out this gospel” and “what does it mean?” Then, what we try to do is recontextualize that so that we’re now in contemporary space.
One of my favorite biblical animations is Simon’s party, where Simon the Pharisee invites Jesus to come and engage in his party. As they’re sitting around the table, who comes in, but a woman of the city. So, the question that Jesus has for Simon, after the woman has come in and completely blown up the party, is “do you see this woman?” And for about ten or fifteen minutes or so, all they’ve been doing is looking at the woman, except that they’ve never seen her. All they’ve seen is the woman of the city. In the story Jesus beckons us, calls us, to see those who are unseen, to see the voiceless, to see those who never are able to be at the table. We are called by Christ to ensure that we stand in relationship, not as an afterthought with them, but as a first thought.
I think that’s the question for all of us – “do you see this woman and all of the many forms that she visits us?”
Bishop
Biblical Animation is transformative for those of us who engage in it. It’s also fun and fun is good.Steve
It’s fun and funny and there’s a lot of laughter. We have twelve sessions of this. We narrate a number of different stories – Mark, Luke, and Matthew – and we think about ways that we can live out this gospel in very real ways that are relevant to our local settings and our local community.Bishop
So, if you would like to experience Biblical Animation, if you’d like to have this offered in the context of your church and community, be in touch with Steve.Steve
Absolutely. Just call us at the Connectional Ministries office.Bishop
May Christ be with you this day.