The Power of Story, November 29, 2005, ". . .haunting me. . ."
I am increasing curious and even fascinated by the power of story that seems to be haunting me, like the Hound of Heaven of Francis Thompson's great poem, chasing me and finding me in strange places like a love that I cannot escape from.
I have been using movies in my Midway College Social Ethics class and observing how strongly my some 30 students are moved, even deeply moved, by these films: So far, Mr. Holland’s Opus, The Color Purple, Joan of Arc (who is NOT Noah’s wife), To Kill a Mockingbird, and two others under viewing but not yet discussed.
I have been playing with storytelling for some years, sometimes with drumming and song, sometimes without. I used story and drumming while conducting a men's retreat some years ago. Recently participated in the 2nd Annual Kentucky Storytelling Association annual convention, and in a story swap session luckily had my name drawn for a ten minute gig, which I enjoyed and so did, apparently, everyone else.
I am increasingly aware that so much more can be communicated by story than any other way. We are not essentially rational, particularly those who pretend to be so, but reactive, emotional and often blind to our own unique bubbles we prefer to live within, glorying in our individuality, but oblivious to how we continue to create our own reality by what we focus on and respond to.
Jesus used story, some 32 parables, and no one can ever forget the story of the Prodigal Son or the Good Samaritan--at the very least those two. Story reaches our heart, our imagination, our need for meaning and vision, our desire to transform and be transformed into something more than the ordinary day to day prosaic world in which we eat, sleep, work and love.
I have found that some pioneers are taking storytelling into organizational change efforts. I find this exciting and challenging and promising. One of the reasons that Jesus used stories is that story reaches and moves our heart to the More of human existence, to a greater reach of ourselves and the limited world in which we live.
Story also allows the individual person to buy in or not to the message, which has levels of meaning. I am currently reading several books on storytelling: Annette Simmons, The Story Factor, and two by Stephen Denning, The Springboard: How Story Ignites Action in Knowledge-Era Organizations, and Squirrel, Inc.
I am also adding stories and technique to my storytelling repertoire. I am offering to do a workshop Building Authentic Community Via Storytelling for the upcoming Lexington convention in June, 2004 of the American Association of Psychosynthesis.
Other updates. Continue to work as Coordinator of the Human Resource Management Program at the School of Career Development, Midway College, and will be attending a storytelling workshop this coming weekend by Mary Hamilton. We also plan an Annual Review and Potluck for our volunteers in the Spiritual Growth program at the Fayette County Detention Center, December 10, Saturday, here in our workshop room at our home retreat center off Winchester Road in Lexington. We shall post the workshop program we are offering at the Divine Amazement blog. We are willing to offer this workshop elsewhere upon request, and may offer it as a Winter Retreat Getaway and Story Swap to the Kentucky Storytelling Association.
How do we reach the younger generation today? Through story and storytelling. How do we best influence others to change (if they are so led). Through story and storytelling, and also by inviting them to discover their own stories.
Consider joining me in this great adventure
These books can be ordered via Amazon, via my web site, by clicking on Spiritual Reading link and noting the first four books of "Bedside Reading"
I have been using movies in my Midway College Social Ethics class and observing how strongly my some 30 students are moved, even deeply moved, by these films: So far, Mr. Holland’s Opus, The Color Purple, Joan of Arc (who is NOT Noah’s wife), To Kill a Mockingbird, and two others under viewing but not yet discussed.
I have been playing with storytelling for some years, sometimes with drumming and song, sometimes without. I used story and drumming while conducting a men's retreat some years ago. Recently participated in the 2nd Annual Kentucky Storytelling Association annual convention, and in a story swap session luckily had my name drawn for a ten minute gig, which I enjoyed and so did, apparently, everyone else.
I am increasingly aware that so much more can be communicated by story than any other way. We are not essentially rational, particularly those who pretend to be so, but reactive, emotional and often blind to our own unique bubbles we prefer to live within, glorying in our individuality, but oblivious to how we continue to create our own reality by what we focus on and respond to.
Jesus used story, some 32 parables, and no one can ever forget the story of the Prodigal Son or the Good Samaritan--at the very least those two. Story reaches our heart, our imagination, our need for meaning and vision, our desire to transform and be transformed into something more than the ordinary day to day prosaic world in which we eat, sleep, work and love.
I have found that some pioneers are taking storytelling into organizational change efforts. I find this exciting and challenging and promising. One of the reasons that Jesus used stories is that story reaches and moves our heart to the More of human existence, to a greater reach of ourselves and the limited world in which we live.
Story also allows the individual person to buy in or not to the message, which has levels of meaning. I am currently reading several books on storytelling: Annette Simmons, The Story Factor, and two by Stephen Denning, The Springboard: How Story Ignites Action in Knowledge-Era Organizations, and Squirrel, Inc.
I am also adding stories and technique to my storytelling repertoire. I am offering to do a workshop Building Authentic Community Via Storytelling for the upcoming Lexington convention in June, 2004 of the American Association of Psychosynthesis.
Other updates. Continue to work as Coordinator of the Human Resource Management Program at the School of Career Development, Midway College, and will be attending a storytelling workshop this coming weekend by Mary Hamilton. We also plan an Annual Review and Potluck for our volunteers in the Spiritual Growth program at the Fayette County Detention Center, December 10, Saturday, here in our workshop room at our home retreat center off Winchester Road in Lexington. We shall post the workshop program we are offering at the Divine Amazement blog. We are willing to offer this workshop elsewhere upon request, and may offer it as a Winter Retreat Getaway and Story Swap to the Kentucky Storytelling Association.
How do we reach the younger generation today? Through story and storytelling. How do we best influence others to change (if they are so led). Through story and storytelling, and also by inviting them to discover their own stories.
Consider joining me in this great adventure
These books can be ordered via Amazon, via my web site, by clicking on Spiritual Reading link and noting the first four books of "Bedside Reading"
posted by Paschal Baute at 6:02 AM
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