Lively Repetition

Martyn Payne

On your marks:

What follows is a simple game, which is used in drama workshops. Here it is used as a way of helping verses, stories or special words from the Bible to stick in the memory.

Get set:

No particular props are needed. You will probably find it helpful to write out the short story or verse or particular part of scripture you want to work with on a card for those who can read.

Go!

1. We all know how important some key verses from the Bible can be in helping us stay close to God in difficult times. There are also some important stories, which will better stay with us, if we have found a way of sticking them in our memory. Playing with the words of the verses and the stories in different styles, voices and emotional expressions can be fun and, if it's fun, it is more likely to be remembered!

2. Give an example of this approach with a nursery rhyme first, such as 'Ba Ba Black Sheep', which hopefully everyone will know. The idea now is to read this well-known piece in a variety of different moods and with different expressions and styles such as: reading it in angry way; reading it very sadly; reading it nervously; expressing it as a pop song; as a rap; or in a grand opera style!

3. Once the children have the idea, you can now do this with a short version of the Bible story you have been looking at in your group session or maybe with just a verse that has come out of the story you have been reading. Either chorally or with willing volunteers, you could then read this passage in different ways, either varying the emotional tone or using different styles for example:

loudly
in a depressed way
joyfully
in the style of a TV newsreader
like a television advert
as a sports commentator
in a romantic way
in a forceful way, etc.

4. The main point is to have fun with the story or verse and by doing so not only will laughter insure the memory can work better but also the repetition will help the story or verse stick for the future!

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