Biblical Storytelling - June 18
Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 119:97-120; PM Psalm 81, 82; 1 Samuel 2:12-26; Acts 2:1-21; Luke 20:27-40
Last Saturday, Sam Gilliam brought stories of Jesus to life in our parish hall—not as static words on a page, but as vibrant, human scenes full of texture and possibility. She invited us to step into the spaces the Gospels leave blank and to color outside the lines of our biblical understanding. One of those open spaces is the early life of Jesus. Apart from his birth and a brief temple scene at age twelve, Scripture leaves his childhood largely unrecorded.
It makes you wonder: What kind of boy was Jesus? What questions did he ask? Who taught him? How did he pray?
To reflect on that mystery, I’m drawn to a different child, Samuel, the young prophet growing up in the temple, whose story we find in 1 Samuel 2:12–26. In contrast to Eli’s sons, who abused their priestly roles, Samuel ministers faithfully before the Lord, even as a child. The passage says: “The boy Samuel continued to grow both in stature and in favor with the Lord and with the people.”
That same phrase is used of Jesus in Luke’s Gospel: “And Jesus increased in wisdom and in years, and in divine and human favor.” Sam had us in tears of laughter as she had Jesus asking “why” to just about every statement Mary and Joseph could ever make.
It’s not hard to imagine young Jesus like Samuel—learning the rhythms of prayer, watching the grown-ups with quiet attentiveness, hearing stories of Moses and the prophets, asking big questions, and gradually sensing that God was calling him to something greater. I’m sure Samuel asked his parents “why” a few times in his life.
What Sam Gilliam reminded us is that storytelling is more than entertainment—it’s theology in motion. When we wonder about Jesus’ early years, we aren’t rewriting Scripture; we’re stepping into it more deeply. We’re doing what Mary did when she treasured all these things in her heart, turning them over and imagining how they might speak to us today.
The story of Samuel tells us that God begins shaping us long before anyone sees the full picture. Maybe it’s true of us as well. Maybe the story of Jesus, like the story of Samuel, reminds us that divine purpose doesn’t wait until adulthood. It begins in the small, quiet, faithful moments. It begins when we listen.
And maybe that’s what faith invites us to do—to live with wonder in the gaps, to tell stories that point toward God’s grace, and to remember that even when Scripture is silent, the Spirit still speaks. I hope you will watch her presentation here if you missed it, or if you just want to hear it again.
John+
Questions for Self-Reflection: What missing parts of Bible stories do you want to know? How can your imagination help you deepen your faith?