After the epic our celebration dinner - celebration of this, the tenth gathering, in the 20th year of the Network of Biblical Storytellers in Australia/New Zealand.
Marnie had organised people who had been at past gatherings to share a memory from a gathering, so that we had one or two stories from each of the previous nine gatherings - sparking memories for those who were there, and inviting those who weren't to enter the story of this community of biblical storytellers through these stories.
Rex Hunt, who instigated the formation of an Australia / New Zealand chapter of the Network twenty years ago, visited through Skype, and wished us well, encouraged us to tell the stories, to engage in the process of understanding the stories, their origins, context, to discover meaning for today.
And Philip Liebelt was made a life member of the Network - an honour he thought was reserved for those who have retired, since it was on retirement that we bestowed life membership on Rex: was this a hint, Philip asked?! No, rather an appropriate gesture to celebrate at this milestone gathering.
One of the traditions that we continue is to sing an 'Alleluia' in gratitude for stories that are told, and for people who have given us gifts. Denise taught us some words to sing from her language, the language of the Indigenous Australians from the Flinders Ranges (and rather than misspell the name of her people, or misrepresent the words she taught us, I'll leave it there until I've checked with her). As a language person, I loved learning some of the words of Denise's people in this song and in her stories.
Some of our participants departed the gathering after dinner, with communities to lead for gathered worship on Sunday morning. We were so glad they could take the time they did to participate in the gathering.
Conversations continued, stories continued with lighting the fire, stories that provoked wondering and imagining and discovery ...
And it was evening. The Second Day.
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