What about Mary and Mary in Bible and Koran

Training course for
Working with
Bibliodrama-methods
in religious and culturally diverse groups VILNIUS

Reflections and pictures

Interfaith work
with texts about Mary
from Bible and Koran
Liechtenstein

Reflections and pictures
Een fotoverslagje

We made new plans,
found a new team
and a new place...
We had a great course week
What about Mary +
from 8th to 12th March 2022

Two of our volunteers joined in at the course Mary in Bible and Koran in Liechtenstein ( april 2022)

See pictures here
Reflections on their experiences.

Content

We were happy with this completely new international, interfaith course:

Where you could experience and explore a rich variety of bibliodrama methods
We focused on working in religious and culturally diverse groups using bibliodrama and creative methods
We used exercises and reflection to encourage the learning and the use of these methods in the own working situation. We exchanged ideas and experience and increased the learning outcomes of each participant.
We chose the theme " What about Mary" and we used texts from different background to explore the way people pray, talk, experience, think... about Mary and discovered many more Mary's and powerful way on the way.
We used English as our common language. In the same time we will share tips and tricks to use other languages in your workshops.
We explored marvelous Vilnius
And we built a wider and warmer cross boarder network for exchanging experiences and working tools
We worked in an a creative way towards peace and hopes and we met and created our own personal Mary.

Link to more pictures

Haus Gutenberg in Balzers (Liechtenstein), dat was ons gastvrij logement tijdens de cursus over Maria in bijbel en koran van 26 tot 30 april 2022. Schitterend gelegen halfweg de berg die gedomineerd wordt door het kasteel op de top, van waar je doorheen de poort een prachtig zicht hebt op het dorp in het dal, vroeger overstromingsgebied van de Rijn.
Tien deelnemers, drie begeleiders, zes nationaliteiten, één moslima en christenen van allerlei strekkingen.
Een bijzonder Mariabeeld in de kapel van het huis: kan Maria het leed van de wereld niet meer aanzien? Wij ontmoetten haar hier vanuit Koran- én bijbelperspectief: bijzonder!

Soera 19 (tot vers 21) uit de Koran, en de bijbeltekst van Lk 2, 26 -35 naast elkaar gelegd: zoveel gelijkenissen, maar ook opvallende verschillen.
We speelden met de engel, de zoon en Maria in beide verhalen, maar vooral het experiment met het dubbele speelveld was boeiend: eerst stelden allerlei vrij gekozen rollen uit de bijbeltekst zich voor op veld 1, en gingen in communicatie met elkaar. Bij het ontrollen werden ze uitgenodigd hun doek te laten liggen op de plek waar hun spel geeindigd was.
Daarna idem voor de koranrollen, op veld 2 aan de overzijde van het touw dat de zaal in twee deelde.
Voor scene 3 werd het touw weggehaald, iedereen keerde terug naar de rol die men eerder die dag had gespeeld: op dezelfde plaats, met hetzelfde doek. Maar nu konden alle rollen uit beide verhalen in interactie gaan met elkaar: koning David, de groet, de perfecte man, Jozef, de barrière, de vis, de godvrezende… Vreemd maar boeiend en interessant gebeuren dat ook zichtbaar gemaakt werd in de getekende, ingekaderde, verknipte kunstwerkjes.
Tussendoor veel geleerd over Islam, over de Koran, over de betekenis van lichamelijkheid in rituelen van welke levensbeschouwing ook. En natuurlijk hebben we ook zelf mogen experimenteren door voor een heel specifieke interculturele, interreligieuze doelgroep een bibliodrama-activiteit te bedenken en uit te testen.
Dankjewel aan alle deelnemers. Enkelen van hen vind je niet op de foto van ons tussendoor-bergtochtje. Dankjewel aan de begeleiders Wolfgang, Bruno en bijzonder aan Tolou.

Some reflections by participants

New ways of working with the text, talks with each other, Mary+ aspects (kinda found my calling again), but also the apporach to Mother Mary.
I got to know more about bibliodrama and would like to learn to be a good facilitator of the group. Still reflecting on Mary topic, my personal experience and relation with her. Nice that the group was actice, very various - age, gender, different countries. It helped to hear more points of view, to have precious sharings.
lovely people, live encounters, humorous and skillfull leaders
Days were long and heavy. I missed longer lunch break. To process more. Different methods varied well, there was enough of freedom of thought. :)
Very rich content. Methods were interesting to try and think will be easily applied in our work. Clear intructions were given, different ways of applying them. I would recommend more reflections during the seminar because method is realy deep and may be very touching. I would skip the cultural part in town and would do some group work, pray time or that group member could share about their cultures, countries, church traditions etc.
I was content. Perhaps I would have included more body work, especially in the mornings. But that is kind of my own personal ‘tradition’.
Catholics and protestants together from different countries and traditions came together, ate and lived together, worked and experienced together, prayed and learned together. Billiodrama connects!
You have to try to know the taste...:)
I was at first skeptical about the theme (being an ex-catholic lutheran). But the good thing with bibliodrama is that quite a lot of dimensions can be alive and in connection with each other. At one point I was little bit upset about the almost (not total) absence of the jewish side of mother מרים. But this is perhaps a personal issue of mine too. (German, with possible, by former generations muted and eradicated jewish roots).
I became bibliodrama leader just when corona began. I have been mostly in on-line bibliodramas since then. I tried to convince myself, that this on-line works too. It does, But boy, which difference to bibliodrama in real life! (”What a difference a stay made…”)

A longer story by Leena Väyrynen-Si

Organizing partners