As students and educators return to classrooms and Sunday school rooms, we are mindful of the power of stories. We acknowledge the painful ones that some want to strike from school curriculums and the chilling ones that do not show up in any children’s bible – stories that frighten us with the sad truth of who we are and what we have done. These are stories that would set us free if we could muster the courage and creativity to tell them. Stories have the power to break down walls, bind up wounds, and restore joy. Let us hope to tell full stories every chance we get.

Storytelling God, you brought creation into being with a word. Make us faithful and truthful tellers of the narratives of our nation and the accounts of our faith. Give us courage and strength to tell the whole story knowing the power of the word to set people free and make us better at loving and showing love in a loveless world. Help us, Holy Spirit, to tell with gentleness and resolve the stories that are untold, forgotten, and suppressed. Set your people free. In Jesus’ name. Amen.