Mary Edith Leichliter
Mary Edith loves scripture echo in all its phases. In its development and editing, she listens for fresh ways of hearing familiar words and seeks out deeper place of entrance into God’s word as she works. As she rehearses passages, she opens herself to the dynamic Word and how God might be speaking to her. In performance, her goal is to combine all of this---to immerse listeners in an experience of God’s word in which they can hear Him anew.
Mary Edith is an English teacher and librarian on the cusp of re-employment after having been home with young children.
A few words from Mary Edith about Scripture Echo:
What is interesting to you about re-forming a Scripture Echo into a different translation?
"Translating" an echo from one version of the Bible to another is great fun for the English teacher in me. On that level, it is pure word play--taking new language and seeing how it meshes with the reading as it was originally designed. Sometimes it enhances it, with the words of a different translation being more descriptive, more poetic. Sometimes, it leaves me wishing for the "original" language. 
How does reading Echo scripts and working on them help you engage the text in a personal way?
On a spiritual level, the interaction with the language always blesses me. Working between translations gives me a deeper look and allows a deeper pondering of what the passage is "getting at." Without fail, I come away with an understanding of God and scripture that is new.
As you take part in a final read-through during the final editting process, what do you find interesting (or illuminating) about what ultimately gets chosen for the script?
As we work through final editing, we never lose sight of the fact that we are working with the Word of God. The places that we choose to dwell in an echo always end up being the places we'd like an audience to be given the opportunity to dwell with us, to turn over God's word in their minds. I love that an echo script never changes God's word . . . it just causes each of us to listen differently to it.
