GOD CALLS MOSES DRAMA WORKSHOP

Transcription

1 GOD CALLS MOSES DRAMA WORKSHOP Theme: Service ROTATION: GOD CALLS MOSES Bible Reference: Exodus 1 The people of Israel suffer Exodus 2:1-10 Moses is born Exodus 2:11-23 Moses escapes Exodus 3 God calls Moses Exodus 4:1-17 God gives powers to Moses Exodus 4:18-20 Moses returns to Egypt Objectives: Materials 1. The children will enact the story of Moses call from God. 2. The children will prepare the stage with background and props. 3. The children will discuss God s plan for Moses and for each of us. Grades 1 and 2 Grades 3, 4 and 5 Stagecraft Roll paper for backdrop Ditto Construction paper Markers Scissors Masking tape or Stickytack Bible Bibles for everyone Ditto lesson Drama God Calls Moses narration for nonreaders God Calls Moses play God Calls Moses play for readers Lesson focus: God has a plan for each of us. Bible memory verse: There are different ways to serve the same Lord, and we can each do different things. Yet the same God works in all of us and helps us in everything we do. I Corinthians 12:5-6

2 DRAMA LESSON PLAN 9:00 Set up materials and prepare to greet students. 9:10 Teachers and shepherds, please meet at the cross on the second floor to start the day in prayer. 9:15 Shepherds, greet arrivals and parents at the door and send your own children to class. Remind each child to sign in and put on a name tag. (Do you have your tag on?) The teacher will start each child on the arrival activity while the shepherd greets. Stagecraft: There are a number of stagecraft props that children can make for this play: Blue river water: Lay down blue roll paper, perhaps cut to curve Reeds (and cattails?): long green leaves; brown rolls on dowels Burning bush: Silk bush with paper flames throughout the branches Sandals for Moses: cardboard bottoms with brown paper (or elastic) straps Stone well: wadded kraft paper stones stapled to poster board strips and attached to round form

3 9:30 Begin class on time with offerings and prayer. Older students may volunteer to read aloud. The shepherd will start the lesson in prayer. Take the attendance sheet and ask the children to gather around you. Ask if everyone has signed in (and add those who did not). Ask if anyone has a prayer request or praise to be lifted. Write notes next to the child s name to help you remember. Hold the offering basket and ask if anyone has further offerings. As you pray for today s class, pray for each child by name and include their requests. Close with the following prayer. Offering Lord, bless these offerings and those who bring them. Use them and us to bring glory to you. Continue with the following class prayer: Grades 1 and 2 Grades 3, 4 and 5 Prayer Dear God, you have known me since Dear God, you have known me since before before I was born! May I have a sense the beginning of time! Your plan for my life of peace about living your way instead lies before me, but I want to live it my way. of wanting my own way. Let me know Give me your peace about living your way. the joy of doing what pleases you. Let me know the joy of a life in surrender I pray in Jesus name, amen. to your love and grace. I pray in Jesus name, amen.

4 9:35 Prepare ahead Bible lesson Prepare for class by reading the Bible references listed on the cover sheet. This is a long story, and you should be able to paraphrase it for the children. This part of the Moses story has six segments. Each workshop lesson will paraphrase events and expand one part for study and discussion. Grades 1 and 2 Grades 3, 4, and 5 Paraphrase the story where you see subtitles. Read aloud the Bible passages as indicated in the discussion below. Have the children follow along as you read. Paraphrase the story where you see subtitles. Read aloud or have volunteers read the Bible passages as indicated in the discussion below. Allow reluctant readers to say pass. Have the students recall points from the reading. Younger children may need prompting; reread passages where needed. Remember the lesson focus: God has a plan for each of us. Exodus 1 Joseph The people of Israel suffer The people of Israel had come to Egypt several hundred years earlier to escape the famine. had helped his people survive there. They were given fertile land and they prospered. But as they grew in numbers, a Pharaoh became afraid of the Hebrews. He declared that all Hebrew baby boys should be killed so that their culture would be wiped out. Read Exodus 2: Long ago, Abraham s son was Isaac. Isaac s son was Jacob. (God gave Jacob the new name Israel. The land of Israel became the country Israel we know today.) The twelve sons of Jacob came to Egypt and had families that became the twelve tribes of Israel. What tribe of Israel was Moses from? (Verse 1) The tribe of Levi, who became the family line for Israel s priests. 2. How did the mother try to save her son? (Verse 3) She made a waterproof basket and put him in it. She placed it at the edge of the Nile river. 3. Who was there for the baby s safekeeping? (Verse 4) His older sister (Miriam). Read Exodus 2:5.

5 4. It was no coincidence that the king s daughter came to that spot; she probably used it regularly. The baby s mother was being very careful with her son s life. The king s daughter saw the baby and knew it was a Hebrew boy. Read Exodus 2:7. 5. What did Miriam offer the king s daughter? She offered child care for the baby. It was a custom for babies to be cared for by servants until they were old enough to be schooled. Miriam s well-timed offer may have saved the baby from being taken by soldiers. 6. Miriam brought back her own mother to take care of the baby. In a moment of grace, God gave her son back to her, at least for a few years. And she was paid to do it! Read Exodus 2: What price did the mother have to pay for her son s life? She had to give him up when he was old enough to be schooled. 8. Who gave the boy his name? Why? The king s daughter named him Moses (which means pull out ), because she pulled him out of the water. 9. Look at the string of events that led to Moses life in the palace. Each moment of his infancy could have led to his death. Instead, some amazing events came together to assure his life. Those events eventually made him the only one who could talk to an Egyptian king about freeing the people he knew for only a few years. God s hand was in each turning point of Moses life. Moses didn t know it, even when God called him to serve, but God had known from before his birth that Moses would be the one to lead his people. What does God know about you? What does he have planned for you in the future? How will you affect the world around you? (You probably already have, in ways you can t imagine.) God asked Moses to lead because Moses life made him the one person who could do it. God asks you to serve too. What will your life give you that you can give to God? He knows. And you will, too, if you seek God s will in your life. Ex. 2:11-23 Moses escapes Moses always knew he was born a Hebrew, but he did not share their burden. They were made slaves to work in the desert. One day Moses saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew slave. He killed the Egyptian. When the Pharaoh learned what Moses had done, he ordered Moses killed. But

6 Moses escaped across the desert, north to the land of Midian. In Midian, Moses helped the daughters of Jethro water their flock. Jethro invited Moses to his home, and Moses agreed to stay. He later married Jethro s daughter Zipporah (zip-por-uh) and took care of Jethro s flocks. Exodus 3 God calls Moses One day, Moses decided to take the flock across the desert to Mount Sinai. The Lord spoke to Moses from a burning bush. God told him that he had heard the cries of his people and he wanted to help them. He told Moses to lead his people out of Egypt to the land he had promised their ancestor Abraham. Moses was not sure that anyone would listen to him, and God replied that he would be with him. Ex. 4:1-17 God gives powers to Moses Moses was reluctant, so God gave Moses the power to do three miracles. Moses still begged God to send someone else, so God told Moses to have his brother Aaron speak for him to the people. Moses finally agreed to obey. Ex. 4:18-20 Moses returns to Egypt Moses asked Jethro permission to take his family to Egypt to see if his people were still alive. (God had told him that all who had wanted Moses killed had died.) Jethro agreed, and Moses put his wife and sons on donkeys and headed for Egypt. He carried the staff that had the power of God.

7 9:50 Preparation for performing As you assign performing roles, remember that some children would rather contribute in nonperforming roles, such as props, costuming, music, lighting, etc. You may wish to have the actors read through their lines while crew members prepare the stage, props, and costumes. If you have a small group, get everyone involved as crew before performing. Remember that half the fun of performing is setting the stage and costuming. Allow time for them to prepare, with about 20 minutes or less of actual performance. 10:00 Performance: God Calls Moses The narrative form of the story is written for nonreaders (that is, incoming first-graders). Read the narrative (or a storybook, if you prefer) and have the children improvise whatever lines they like. The play for grades 2 through 5 is written so that it may be performed without rehearsal. The s role is to explain the action that the characters portray. There are at least eight speaking roles in this play. If you have a lot of children, assign the roles among them by scene; label their name tags by character and scene. ( 1, etc.) Grades 1 and 2 Grades 3, 4 and 5 Because the youngest are nonreaders, this group will need to have an adult dictate what they will enact. Have nonreaders improvise their lines as the describes the action through the narrative script. If you have enough kids, assign the role to one of them. Lots of kids? Divide the meaty roles by scenes, and indicate which scene on their nametags. The second graders can probably handle the lines from the play, except possibly the s part. Prepare ahead well Before Sunday, prepare the props, scenery and costumes in the classroom. If the students are greeted by an organized set, they are more inclined to leave it that way. Children respond to a prepared classroom.

8 10:20 Have the children clean up materials and put them away. Costumes should be hung and props returned to the prop closet. Be sure the room is neat before dismissing the class. Ask for prayer requests and close with prayer. Thank you so much for being here for our children. God works through you to reach them.

9 GOD CALLS MOSES Narrative for nonreaders by Betty Greene Salwak Copyright 2001, 2006, 2012 by Second Presbyterian Church, Indianapolis, IN This narrative is to be read aloud to nonreaders who will portray the action and improvise their spoken lines. The narrator should pause at each break in the script to allow the actors to speak or move. Scene One: On the bank of the Nile River, Jochebed, Miriam, Battiah (Servant Girl, Prop Handler) Several hundred years after Joseph helped to save the people of Egypt, the pharaoh Sety feared the Hebrews. He made slaves of them to keep them from becoming powerful. When Hebrew families continued to grow, he declared that all newborn Hebrew boys should be killed. Jochebed, a Hebrew mother, managed to hide her baby son for three months. But he grew too big to hide, so she made a waterproof basket and took it and the baby to the river. Her daughter Miriam followed along. Miriam asked her mother what she was going to do with the basket. Jochebed hugged the baby and put him in the basket. With tears in her eyes, she put the basket in the water and watched it drift away. Jochebed hooks string to bottom edge of the basket. Prop Handler very slowly pulls basket downriver. Jochebed said she must try to save her son. She told Miriam to watch and tell what happens. Jochebed sadly walked away and Miriam watched the basket drift downriver. She hid behind a bush when the pharaoh s daughter walked to the river to take a bath. A servant girl held her robe. Battiah saw the basket in the river and told the servant girl to bring it to her. The servant girl put down the robe and hurried to pick up the basket. She handed it to Battiah and sat on the riverbank. Miriam watched from afar. Battiah said that this must be one of the Hebrew babies. At once, Miriam ran up to the pharaoh s daughter. She asked if she wanted a Hebrew woman to take care of the baby.

10 Battiah said yes, so Miriam ran to get Jochebed. It was the custom for the rich to have someone else raise their babies until the children were old enough to be schooled. Miriam brought Jochebed to Battiah. Battiah told Jochebed to take care of the child (pause) and I will pay you. Miriam took her son in her arms. The baby s mother carried him home and took care of him. When he was old enough, she took him to the king s daughter, who adopted him. Battiah named him Moses.

11 Scene Two: At a desert well in Midian, Moses, Zipporah, Jethro (Shepherds) Moses was raised as a prince in Egypt, although he knew he was born a Hebrew. After he had grown, he went out to where his own people were hard at work. He saw an Egyptian beating one of them, so Moses killed the Egyptian. When the pharaoh heard what Moses had done, the pharaoh wanted to kill him. Moses escaped to the land of Midian, on the north side of the Red Sea. One day, Moses was sitting in the shade by a well when Jethro s daughters came to water their father s flock. Shepherds were filling their jugs from the well to water their animals. When Zipporah came to the well with a jug, the shepherds tried to chase her away. Moses jumped up. Moses told them that he would water her animals. He knew they would not dare to stop him. The shepherds grumbled at Moses and walked away to their flocks. Moses filled the jug and handed it to Zipporah. Zipporah thanked Moses for helping her with the flock. Moses told her he was glad to help. Then he walked to a tree to take a nap in the shade. Zipporah ran home to tell her father about the stranger who helped them. She returned with Jethro. Jethro asked why she came back so early today. Zipporah told him how an Egyptian rescued her from the shepherds and even watered the sheep and goats. Jethro ashed where he was. Zipporah pointed at Moses napping in the shade. Jethro chided her for leaving Moses out in the desert. He told her to invite him to eat. Zipporah ran to Moses and brought him to Jethro. They walked to Jethro s house to eat dinner. Moses agreed to stay on with Jethro, and years later Moses married Zipporah. They had a son whom they named Gershon. Moses was happy in Midian.

12 Scene Three: On Mount Sinai, Moses, of God (Prop Handler?) Once, when Moses was taking care of Jethro s sheep and goats, he decided to lead them across the desert to Mount Sinai. On the mountain, Moses saw a bush that appeared to be on fire. He walked over to see why the bush was not burning up. The voice of God told Moses not to come any closer. He told him to take off his sandals (pause) because the ground where he was standing was holy. God told Moses that he was the God of his ancestors. Moses took off his sandals. He was afraid to look at God, so he hid his face. God told Moses he had seen how his people were suffering. (pause) He had heard them beg for help. God told Moses to go to the king of Egypt, to lead the people out of his country. Moses asked Who am I to lead your people out of Egypt? God said I will be with you. Moses asked what would happen if everyone refused to listen to his message. God told Moses to throw down the stick in his hand. Moses threw the stick on the ground. It turned into a snake, and Moses jumped back. God told Moses to pick it up by the tail. When Moses did, the snake turned back into a stick. God told Moses to put his hand inside his own shirt. Moses obeyed, and when he took it out, his hand had turned as white as snow. God said to put his hand back in his shirt. Moses did, and when he took it out again, it was as healthy as the rest of his body. Moses complained that he never been a good speaker. God asked, Who makes people able to speak? (pause) I am the one! (pause) I will give you the words to say.

13 Moses said Please, Lord, send someone else to do it. God told Moses that his brother Aaron would speak to the people for him. Moses accepted God s call and left to ask Jethro if he could leave. Jethro gave him his blessing. Moses and his family headed for Egypt, taking the walking stick that had the power of God.

14 GOD CALLS MOSES A play for elementary grades by Betty Greene Salwak Copyright 2001, 2006, 2012 by Second Presbyterian Church, Indianapolis, IN Characters Scenes Props Scene 1, 2, 3 Infant doll in blanket Moses Scene 2, 3 Baby basket (with string on hook) Jochebed (JOKE-uh-bed) Scene 1 Burning bush Miriam (MEER-ee-um) Scene 1 Staff, sandals Battiah (BAH-tee-uh) Scene 1 Snake Jethro Scene 2 Lg. white glove (or white handprint) Zipporah (zip-por-uh) Scene 2 Stone well of God Scene 3 Pottery jugs Trees, bushes, reeds Microphone and speaker for? Nonspeaking roles Servant girl Scene 1 Shepherds Scene 2 Prop Handler Behind Scene 1, 3? Story Jochebed wants to save her Hebrew baby boy from certain death by the pharaoh of Egypt, so she puts him in a basket and floats him in a river. The pharaoh s daughter Battiah takes the baby and has Jochebed raise him until he is old enough to be schooled. Battiah raises Moses as a prince of Egypt, although he knows he was born a Hebrew. One day Moses sees a soldier beating a Hebrew slave and kills the soldier. He flees Egypt to Midian, where he helps the daughters of Jethro. Jethro takes him in. Moses marries Jethro s daughter Zipporah and cares for Jethro s flocks. While tending the flocks, Moses sees a bush that is on fire but isn t consumed. God speaks from the bush and tells Moses to lead his people out of Egypt. Moses is reluctant, but God gives him power to perform certain miracles. Moses can use them to convince people that he speaks for God. Moses takes his wife and sons and heads for Egypt, to meet his brother Aaron as a servant of God. Setting 1300 B.C.: On the bank of the Nile River; at a desert well in Midian; on Mount Sinai

15 Scene One: On the bank of the Nile River, Jochebed, Miriam, Battiah (Servant Girl, Prop Handler) Have the Prop Handler lay a thin string with an ornament hook across the Nile set. Place hook so that basket can be pulled across stage, downriver. Prop Handler should hide, holding string low to floor. Several hundred years after Joseph helped to save the people of Egypt, the pharaoh Sety feared the Hebrews. He made slaves of them to keep them from becoming powerful. When Hebrew families continued to grow, he declared that all newborn Hebrew boys should be killed. Jochebed, a Hebrew mother, managed to hide her baby son for three months. But he grew too big to hide, so she made a waterproof basket and took it and the baby to the river. Her daughter Miriam followed along. Miriam Mother, what are you going to do with that basket? Jochebed hugged the baby and put him in the basket. With tears in her eyes, she put the basket in the water and watched it drift away. Jochebed hooks the string to the bottom edge of the basket. Prop Handler very slowly pulls the basket downriver. Jochebed Battiah Battiah Miriam Battiah Miriam, I must try to save my son. I want you to watch and tell me what happens. Jochebed sadly walked away and Miriam watched the basket drift downriver. She hid behind a bush when the pharaoh s daughter walked to the river to take a bath. A servant girl held her robe. Battiah saw the basket in the river. What is that? Girl, bring me that basket. The servant girl put down the robe and hurried to pick up the basket. She handed it to Battiah and sat on the riverbank. Miriam watched from afar. This must be one of the Hebrew babies. At once, Miriam ran up to the pharaoh s daughter. Do you want me to get a Hebrew woman to take care of the baby for you? Yes. Bring her to me.

16 Battiah Miriam ran to get Jochebed. It was the custom for the rich to have someone else raise their babies until the children were old enough to be schooled. Miriam brought Jochebed to Battiah. Take care of this child, and I will pay you. Miriam took her son in her arms. The baby s mother carried him home and took care of him. When he was old enough, she took him to the king s daughter, who adopted him. Battiah named him Moses.

17 Scene Two: At a desert well in Midian, Moses, Zipporah, Jethro (Shepherds) Moses was raised as a prince in Egypt, although he knew he was born a Hebrew. After he had grown, he went out to where his own people were hard at work. He saw an Egyptian beating one of them, so Moses killed the Egyptian. When the pharaoh heard what Moses had done, the pharaoh wanted to kill him. Moses escaped to the land of Midian, on the north side of the Red Sea. One day, Moses was sitting in the shade by a well when Jethro s daughters came to water their father s flock. Shepherds were filling their jugs from the well to water their animals. When Zipporah came to the well with a jug, the shepherds tried to chase her away. Moses jumped up. Moses Zipporah Moses Jethro Zipporah Jethro Jethro I will water her animals! You will not dare to stop me. The shepherds grumbled at Moses and walked away to their flocks. Moses filled the jug and handed it to Zipporah. Thank you, sir, for helping us with our flock. I am glad to help. Now it is time to take a nap in the shade. Zipporah ran home to tell her father about the stranger who helped them. She returned with Jethro. Why did you come back so early today? An Egyptian rescued us from the shepherds, and he even watered our sheep and goats. Where is he? Zipporah pointed at Moses napping in the shade. Why did you leave him out there? Invite him to eat with us. Zipporah ran to Moses and brought him to Jethro. They walked to Jethro s house to eat dinner. Moses agreed to stay on with Jethro, and years later Moses married Zipporah. They had a son whom they named Gershon. Moses was happy in Midian.

18 Scene Three: On Mount Sinai, Moses, of God (Prop Handler?) Moses Moses Moses say. Once, when Moses was taking care of Jethro s sheep and goats, he decided to lead them across the desert to Mount Sinai. On the mountain, Moses saw a bush that appeared to be on fire. He walked over to see why the bush was not burning up. Moses! Don t come any closer. Take off your sandals -- the ground where you are standing is holy. I am the God of your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Moses took off his sandals. He was afraid to look at God, so he hid his face. I have seen how my people are suffering. I have heard them beg for my help. Now go to the king of Egypt! I am sending you to lead my people out of his country. Who am I to lead your people out of Egypt? I will be with you. Suppose everyone refuses to listen to my message? Throw down the stick in your hand! Moses threw the stick on the ground. It turned into a snake, and Moses jumped back. Pick it up by the tail! When Moses did, the snake turned back into a stick. God commanded Moses again. Put your hand inside your shirt. Moses obeyed, and when he took it out, his hand had turned as white as snow. Put your hand back in your shirt. Moses did so, and when he took it out again, it was as healthy as the rest of his body. If no one believes these miracles, take water from the river and pour it on the ground. The water will turn into blood. But I have never been a good speaker. I am slow at speaking, and I can never think of what to Who makes people able to speak? I am the one! I will be with you and give you the words to say.

19 Moses Please, Lord, send someone else to do it. Your brother Aaron will speak to the people for you. You will tell Aaron what to say. I will be with both of you. Moses accepted God s call and left to ask Jethro if he could leave. Jethro gave him his blessing. Moses and his family headed for Egypt, taking the walking stick that had the power of God. The End