Exodus 1:8-2:10
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Especially if a group of boys
and men read the story about Joseph and his brothers, choose
women and girls of all ages to read this passage. Miriam is
an older elementary school girl.
Pharaoh’s daughter might be an older teenager. The other readers are adult women with the Narrator
perhaps being the oldest reader. Though
this is not a conversational play, the readers might be positioned around the
front of the church in relation to each other.
Pharoah’s daughter is off to one side.
Shiphrah and Puah stand next to each other as do Moses’ mother and
Miriam on the other side. Miriam moves
toward Pharaoh’s daughter to watch the baby then runs back to drag her mother
with her at the appropriate point in the reading. Miriam and her mother return to the Hebrew
side with Mother pretending to carry a baby.
Practice together is both essential for a smooth, confident reading and
for some good female bonding.
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Exodus 1:8 – 2:10
Narrator: Now a new king arose over Egypt, who did not
know Joseph. He said to his people,
“Look, the Israelite people are more numerous and more powerful than we. Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, or they
will increase and, in the event of war, join our enemies and fight against us
and escape from the land.” Therefore they set taskmasters over them
to oppress them with forced labor. They built supply cities, Pithom and
Rameses, for Pharaoh. But the more they
were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread, so that the Egyptians came
to dread the Israelites. The Egyptians
became ruthless in imposing tasks on the Israelites, and made their lives
bitter with hard service in mortar and brick and in every kind of field labor.
They were ruthless in all the tasks that they imposed on them.
The king of Egypt said to the Hebrew
midwives, one of whom was named Shiphrah and the other Puah,
Shiphrah: But the midwives feared
God; they did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but they let the boys
live. So the king of Egypt summoned the
midwives and said to them, “Why have you done this, and allowed the boys to
live?”
Puah:
The midwives said
to Pharaoh, “Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women; for they
are vigorous and give birth before the midwife comes to them.” So God dealt well with the midwives; and the
people multiplied and became very strong.
And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families.
Narrator: Then Pharaoh commanded all his people, “Every
boy that is born to the Hebrews you shall throw into the Nile, but you shall
let every girl live.”
Moses’ Mother: Now a man from the house of Levi went and
married a Levite woman. The woman
conceived and bore a son; and when she saw that he was a fine baby, she hid him
three months. When she could hide him no
longer she got a papyrus basket for him, and plastered it with bitumen and
pitch; she put the child in it and placed it among the reeds on the bank of the
river.
Miriam: His sister stood at a distance, to see what
would happen to him.
Pharaoh’s Daughter: The daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at
the river, while her attendants walked beside the river. She saw the basket
among the reeds and sent her maid to bring it.
When she opened it, she saw the child. He was crying, and she took pity
on him. “This must be one of the
Hebrews’ children,” she said.
Miriam: Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter,
“Shall I go and get you a nurse from the Hebrew women to nurse the child for
you?”
Pharaoh’s Daughter: Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Yes.” So the
girl went and called the child’s mother.
Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this child and nurse it for me,
and I will give you your wages.” So the woman took the child and nursed
it. When the child grew up, she brought
him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and she took him as her son. She named him Moses,
“because,” she said, “I drew him out of the water.”
All
Readers: This is the word of God.
New Revised
Standard Version
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For fun and to get everyone’s
attention for a reading by a single person, read the opening line “Now a new
king arose over Egypt, who did not know Joseph.” The organist/pianist interrupts with a duh, duh, duh, duh or uh-oh sound. After the laughter, briefly say that the
organist has it right and urge worshipers to listen for what happened. Then read the passage dramatically.
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This is the first of ten
readings from the life of Moses. We will
be with Moses until the Sunday before Halloween! To help children connect all those stories to
one man and to recall the stories from week to week, create a display to which you add one
object each week. (Go to Propers 16-25 Moses Display for an overview of this display.) Today
begin with the burlap in place.
Introduce it as deserty wilderness land where many of the stories in the
Bible took place. Briefly note that we
are beginning to tell one very long, very important story. If you wish, get worshipers to open their
Bibles to the second book in the Bible, Exodus, where this story is found. Then read or present the story. You may want to leave a Bible open to Exodus
on or near the display. After reading
the story and discussing it, produce a baby doll wrapped in white fabric and
nestled in a wicker basket. Set it on
the display.
Psalm 124
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This psalm is one of the Songs
of Ascent, songs pilgrims sang as they walked up the steep, sometimes dangerous
road to the Jerusalem Temple. Imagine
one traveler calling out the question in verse one and other travelers replying
by reciting the rest of the verses. To feel yourselves with the pilgrims, stand and walk in
place as you read.
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To help children grasp all the
images in the psalm, have worshipers open their pew Bibles. Briefly point
out the format in the first verse, then walk through the images that say how
much trouble we were in.
It
was like we were being carried away by a raging flood.
It
was like an animal was eating us.
We
were like a bird caught in a trap – before God broke the trap to free us
Point out that in all these
situations God did indeed save the people.
Then read the psalm together from the Bibles or using the script below.
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Psalm 124
Leader: What if the Lord
had not been on our side?
Answer, O Israel!
People: If
the Lord had not been on our side
when our enemies attacked us,
then they would have swallowed us
alive
in their furious anger against us;
then the flood would have carried us
away,
the water would have covered us,
the raging torrent would have drowned
us.
Let us thank the Lord,
who has not let our enemies
destroy us.
destroy us.
We have escaped like a bird from
a hunter’s trap;
a hunter’s trap;
the trap is broken, and we are free!
Our help comes from the Lord,
who made heaven and earth.
Today’s English Version
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Isaiah 51:1-6 and Psalm 138
Given the richness of the
other texts for children and the connections between those texts and going back
to school, I find little to recommend using the alternate texts for
children. Both speak in generalities and
abstract terms. I think it would even be
possible to read Psalm 124 with Isaiah.
Those of you who are committed to these texts, tell us what you are
doing in the comments section.
Romans 12:1-8
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A living sacrifice sounds grossly gory to children today. Rather than search for ways to make it more
acceptable, but still a sacrifice, restate it in phrases such as “present your
whole self.”
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The Good News Bible offers an
especially clear translation of verses 6-8.
So we are to use our different gifts in
accordance with the grace that God has given us. If our gift is to speak God’s
message, we should do it according to the faith that we have; if it is to
serve, we should serve; if it is to teach, we should teach; if it is to
encourage others, we should do so. Whoever shares with others should do it
generously; whoever has authority should work hard; whoever shows kindness to
others should do it cheerfully.
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Today’s other texts are filled
with illustrations of people serving where they are placed. A sermon that devotes generous time to
telling their stories and pointing out their service, sends children off to
school (and the adults back into their fall schedules) with lots of heroes and
heroines.
Shiphrah and Puah were nobodies who refused to go along with the
powerful king who threatened them if they did not do what he wanted.
Moses’ Mother worked hard to save her son from Pharaoh’s death
decree.
Miriam simply
babysat for her little brother (probably swatting gnats and mosquitoes the
whole time) then acted bravely and cleverly.
Pharaoh’s daughter
knew she couldn’t save all the Hebrew babies, but she could and did save one.
Peter, the
uneducated fisherman, was willing to say the amazing thing he was coming to
believe that Jesus was indeed God’s messiah.
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Give worshipers paper and markers with which
to draw or write about ways they promise to give themselves
as a gift to God this week.
Encourage them to think of something specific they can do that would
make God happy. During the offering,
invite them to drop their pictures/words into the slit on a large gift wrapped
box sitting at the front of the sanctuary.
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"I Sing a Song of the
Saints of God” or “Take My Life and Let it Be” are the most child accessible hymns on this
theme.
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The verses about conformity
speak more clearly to teenagers and adults than to children. If you do explore this theme, remember all the transformer toys and heroes. They will be the first things children think
of when the verses are read.
Transformers change from ordinary things into extraordinary things with
special powers. Stories about them
generally involve lots of violence. So,
plan carefully how you will get the children to your message about being
transformed.
Matthew 16:13-20
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Emphasize the conversation
that takes place here. Prearrange with 12 people of a variety of
ages (maybe a couple of families) to help present today’s scripture. In advance designate 3 to read the first 3
disciples’ responses to Jesus’ question and another to read Peter’s response
(maybe a male named Peter?) Plan for one
brief rehearsal so that everyone knows exactly what to do when. When the time comes for the scripture, call
the 12 forward identifying them as Jesus’ 12 disciples. They join you sitting casually on the steps
or floor at the front. Say that one day
as Jesus was with his disciples, then move into the script below reading Jesus’
parts.
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Matthew
16:13-19
Jesus: Who do people say the Son of Man is?
Disciple 1: Some say John the Baptist.
Disciple 2: Others say Elijah.
Disciple 3: Others say Jeremiah or some other prophet.”
Jesus: What about you? Who do you say I am?
Peter: You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.
Jesus (reaching out to put a hand on Peter’s shoulder): Good for you, Simon son of John! For this truth did not come to you from any human being, but it was given to you directly by my Father in heaven. And so I tell you, Peter: you are a rock, and on this rock foundation I will build my church, and not even death will ever be able to overcome it. I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of heaven; what you prohibit on earth will be prohibited in heaven, and what you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven.
Based
on TEV
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If this is the Sunday
before school starts focus today
on Peter’s insight and heroic standing up for what he was beginning to
know. Encourage children to be like
Peter at school. Then next Sunday before
reading about Peter’s failure and Jesus’ rebuke, ask for a show of hands from
children how many got at least one answer wrong or made one mistake in school
during the last week. Also ask how many
adults messed up at least once at work last week. You are then set up to explore how we fail
even with the best of intentions. More
on that next week.
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As you explore the rock image,
remember that children today most often hear it in the phrase, “you rock!” By that they mean you are awesome or great or
powerful or cool – all good things to be.
So, to them Jesus may not only be saying Peter you are steady, but you
are up to the task before you. You will
do well!
If
you go with the latter, you can mention how often each one of us feels about as
special as a rock. The rock with a cross
on it reminds us both that God made us this way and that God uses very ordinary
rock-y people to do God’s work in the world.
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Though it will be years before
they can drive the car, children dream of that day. On that day they will be able to decide where
to go and go there. One way to interpret
Jesus’ comments about keys is to compare them to a parent saying to a new
driver, “here are the keys.” Jesus was telling Peter and the others that
they were in the driver’s seat. They
were going to be making more and more of the decisions. And, they would be responsible. Make the case that even now, they are often
in the driver’s seat – especially among friends at school, on the bus, wherever
they go. Jesus is trusting them to make
loving decisions. Holding a set of car
keys in your hands, bouncing them around, even offering them to nearby
worshipers reinforces the image vividly.
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Introduce the
section about Jesus in the creed you most often use in worship
as one answer to the question, “who do you say that Jesus is?” After walking through the phrases in that
section about Jesus, pose the question to the whole congregation so that they
can respond with the words of the creed.
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If the children are going
back to school this week, check Back to School for more ideas on how to include this
important event in their lives in the congregation’s worship.
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