Old Testament

Why make commandments? Especially when you know people can’t keep them

Posted on January 23, 2014July 28, 2015 by Carol Hulbert

Why did God make laws? Especially when his commandments are really tough to keep. No work on the Sabbath? When was the last time that one got followed? Why make laws when you know that people will end up breaking the rules?

I’ll give you a hint of the answer:

To make us realize our need for God’s grace.
And because God loves us.

(Okay. That was two hints.)

The next time you are driving in the car with the kids, ask them why you should have to stop whenever you see a red sign of a certain-shape?

Steer them to realizing the purpose of laws: They keep people safe.

Next, ask them why they think your family has rules? (Such as: no playing in the street when there is traffic.)

Direct them to realizing that you have rules to keep them safe and because you love them!

God had the same reason for giving us the Ten Commandments: he loves us!

Wait a minute (you may say)… laws can be restricting. They make life no fun!

And this is for love?

A bit of backstory is needed. When God first handed out his laws, the intent may have seemed as though it was to bring order to an unruly bunch. The newly freed Israelites were at a point where they needed:

To recognize who God was,
To remember God’s past provision,
To recall God’s covenant with their forefathers (and foremothers),
To learn how to honor God, (How to stay in love with God!)
To establish a new life together learning how to live (and how to act) as God’s people.

Hmm. Those reasons for laws still apply to us today!

It’s time for a bit of discussion at the family dinner table. (Or wherever your family is gathered together.) If needed, cover this over several days.

This family discussion guide can be printed! Click here.

Bring out a toaster, or a hair dryer, or other small electrical appliance that has a cautioning label on the cord. Have your family read the warning tag. Ask them why do you suppose the manufacturer placed it there?

Recall your earlier conversations in the car (or ask those questions now).

Why did God want to give his people laws? (Accept all replies.)
Then perhaps offer some answers:

A. Because they were misbehaving left and right! They needed laws! (Nope.)

B. Because God felt like being in charge! (Nope.)

C. Because God loved them and wanted his people to be safe!

Read together Exodus 19:3-6.

What does this passage tell you about how God feels for his people?

Pay close attention to verse 6:

Now obey me completely. Keep my covenant. If you do, then out of all of the nations you will be my special treasure.

God continually seeks a connection with humanity!
God looks on all of us as his treasured people!

Let that sink in. (I’m awed.)

When you are ready for more…

Re-read Exodus 19:3-6. And then read 1 Peter 2:9.

What does God mean that we are to be his “kingdom of priests?”

In Bible times only priests could have close access to God. (A priest would
be similar to Rev. Doug or Rev. Nancy.) To be a “royal priesthood” means that everyone can have a loving relationship with God!

Ask: If God really loves us & gave us laws to keep us safe & guide us, why are his laws so hard (okay, impossible) to keep? (allow all replies)

What do you feel like doing when something seems hopeless?
(You might want help, right!?)

God’s laws make us aware of the seriousness of sin.

(Sin is whatever we do, or don’t do, that pushes God, or other people away.)

God is pained by our sin but is always willing to forgive us when we ask.
Our inability to keep God’s laws helps us to see how much we need God!

Ask: Do you suppose that if you could perfectly follow the Ten Commandments that you’d win extra special points with God? (nope!)

God sent his son, Jesus, to take the punishment for our sin and to establish a new way for us to enter into a relationship with God.

A relationship based on love!

Photo credits:
Kids crossing by jeweledlion. Exodus 19 by thekmochs. (All photos licensed on Flickr under a Creative Commons License and found via photopin.)
Toaster and other clip art from the public domain via WPClipart.com.

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The backstory to the Ten Commandments

Posted on January 16, 2014November 22, 2014 by Carol Hulbert

I am thankful that you seek for your family a means to connect all of your living to faith!

Last week I’d said that our Rotation on the Ten Commandments was likely to be difficult for your kids to grasp. Why did I say that? Do you suppose it was because…

(A) I spent weeks studying this story. How could I expect a child to grasp it?

+++OR

(B) It is an Old Testament story, and you know, the Old Testament can be tough…

+++OR

(C) The Bible is an unfolding narrative and for the Ten Commandments, there is a lot of important backstory. How could we possibly cover all of the story in Sunday’s Cool!

Answer: All of the above, but mostly the last one.

But I can relax! You are here to learn about that backstory and to help extend the learning at home.

So let’s address the backstory!

We’ll answer the questions:

How Moses and the Ten Commandments connects back to Abraham and Sarah? And Isaac and Rebekah. And Jacob & Rachel. And Joseph and all of his brothers. (They were all related weren’t they?)
How did the Israelites end up in Egypt?

Remember Abraham? He was living somewhere in current day Iraq and God called him. Over time God revealed his purpose to Abraham: “I want you to be a new tribe; a people that blesses others. You’ll show the world I care!” (Genesis 12:1-3; I’m paraphrasing here.)

The take-away point is that this was a radical new thought. Consider how other tribes at that time thought of their gods: distant and uncaring. Ponder the prospect of blessing your neighbors when what you’d been trained to do was to wipe them out!

Seriously different!

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Question to ponder: Did this new way of thinking stick?

So God is starting something big. He makes a Covenant with Abraham which included the promise of lots of descendants. And sure enough, God sticks to his promise! We met some of Abraham’s extended family when we covered the stories of Abraham’s son Isaac and his grandsons Jacob and Esau, and his numerous great-grandchildren (Jacob’s kids), including Joseph (with the multi-colored coat).

It was Joseph who caused the family (known as Hebrews or Israelites) to move to Egypt (Genesis 27:28, 42:3, 46:27). In fact, for a review on that story, let’s watch a video! (One that stars our kids!)

Can’t see the video? View it here on Vimeo.

Very entertaining!

Okay. We’ve still got some ground to cover to bring us to our story of Moses and the Ten C… So all of Jacob and his sons and their families (the stars in the video!) moved to Egypt; there were about 70 of them (of course in those days they only counted the men). Four hundred years later Abraham’s progeny have grown to include 600,000 — you guessed it — men! (Exodus 12:37).

However, life is not rosy for these descendants of Abraham. They are living in slavery in Egypt under a cruel pharaoh. Yet, God has not forgotten his covenant with these people. (Oh, yes – God had added to his promises: an enduring relationship with Abraham’s extended family, and as Genesis 17:7 reminds us: “I will be their God.”)

So God calls Moses (through a burning bush) to lead the Israelites out of Egypt to freedom. Many plagues later, they are on their way “home” to God’s promised land!

Mt. Sinai

There is much drama in the tales which follow: their escape complete with a dramatic water crossing, journeying through the desert, manna from heaven, water from rocks, and finally, vivid events on Mount Sinai, where the story of the Ten Commandments takes place.

Whew! The backstory is complete!
Now read our current story: Exodus 19:1-11, 16-19; 20:1-17; 24:1-2, 12-18; 31:18-32:24. I’m sure that it will be the backstory to yet another story!

Credits:
Click here for info on banner photo (not visible in readers or email).
Abram counts stars by Stjepan Mokatelo, via Christian Clip Art.
I created the family tree.
The video starred kids in 1st-6th grade at FUMC in Ann Arbor, MI. (Many, many thanks to Tom Gardner as photographer and video creator!)
Mt. Sinai by YoHandy, who licensed this photo on Flickr under a Creative Commons License.

The Ten Commandments: January schedule

Posted on January 9, 2014January 16, 2014 by Carol Hulbert

A good idea for a New Year’s resolution: include faith conversation with your family. Receive help in this endeavor by subscribing over on the right. Enter your e-mail address to have posts (usually one a week) sent directly to your inbox. Or click on the orange RSS icon to subscribe in a reader.  
What could be more important than working on your faith journey together!

To see a growing list of opportunities to foster faith learning at home for our current Rotation story :: click here.

A quizzical-looking boy holds what appears to be ten commandment tablets

In January we are studying the Ten Commandments.

I hate to admit this, but… this may be a Rotation that your kids have trouble grasping.

But there is a way to combat this problem!

+++++Continue the learning at home!

Here is a place to start.

For Saturdays at the Green Wood location, here is the schedule…

Date	Workshop	Activity
1/11	Drama Workshop	Students will act out modern-day scenarios of the 10 commandments, challenging listeners to determine which commandment is involved.
1/18	Music Workshop	Watch two music videos. Sing and dance along to learn about the Ten Commandments!
1/25	Art Workshop	Create a keepsake copy of the Ten Commandment tablets.

And on Sundays, at the downtown location…

Date	Our workshops…
1/5	Enjoy worship and Communion with your family
	Art 1	Art 2	Drama 1	Drama 2	Music
	Pine Room	Social Hall	Room 204	Room 215	Room 211
1/12	(closed)	4th grade	5th & 6th grades	3rd grade	1st & 2nd grades
1/19	1st grade	5th & 6th grades	(closed)	2nd grade	3rd & 4th grades
1/26	2nd grade	3rd grade	4th grade	1st grade	5th & 6th grades

What’s happening in each workshop?

In the Art Workshop students will create a keepsake copy of the Ten Commandment tablets. (Both Art 1 and Art 2 will do the same project.)
In the Drama 1 Workshop students will enact the story as it is told by the leader; making use of props & music. Rumor says a golden calf will be there?
In the Drama 2 Workshop students will participate in acting out modern day scenarios of the Ten Commandments in action. Which commandment is represented in each scenario?
In the Music Workshop students visit the Bible mural timeline (and learn what the peachy-orange color signifies). Then they’ll watch a couple of music videos to learn about the Ten Commandments. (Dancing is optional.) Preview the videos here and here.

We do a different sort of Christian education for kids. We are a Workshop Rotation Model church. If you are in the area please join us for the fun learning at First United Methodist Church in Ann Arbor, MI

Photo credits:
Click here for info on banner photo (not visible in readers or email).
The “what is going on” child remixed by Carol Hulbert from an original photo by woodleywonderworks.
Golden calf by allspice1, all via photopin under a Creative Commons License on Flickr.
Tablets photo from my archives.

In this new year, I have a wish for you

Posted on January 2, 2014January 17, 2014 by Carol Hulbert

Happy New Year!

I hope that your new year will be filled with peace, and prosperity,
and encounters with the presence of God.

Oh shucks, that’s not my real wish.

I mean, yes, I really do desire all of that for you,
but here’s what I’m honestly hoping for…

That your family spends time together
incorporating stories from the Bible into your everyday life.

I’m hoping that when your child invites a friend over for dinner and this friend hears your family making sacred connections with the secular, and they question your child about this behavior, your kid proudly says, “this is what we do.”

How can you get to this point?

Read together the Bible. (Use a story Bible if your kids are young – here’s a good one: The Jesus Storybook Bible.)
Ask a question that start with the words “I wonder…”
Listen carefully to everyone’s replies.
Repeat.

For example, to prepare for our upcoming Rotation on the Ten Commandments, review the story of Abraham and Sarah. Read Genesis 12:1-4, and 15:1-5, and 17:1-9.
Then ask:

I wonder if God’s promises to Abraham ever came true?
I wonder what an everlasting covenant is?
I wonder how this story ties to the Ten Commandments?

Refer to this post if you’d like more discussion questions.

What can you do today, to practice what you hope to achieve in the coming year?

Photo credits:
Click here for info on banner photo (not visible in readers or email).
New Year’s greeting from 1910, by Puzzler4879 under a Creative Commons License on Flickr.

Purposeful Gratitude

Posted on November 21, 2013March 10, 2015 by Carol Hulbert

In reading the story of Abraham and Sarah, have you noticed that Abraham has a habit?

He stacks stones.

A very balanced pile of rocks

No, Abraham wasn’t piling rocks in an artful manner such as the photo above. He built altars. He deliberately heaped soil and rock, forming a reminder. A physical stalwart to remind him of an encounter with God. He would use these altars in his worship to God and to remind himself of God’s promises of blessing.

In the season of Thanksgiving, how about we be as deliberate, and make our gratitude be purposeful. The key is to make this your new normal. Here are some ways to do this with your family:

Why not pile some rocks. Go out for a walk to collect stones. Once back at home, in a family gathering (perhaps at the dinner table), read about Abram’s altar building in Genesis 12:6-8 or Genesis 13:3-4 or Genesis 13:18. Make a pile of your rocks naming each one as a thanksgiving to God.
Take the next step and write thanksgivings on your rocks with a permanent marker, or use a glue and water mix (Modge Podge) to apply cut out pictures to your rocks.
Allow your rock pile to be re-built on a daily basis!

A "shrine" of things that invoke the memory of God's goodness

The Life Application Bible tells us that Abram built altars to “remember that God was at the center of his life.” Build a different sort of “altar.” Fill a space in your home with reminders of thankfuls. Allow touching and rearranging and additions and subtractions. (Photo on right is at the Nelson home around Easter time.)

With older children discuss ways people often build “monuments” to themselves or to their stuff. Why do you suppose we do this? How can we break into a new focus of being grateful?

A blessing box - a place to store your blessings!

Fill up your family blessing box!
If your child didn’t get to make one in our Art Workshop for the story of Abraham & Sarah, you can view the lesson here and download the instructions here. Decorate any old box!

What are other ways your family makes gratitude purposeful?

Photo credits:
Balancing rocks by Viewminder, who licensed this photo on Flickr under a Creative Commons License. “Shrine” photo from the Nelson family. Used by permission. Blessing box photo from my archives.

Become the blessing

Posted on November 14, 2013November 17, 2013 by Carol Hulbert

Gather the family together and tell this story. Be prepared to stop for questions.

Once upon a time there was a man named Abram who heard from God. “I want you and your wife to be a part of something really big. Pack up and move far from here, and raise up a great big family; generation after generation! I promise to bless you richly, to give you much goodness! And in turn, you will bless the world!” (Genesis 12:2.)

Do you suppose that Abram often thought about those numerous descendants — the ones God had promised to him? I can just imagine him chuckling to himself as he watched the sheep, “When those grandchildren come, I’ll tell them all about the altar I built at the great oak tree in Moreh” (Genesis 12:6-7). “I’ll tell them how I didn’t see how, with all of those Canaanites around, the land would ever be ours! Ha!”

Have the adults in your family ever thought about their grandchildren-yet-to-be-born?
What about the kids; have you ever thought about your grandchildren?

I am sure there were times when Abraham’s doubts about God’s plan spilled over in frustration. I can imagine him grumbling to his childless self as he tended to the goats, “The Lord God can bless me all to pieces, but it won’t do any good. Copious kin! I don’t even have a son! I’m too old.” (Genesis 15:1-5).

Then there probably were times Abraham (God had given him that new name as a sign to remember God’s promises) wondered about “blessing the world.” As he leaned back his head to adequately view the marveling display of glimmering stars overhead, he wondered to himself, “What did God mean by that? I will be blessed… so that I can be a blessing? How can I be a blessing?”

Have you ever wondered how you can be a blessing?

"The greatest gift of all is to become the blessing." A quote by Ann Voskamp.

We share God’s promises; they belong to us.

What are we doing to bless others?
Our family? Our friends? Our neighbors? The homeless man on the street? The store clerk? Our grandchildren (the one’s way off in the future)?

Abraham and Sarah teach us to respond faithfully to God’s call, even when it doesn’t make sense; even when our trust wavers. The payoff is great. (God promises it will be full!) God can’t wait to bless us! And in turn, God wants us to enrich the lives of others; it’s part of God’s plan to bless the whole world!

Photo credits:
Click here for info on banner photo (not visible in readers or email).
The quote above is from Ann Voskamp’s book One Thousand Gifts. The word art was created by Deb Chitwood.

Take time to travel through the story

Posted on November 7, 2013November 7, 2013 by Carol Hulbert

A public domain image: Abram Called to be a Blessing

(In Canaan) the Lord appeared to Abram and promised:
“I will give this land to your family forever.”
Abram then built an altar there for the Lord. (Genesis 12:7)

The story of Abraham and Sarah winds it’s way through several chapters in Genesis, so here is a reading plan that breaks it down into manageable chunks. Print out this plan and over the course of several days (weeks!), have your family read the story together. Included are activities and questions to go with each reading!

If you’d like to print out this reading plan/discussion guide, click here.

Read in Genesis	Talk about or do…
12:1	If God called you to suddenly move to a not-named spot, would it be an adventure, or something to avoid? Would you go? What would you pack?
12:1-5	Abram faithfully goes! He doesn’t know where he is headed! (The Bible can look in hindsight and tell us that he went to a land called Canaan.) Someone’s actions reveal their character. What type of person is Abram? What would you like your actions to reveal about you?
12:1,4	Have each person take a turn at being led while blindfolded. Talk about how this felt. (Trust was required!) How is our walk with God sort of like a blind faith walk?
12:4-7	Hey, wait a minute! But God said he’d give Abram this land and yet the Canaanites seem to have gotten there first. Yet what does Abram do? (Hint: 12:7 – he hears a repeated promise of land & builds an altar to worship God.) Name a time when your expectations didn’t meet what happened. How did you react?
11:31, 12:1	See if you can find on a map, all the places where Abram went. (Try this one.) Can you figure out how far Abram and Sarai traveled? What is the longest trip you’ve ever taken?
12:1-3	What does it mean to be blessed? (Ans: that you’ve received something good.) What does it mean to be a blessing? As Thanksgiving approaches, collect a list of your blessings. Everyone write or draw a blessing. Place them in your box you made in the Art Workshop! (or save them up if you haven’t visited Art yet.)
12:1-7	God has both made commands and promises to Abram. What has God asked Abram to do? What are his promises? Why does the promise to make Abram into a great nation (which requires lots of offspring) seem like a farfetched dream? (Hint: 11:30) What outrageous promises have you received?
13:14b-18	God is reminding Abram of the promises he has made. Abram used altars he built out of rocks to remind himself of encounters with God. Go on a walk and gather a few stones. Take them home & build a table-sized “altar.” Periodically restack the stones. Remember God is always with you.
15:1-7	Abram doesn’t bottle up his feelings! He tells God about his doubts. When have you doubted God? (It is okay to share your doubts with God!) What reminders of his promises has God given you?
15:5	Plan a star gazing night. What do the number of stars represent for you?
15:18a, 17:1-4	What is a covenant? (Look up the definition in your Bible dictionary.) A covenant is like a special agreement including a promise. What examples of covenants (special promises) can you think of? Write a family covenant that everyone can participate in. Bonus Q: What does the little “a” mean, after the 18?
17:1-9	How old is Abram? (99!) Look back at 12:4 to see how old Abram was when our story started. How many years has Abram waited for God’s promises? Why do you suppose God waited so long to fulfill the promise of a son? What can we discover in waiting for God’s promises?
17:3-5, 15	Caregivers: provide the story of how your child’s name was chosen. If you could change your name, what would you change it to? What if your name change signified a change in relationship with God?
17:7-9	What does God mean when he says that this is an “everlasting covenant?” What does this mean for us? Hint: check out 17:7 (it’s our key Bible verse). Develop a family cheer using the words: “God is our God!”
18:1-15	Who are these three visitors? What do you make of the way Abraham treats them? How do you treat visitors?
17:15-17, 18:10-15	Why do Abraham and Sarah laugh? Tell about a time you laughed at an inopportune time. Speculate about what makes God laugh.
21:1-3	What does this story teach you about God? What long-awaited event has brought you the most joy?
	Bonus questions: How are Jacob & Esau related to Abraham? How about Joseph? Draw the family tree.

Photo credits: Click here for info on banner photo (not visible in readers or email).
Abram worships God in thanks for God’s promises, by Providence Lithograph Company, circa 1906; in the Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons.

Abraham & Sarah: November Schedule

Posted on October 31, 2013November 6, 2013 by Carol Hulbert

Welcome! Join us as we offer ways to enrich your family’s faith journey. Extend once a week “church school learning” into your everyday!
May I be so bold as to suggest you sign up for future posts? Enter your e-mail address over on the right, to have posts sent directly to your inbox. (There is usually one post a week.) Or click on the orange RSS icon to subscribe in a reader.

To see a growing list of opportunities to foster faith learning at home for our current Rotation story :: click here.

In November we are continuing the story of Abraham and Sarah. Read our story in Genesis 12:1-9, 13:14b-18, 15:1-7, 15:18a, 17:1-9, 17:15-17, 18:1-15, 21:1-3. Note that this is a long story and portions of Genesis are being skipped on purpose!

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Bonus Question for the Kiddos: Why is Abram star-gazing?

On Sunday’s at the Downtown location…

Date	Our workshops…
11/3	Enjoy worship and Communion with your family
	Video	Art	Games	Puppets	Cooking
	Pine Room	Room 212	Room 211	Room 215	Social Hall
11/10	3rd grade	5th & 6th grade	1st grade	4th grade	2nd grade
11/17	4th grade	1st grade	2nd grade	5th & 6th grade	3rd grade
11/24	5th & 6th grade	2nd grade	3rd grade	1st grade	4th grade

For Saturdays at the Green Wood location, here is the schedule…

Date	Workshop or Activity
11/2	Attend a special worship service with kids in leadership roles.
11/9	Cooking Workshop
11/16	Art Workshop
11/23	Video Workshop
11/30	Worship with your family and enjoy the holiday weekend!

What’s happening in each workshop?

In the Art Workshop students will discuss blessings in their lives and how they can bless others. They will create and learn how to make use of a blessing box.
In the Cooking Workshop students will make sugar cookies to give to others who are blessings in their lives.
In the Games Workshop students will participate in a Trivial Pursuit type of game to learn story details.
In the Puppets Workshop students will use handle-bag puppets to enact the story.
In the Video Workshop students will watch portions of an animated video on our story, Covenant Discovery, from the Great Bible Discovery series. Explore how we trust God’s promise.

If you are in the area please join us for the fun learning at First United Methodist Church in Ann Arbor, MI. On Saturday nights and on Sunday mornings, children ages 3 to 6th grade experience Workshop Rotation Model Christian education, as they learn about Bible stories and concepts through kid-friendly, fun, multimedia workshops.

Photo credits:
Click here for info on banner photo (not visible in readers or email).
Abram is awed by the number of stars in the sky by Stjepan Mokatelo, via Christian Clip Art.