Old Testament

Is Father Abraham an ancient relative of yours?

Posted on October 24, 2013January 15, 2014 by Carol Hulbert

You remember the song about Father Abraham…

♫ Father Abraham had many sons
Many sons had Father Abraham
I am one of them and so are you… ♪♪

My family tree includes Swedes, Germans, and a few sprigs of Irish and English. Is Abraham a part of my genealogical chart? It’s highly unlikely.

So why do we sing that I am a son (figuratively) of Father Abraham?

Interestingly enough I had a child ask me on Sunday if anyone in our church was related to Abraham. The perfect lead in!

Abram (whom we later know as Abraham) started off with an empty nest. God made Abram a promise: You will have a tree full of descendants. And sure enough, eventually Abraham became the father of lots and lots of people; a whole nation full of God’s people! Lots of leaves on his tree!

Oh wait, Not leaves! That wasn’t the metaphor God used to explain his promise! God compared the number of Abram’s eventual offspring to grains of sand on a beach and stars in the sky. Imagine trying to count sand particles! Lots!

So, about that song: where do we fit into Abraham’s family tree?

We are Abraham’s spiritual descendants.

It goes like this: God called Abraham and Sarah and all their descendents into a special relationship with him through a special type of promise we call a covenant. He said,

I will always keep the promise I have made to you and your descendants, because I am your God and their God. Genesis 17:7

The apostle Paul said it another way:

For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus.
And now that you belong to Christ, you are the true children of Abraham.
You are his heirs, and God’s promise to Abraham belongs to you Galatians 3:26, 29.

God’s promise belongs to us! Remind your child(ren) (and yourself) of this daily! Sing a couple of bars of Father Abraham.

Photo credits:
Click here for info on banner photo (not visible in readers or email).
Other photos from my archives. Check out the family tree I created here.

A book to be loved

Posted on October 17, 2013October 1, 2015 by Carol Hulbert

A book that hopefully will be loved, and used and worn to pieces…

A 3rd grader proudly holds her Bible

How can we ensure that happens? That a Bible is utilized, consumed and worn right out?

First, give to all of the third graders, a gift from the church: a Bible of their own. Distribute these Bibles in an in-front-of-everyone sort of way. This ensures that not only will recipients and their immediate caregivers feel the reverance, but everyone sees how important these kids are to us, and how serious we are about God’s word!
Second, hold a special unwrap-the-Bible event for the 3rd graders and their families. Right off the bat announce that their shiny, brand-new, au courant Bibles are sheathed in numerous layers of various types of paper! Purposefully unwrap each layer while teaching its significance; each covering sheet introducing an aspect of the Bible.

The first layer of wrapping on their Bibles

For example: What could a layer of comics-paper bring to mind? The Bible is full of stories. Carrying around a Bible is like carrying around a library!

This milestone event has a third step.

Use your Bible at home.

Steps one and two were initiated by the church but step three is in the hands of all families. Oh yes, if your child attends the Cool Disciples program, they will learn a lot, but YOU, not the church, are the primary faith educator for your children.

Where can you start?
- Allow your child(ren) to catch you reading the Bible. Actions speak louder than words.
- Read the Bible together. Often.
- Talk about what is read. For our current Rotation story on Abraham and Sarah read these passages 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. Look here for a reading plan for our story. Subscribe to this blog (see up above, on the right) to receive an email of each new post.
- God made a covenant with Abraham. Make a covenant with your child to study and learn about God together.
Be the first one to ask for a replacement for your worn out Bible!

The class of 2023!

Photo credits:
Photos from the families of FUMC. Group photo by Joe Spaly.

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Ringy-ding-ding. God is calling.

Posted on October 9, 2013September 29, 2020 by Carol Hulbert

It’s not just the phone that can call us away from something.

a phone is ringing

It’s the alarm clock,
the hungry family,
the laundry piles,
the boss,
the egg timer,
the ping of “you’ve got mail”...

All things that call us; demanding we turn our attention their way.

What calls have you heard lately?
Anybody heard God calling?

Abram did.

Of course things were a lot quieter in Abram’s day. (The bleating of a few sheep perhaps?) As you start a new Rotation on Abraham, you’ll be learning about how Abraham (whose name started off as Abram) heard God’s call and how he responded to that call. Here it is from the Bible…

Abram, get up and go! Leave your country. Leave your relatives and your father’s home, and travel to the land I will show you. Don’t worry — I will guide you there. I have plans to make a great people from your descendants. And I am going to put a special blessing on you and cause your reputation to grow so that you will become a blessing and example to others. Genesis 12:1-2

Talk about “calls” at the family dinner table (or wherever your family is gathered together). Start off with a game. Make it like the “I’m packing a suitcase” game, except in this case the first person tells something that called them away, for example, the alarm clock called them away from a dream. The next person repeats the first call and adds their own: the bell that called you away from recess. (They don’t have to be actual events that happened; the President called on the phone and asked you to come to Washington?) And so on, until someone can’t remember the list of calls!

Play again if you desire. Eventually turn towards a discussion about how many different types of calls there are on our daily lives. Ask these questions:

Do you suppose that there are so many calls on our lives that we can start to respond without thinking?
What can help us to stop and remember to prioritize which calls we’ll respond to?
What about God, does he call us?
Name some ways that God has called you in the past.
In what ways might God use to reach us? (through the words of a friend, a Bible passage, a song…)
What might keep us from hearing God’s call?
What can we do to help us listen for God’s call?

Ringy, ding, ding.
Check the caller-ID. It might be God calling.

Photo credits…
Phone call by Sean MacEntee, is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY 2.0).

Abraham & Sarah: October Schedule

Posted on October 3, 2013October 13, 2013 by Carol Hulbert

Welcome! This is the spot to find ideas and encouragement to grow faith in your family. Easily read future posts (usually one a week) by subscribing over on the right. Enter your e-mail address to have posts sent directly to your inbox. Or click on the orange RSS icon to subscribe in a reader. Thanks for visiting.

To see a growing list of opportunities to foster faith learning at home
for this month’s story :: click here.

On Saturday nights and on Sunday mornings at FUMC, our kids, whom we call Cool Disciples, experience Rotation Model Christian education, as they learn about Bible stories and concepts through kid-friendly multimedia workshops. Scroll down to view our October schedule of workshops. This month we’ll be starting a Rotation on the Old Testament story of Abraham and Sarah.

The Old Testament? Why study the Old Testament?

After all, isn’t it the Old (i.e., Out-dated, Leaden, Dusty) Testament?

While the Old Testament can seem distant from our ways of thinking, there are important reasons why we include it in our studies:

It’s the Bible Jesus learned. (In fact, he likely could recite all of it by heart.)
Jesus and the apostles constantly refer to it in their teaching.

And the story of Abraham and Sarah is of particular interest…

It’s the story of God’s interactions with people; calling them to be in a relationship with him.
We see Abraham and Sarah on a journey. They took the first step and walked into the unknown, solely by faith. There is an element of mystery in walking faithfully. Abraham and Sarah can be a model for what it means to take a leap of faith.

Read about 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!

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

Date	Workshop	Activity
10/5	Drama Workshop	One more week on the story of Jesus in the Temple as a young boy. Enact this story using masks in the form of a Greek drama.
10/12	Puppet Workshop	Starting on the story of Abraham and Sarah by using “handle bag” puppets to enact the story.
10/19	No Workshop this week	Worship with your family
10/26	A Special Workshop	Make preparations to help lead worship on November 2nd and make a Halloween snack.

On Sundays at the downtown location…

Date	What’s happening…
10/6	Enjoy worship and World Communion Sunday. (Leave the service with your child after the children’s moment for Rev. Nancy Lynn’s Family Communion Class, and rejoin the service in time for Communion. Recommended for age K and up.)
	Our workshops…
	Art	Cooking	Video	Games	Puppets
	Room 212	Social Hall	Pine Room	Room 211	Room 215
10/13	3rd grade**	5th & 6th grade	1st grade	4th grade	2nd grade
10/20	4th grade	1st grade	2nd grade	5th & 6th grade	3rd grade
10/27	Attend a special worship service with kids in leadership roles.

** 3rd graders will be receiving Bibles in worship during the children’s moment. Then they’ll have a special class!

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.

We’ll be continuing our study of Abraham and Sarah next month!
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).
Floppy disk by “Great Beyond,” who licensed this photo on Flickr under a Creative Commons License.

Discussing Joseph in Egypt, part two

Posted on June 27, 2013April 26, 2019 by Carol Hulbert

Here’s a daily hint: Spend time GROWing at the dinner table.
Growing as in…

Grace (say a table grace together).
Review the days highs and lows while you eat.
Open the Bible and read just a tiny bit.
Work on applying it to life.

The “work on it” part doesn’t have to be elaborate. It’s all about…

Asking questions or doing activities
that help us to see that the Bible applies to our lives.

So if our current Rotation story is about Joseph in Egypt, how can such a long story—with numerous characters and complex plot twists—be broken down in bite-sized (dinner table-sized) chunks?

Easy! Use the following reading/discussion guide!

Joseph’s brothers arrive in Egypt. Unwittingly they bow down before Joseph! (Genesis 42:6)

Clipart - a girl points out while reading If you’d like to print out this reading plan/discussion guide, click here.
Need a review? See part one of Joseph in Egypt here. And if you’d like to go even further back, review the discussion guide for Joseph’s “Coat” portion of the story, here.

Read in Genesis	Discuss…
42:1-4	Why did Jacob have fears about Benjamin going to Egypt? Kids: Do you suppose that your parents have fears about you going places without them? What can help your parents when they are afraid?
42:5-7	Why do you suppose Joseph pretended to not know his brothers? What would your reaction have been if you were Joseph?
42:8-9	What “dreams” is Joseph talking about? (Hint: Genesis 37:5-11) How do you suppose Joseph is feeling watching his dreams come true!?
42:8-17	Why do you suppose Joseph locked up all of his brothers for three days? Describe a time when you schemed to “get back” at someone who had wronged you. Did you follow through with your plans?
42:18-23	Joseph says he “fears” God (verse 18) meaning he respects God. Where would you put Joseph’s trust-in-God-level at this point in the story? How do you suppose the brothers of Joseph are feeling: upset at their lot in life or sorry about what they did to Joseph? Where are they on the trust-in-God-meter?
42:24-28
42:

Share in the comments how applying-it-to-life helps you to GROW your family faith!

Photo credits:
Clip art “reader” by Improulx, in the Public Domain. Slightly altered and shared at Flickr.
Joseph is governor, an ilustration by Owen Jones from The History of Joseph and His Brethren (Day & Son, 1869) in the Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons.

Worried? Time to work on remembering

Posted on June 20, 2013August 4, 2016 by Carol Hulbert

When faced with tough times does your trust in God evaporate?

Or do you remember?

When you cross deep rivers, I will be with you.
Isaiah 43:2a

Do you suppose Joseph had that thought while he was at the bottom of a pit or sold as a slave in Egypt or unfairly placed in jail?

He must have! Because in spite of all of the hard stuff that Joseph experienced, he maintained godly values and he readily shared his gifts with others.

Okay, so how do I get faith like Joseph.

And how can I help my kids to grow their trust in Jesus?

Here are a few ideas to try:

Model growing your own faith: Keep a Bible in a well-traveled space in your house. Let your children catch you reading the Bible and praying. Help your child to realize that a journey with Jesus is on-going. There is always something new to learn.
Start a family habit: when gathered together around the dinner table or while driving in the car, ask: What has God been teaching you lately? Share your stories of God with you. Hearing stories about how God was with someone can make it easier for us to remember: God is with me in all situations.
Re-focus: Use visualization techniques such as placing all their worries in a basket.
Commit Bible verses to memory. Look here and here, for ideas on how to learn verses by heart.
In times of stress, use breath prayer as a way to sense God’s presence. That link will take you to a how-to which uses an Aramaic word – the language Jesus used. Or try… On inhale: “God,” On exhale: “always here.” The possibilities are endless.

What are other ways that you teach your kids about growing their faith in God?

Photo credits:
Reflection time by Rajesh Kumar, who licensed this photo on Flickr under a Creative Commons License.

Wrestling worries

Posted on June 12, 2013July 12, 2016 by Carol Hulbert

Imagine living like this:

Potiphar left everything up to Joseph, and with Joseph there, the only decision he had to make was what he wanted to eat. Genesis 39:6a

I was reading our current Rotation story using Lectio Divina when this passage jumped out at me. Imagine not being concerned about anything, except what you eat! What a life Potiphar led!

Not a single worry.

Except whether to eat figs or grapes.

Crops need planting? No concern, Joseph will handle it.
Supplies need restocking? No problem, Joseph can take care of it.
(I wonder if Joseph did windows?)

Ever wished you could live like that – worry free? I sure have!

What about when your kids worry? How can you help them?
Does it work to say, “Jesus tells us not to worry?” (See Matthew 6:25-34)
Probably not.

Try this: Ask your child to close their eyes and imagine a basket. (Best done at bed time!) Have them imagine a basket on the floor next to their bed. Tell them to give details to their musing. What color basket? What shape and size?

a picture of a field is cut into strips and woven to look like a basket

When they have the image in their mind, ask them to imagine themselves putting their worries into that basket. Help them to form a clear picture of this process. Tell your child that Jesus will take care of the basket. Have them picture handing the basket to Jesus.

Try it out! What are other ways you help your kids not to worry?

Photo credits:
Woven “basket” by Cindy Cornett Seigle, who licensed this photo on Flickr under a Creative Commons License.

Joseph in Egypt: June 2013 Schedule

Posted on May 30, 2013June 12, 2013 by Carol Hulbert

You’re in the right spot for tips on how to nurture your child’s spirituality. Subscribe to receive future posts. (Usually one or two a week but every day during Vacation Bible Camp week: July 8-12!) Enter your e-mail address to have posts sent directly to your inbox. Or click on the orange RSS icon to subscribe in a reader.

On Saturday nights and on Sunday mornings at FUMC our Cool Disciples experience Workshop Rotation Model Christian education. (Click on any of those bold words to find out more about our programs.)

In June, we are continuing to cover part two of the Old Testament Joseph story. Read in the Bible all of the passages we’re covering in Genesis 39:1-5, 39:20-45:28, 46:1-7, 50:15-21. Yes, it’s too much to read in one sitting! Here’s the answer: Use the reading plan for this Rotation to help with how to break it down into manageable chunks. This reading plan includes discussion questions – talk about it over the family dinner table and apply this story to your lives.

Joseph reveals himself to his brothers (a painting of unknown origin, in the public domain

Joseph reveals himself to his brothers (Genesis 45:1-15)

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

Date	Workshop	Activity
6/1	Plant flowers!	Support the Green Wood clean-up day and help to beautify the church exterior.
6/8	A visit from Pastor Doug!	We’ll play some get-to-know-you games and hear what he thinks about the story of Joseph.
6/15	No workshops today.	Worship with your family.
6/22	Photography workshop	Retell the story by creating frozen pictures of story scenes.
6/29	Musical Storytelling	Tell the story in a musical way! Watch portions of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Sing along!

For Sundays at the downtown location, here is the schedule of workshops…

Date	Our workshops…
6/2	Enjoy worship and Communion with your family
6/9	The big game! Are You Smarter than a 6th grader?
	Puppets	Games	Video	Musical Storytelling	Photography
	Room 215	Room 211	Pine Room	Social Hall	Room 204
6/16	4th grade	5th & 6th grade	1st grade	2nd grade	3rd grade
6/23	5th & 6th grade	3rd grade	4th grade	1st grade	2nd grade
6/30	2nd grade	4th grade	5th & 6th grade	3rd grade	1st grade

What’s happening in each workshop?

In the Games Workshop students will play a quiz game using the life-sized game board and an over-sized game die.
In the Photography Workshop students will create a series of tableaux (still photographs) of each portion of the story. These will later be made into a slideshow with narration.
In the Puppet Workshop students will use handle-bag puppets to enact the story of Joseph and his brothers in Egypt.
The Storytelling Workshop tells the story with a musical! Experience Joseph’s feelings and events in his life by viewing and discussing parts of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.
In the Video Workshop students will watch portions of the animated video Joseph King of Dreams.

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).
Painting of Joseph revealing his identity, from an unknown origin, in the Public Domain. Courtesy of La Vista Church of Christ. Licensed under a Creative Commons License.