Old Testament – Page 6 – Family Faith Companion

When tornados stir things up – what to say to kids

Posted on May 23, 2013May 24, 2013 by Carol Hulbert

Why didn’t God save their house? Why was it destroyed?

How do you answer the tough questions?

Rather than panic, take a moment to marvel! Isn’t it wonderful that God created your child with a unsuppressed, passionate sense of wonder and curiosity! (How will they find out about the world without cross-examination?) Thank God for their questioning nature!

But, there is this hard question hanging in the air. Perhaps in your household due to the recent Oklahoma tornado. (Which for me, stirred up memories of our own close-at-hand destruction in March 2012.)

The nature of the question asked may be different, but at any rate a response is required. What will you say? Here are some things to consider in formulating your reply:

Ask them what they know about the situation. You want to be able to provide them with answers that are specific to what they are looking for. (No need to go into details beyond what they have wondered about.)
Perhaps you need time to think about what you will say. It is okay to say: “I would like to continue talking about this, but I need time to think it over.” (But remember to reintroduce the topic later! Saying: “Remember when you asked me about…”)
Use age-appropriate words to describe what has happened. Give them a name for their feelings. “You sound frightened” or “You seem worried.”
It is okay to say that you don’t have all the answers! Words like: “I don’t know. God’s world is sometimes really hard to understand. We can’t see the reasons for why things happen. Sometimes we have to live in the mystery. All we can know is that God always loves us. God wants us to be safe.”
For specific questions:
- Where was God?
  Your religious thinking may differ but Methodists don’t believe that God creates storms or other natural disasters to punish people. Reassure them that God weeps right along with those who suffer loss. God’s love never ends! And nothing that happens can separate us from his love. (See Romans 8:38-39.)
- Why didn’t God stop this from happening?
  Back in the beginning of time God set in motion the creation of our world. God created our world to be ruled by natural laws. Take, for example, gravity: gravity is good – it keeps us from floating out of control! But gravity can also be bad – such as when an airplane looses power and falls to earth. It would be nice if God could save the airplane and temporarily suspend the law of gravity. But if that were to happen, we’d all go spinning off into space! Specifics in the case of a tornado: we have an unsettling mix of hot and cold air. Yet individually, hot and cold serve purposeful parts of our physical world. God doesn’t arbitrarily manipulate the laws of nature!
- I’m wondering if I can trust God?
  A valid concern! God gives us a choice. Point to Bible stories such as Joseph in Egypt; Joseph chose to trust God in spite of difficult situations he faced. He eventually saw a purpose for his suffering. (See Genesis 45:4-7.) Trusting God doesn’t make troubles go away; it does make troubles easier to handle.
Point out the helpers. God always sends helpers. (Especially when you are looking for them!) Ask your children how they think that they can be a helper? (Prayer for victims is always one answer.)
Create a family plan for what to do in a similar situation. Calmly hold a family drill.

Are there questions you have or topics you’d like to see addressed? Fill out the form below to let me know.

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Photo credits: Click here for info on banner photo (not visible in readers or email).
Damage in Dexter, MI March 2012 tornado by Andy Fowler, who licensed this photo on Flickr under a Creative Commons License.

Joseph in Egypt: A Reading Plan

Posted on May 8, 2013June 27, 2013 by Carol Hulbert

To print out this discussion guide from a Google Doc, click here.

Our current Rotation covers part two of the Old Testament story of Joseph and his brothers. We covered part one – the “colorful” coat portion of the story – in January and February. A review of part one (with a printable discussion) is here.

Part two concludes the cliffhanger that part one left off at – what happens to Joseph in Egypt?!? Because our story winds its way through several chapters in Genesis (39:1-5, 39:20-45:28, 46:1-7, 50:15-21) here is part one of a reading plan that breaks it down into manageable chunks so that you can all read the story over several days/weeks. Just read a passage and then discuss the associated question(s)/do the activities. Make it a habit to get out a Bible at the family dinner table. (Or wherever your family is gathered together.)

* A review question

Read in Genesis	Discuss…
37:3-4 *	Who was “Israel?” (Hint: It’s a name God gave someone; if stumped check out Genesis 32:28)
37:23-24 *	How does this special robe end up getting Joseph into a heap of trouble? Have you ever gotten into trouble because of jealousy? (Adults: ‘fess up time)
37:25-28 *	The next thing Joseph knows, he’s headed for Egypt (and I suppose he’s not riding a camel). When has a sudden turn of events surprised you? How do you suppose Joseph is feeling? What do you imagine his prayers to God sound like?
39:1	Where would you put Joseph’s trust-in-God-level at this point in the story? (not so much, a little bit, still strong?) Do you suppose it’s a good idea to prepare for the next rough situation, by strengthening your trust in God? Brainstorm some ideas for building trust. Create a list for the ‘fridge.
39:2-5	What do you suppose Potiphar saw that made him conclude: “the Lord is with Joseph”? What would it look like if someone noticed that God was with you?
39:20	Joseph was accused of doing something that he didn’t do. Where would you put Joseph’s “trust-in-God-level” at this point in the story? Tell about a time when you were at that place on the “trust-in-God-meter.”
39:20c-23	How do you suppose Joseph is feeling now? What does it feel like to know that God is with you? Bonus question for 3rd grade & up: what does the little “c” mean in “39:20c”?
40:1-8	How did Joseph come to interpret the dreams of the kings workers? (Hint: verse 7). What does this tell you about being sensitive to the needs of those around you? Speculate about where it might lead you if you notice someone’s needs today?
40:9-23 For < 3rd grade stop at verse 15	Do you suppose God speaks to us through dreams?  What strange dreams have you had? Why do you suppose the cupbearer forgot about Joseph? Where would you put Joseph’s “trust-in-God-level” at this point in the story?
41:1-16	Two years have passed! Do you suppose Joseph wondered where God was?  What do you suppose Pharaoh’s dreams mean? Why do you suppose none of Pharaoh’s “magicians” could tell him the meaning of his dreams? How would you describe Joseph’s relationship with God? (pay close attention to verse 16) When have you given God the credit for working in your life?
41:17-32	What is a famine? How would you describe your relationship with God – as going through a feast or a famine? If you could see into the future, what would you do?
41:33-44	What do you suppose Joseph is feeling now? How has Joseph changed since the beginning of our story in chapter 37? (Remember, he was bragging about his dreams.) How have you changed as you’ve “grown up”?
41:53-57	How can years of “abundance” help you prepare for years of “famine?”
	Read (and print) the next page of questions here.

Photo credits:
Click here for info on banner photo (not visible in readers or email).
Joseph is sold by his brothers, from Christians Unite: Christian Clip Art

Cool Disciples Schedule – May 2013

Posted on May 2, 2013May 15, 2013 by Carol Hulbert

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On Saturday nights and on Sunday mornings at FUMC, our “Sunday’s Cool” is a different sort of Christian education. We are a Workshop Rotation Model church. That means kids spend five weeks learning a particular Bible story, each week encountering a different kid-friendly multimedia workshop.

Joseph interprets Pharaoh’s dreams

In May and in June, we are covering part two of the Old Testament Joseph story. Read part two in Genesis 39:1-5, 39:20-45:28, 46:1-7, 50:15-21. (It covers a lot of reading – nine chapters! Stay-tuned, a reading plan will be up next week.) A review of part one (with a printable discussion) is here.

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

Date	Workshop	Activity
5/4	Puppets Workshop	Use handle-bag puppets to enact the story of Joseph and his brothers in Egypt.
5/11	Games Workshop	Play a quiz game to focus on story details.
5/18	Video Workshop	Watch portions of the animated video Joseph King of Dreams.
5/25	No workshop for Memorial Day weekend.	If you’re not at Family Camp, worship with your family.

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

Date	Our workshops…
5/5	Enjoy worship and Communion with your family
	Puppets	Games	Video	Storytelling	Photography
	Room 215	Room 211	Pine Room	Social Hall	Room 204
5/12	3rd grade	1st grade	2nd grade	5th & 6th grade	4th grade
5/19	1st grade	2nd grade	3rd grade	4th grade	5th & 6th grade
5/26	Memorial Day weekend! Family Camp! If you’re in town, attend worship with your family.

This Rotation will continue in June!

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).
Joseph interprets Pharaoh’s dream, an illustration by O. A. Stemler and Bess Bruce Cleaveland from the Standard Bible Story Readers: Book 3 (in the Public Domain), made available by La Vista Church of Christ under a Creative Commons non-commercial 3.0 license.

Tying the story of Joseph to the story of Easter

Posted on February 27, 2013April 10, 2020 by Carol Hulbert

We are nearing the completion of our Rotation on Joseph’s Coat. But, you might ask, what happens to Joseph?? (The last bit of our story had Jacob in tears and Joseph packing off to Egypt after his brothers sold him to a band of passing traders.)

Joseph's brothers sell him to passing traders on their way to Egypt

Yeah, that’s where we left off in the story. So what happens to Joseph?

The Lord was with Joseph. He gave him great success.
Genesis 39:2a

Ah! But even that is not the end of the story! The story continues with a “part two” (which we will come back to, after an Easter Rotation). In part two—the story of Joseph in Egypt—we’ll see Joseph faced with even more chances to ask:

Where are you, God?!?

We will see that God has a plan. God’s great plan is all about love! And that conveniently leads us to Easter. (Which is God’s ultimate love story.)

Watch this short (3 minute) video (appropriate for even young children) which tells the story of Joseph and his coat and nicely ties to the Easter story!

(There is one small mistake in this video. Can you catch it? (See the answer below.)

The answer: What was the blooper in the video? Joseph was sold for 20 pieces of silver, however the reader made a mistake: Judas was paid 30 pieces of silver.

Rotation Photos – share with your kids

Posted on February 20, 2013February 20, 2013 by Carol Hulbert

Here are some photos from our current Rotation at FUMC in Ann Arbor, MI. (We are studying Joseph’s Coat.) Consider gathering the family around the computer and sharing the pictures and talking about some of the questions that are posed.

Last Sunday the 5th and 6th graders were in the Drama Workshop. They had a chance to review the story (which they knew quite well, seeing as this was week number five for this story). They quickly moved on to practicing a skit telling the story of Joseph’s Coat.

Joseph tells his brothers about his dream.

Time Out. Talk about… a speech bubble
Ask your kids what Joseph’s dreams were about.
What did Joseph’s brothers think of the dreams?

Then the audience arrived for the real show! The preschool kids (who have also been learning in their own workshops about Joseph and his brothers) came upstairs on a field trip. They look pretty enthralled!

This show was complete with a spitting camel who arrived on the scene with some traveling traders. And this camel (seen below) really was playing the part! Watch out audience!

Time Out. Talk about… a speech bubble
In what scene in the story did the camel appear? (hint: camels were used on long journeys) How do you suppose Joseph felt at this point in the story? Do you suppose he wondered where God was?

The crew took a bow when it was over. And then they introduced themselves and proudly pointed out their little brothers and sisters in the audience!


The crew is introduced	2nd graders man the puppets!

Meanwhile, in the Puppet Workshop, the 2nd graders were busy enacting the story using puppets. There was a small class this week – only five, and all boys! But they still were able to put on a show. Here they are (on the right) with their puppets. Second grade boys sure have lots of energy! It’s a good thing our puppets are made to last. I’m not sure which they had the most fun at — putting on the puppet show or watching themselves on the TV afterwards? (We had taped the production. Hmm. I’ll have to see about posting that!)

Down in the kitchen, the 1st graders had a crushing experience! They each had one tasty-looking Oreo™ cookie and then the workshop leader smashed it! How did they feel about having crushed cookies? This was a good question that actually tied nicely into our story.
Time Out. Talk about… a speech bubble
What “crushing” experience did Joseph have?
Have there been times when you have felt “crushed” or disappointed, or let down?
What can you do when you feel that way?
Do you suppose learning our key Bible verse might help? (Romans 8:28a)

So, what to do with smooshed cookies? Let’s make the best of our crushing experience and turn it into something good to eat – “dirt pudding”! (Sorry, I didn’t make it to the kitchen on Sunday so these pictures are from the 5th & 6th grade visit to the Cooking Workshop.)

Time Out. Talk about… a speech bubble
What did Joseph do with the crushing experience of being sold in Egypt?
Do you suppose that Joseph remembered that God would always be with him?
What evidence do we have that God was with Joseph? (hint: read Genesis 39:1-5)

These last two pictures are silly…


Some shaking action was needed (and a quick set of rabbit ears)	Can’t have “dirt pudding” without gummy worms!

Which workshop will your child be visiting this weekend? Find out here.

Photo credits:
Click here for info on banner photo (not visible in readers or email).
Other photos from my archives.

Cool Disciples Schedule: February 2013

Posted on January 31, 2013February 27, 2013 by Carol Hulbert

February and a bit of March…

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

We are currently studying the Old Testament saga of Joseph’s Coat. (Wait a minute, we studied that last month!) That’s right, we are trying out a six-week Rotation to see how it might be if all the grades got to visit all the workshops. (When we did three-week Rotations we offered six workshops but kids only got to visit three of them.) So, stay with us as we experiment and please, give us your feedback!

Read our story together as a family — it’s in Genesis 37:1-36 and 39:1-5. Other resources for this story include the family reading plan with discussion questions. That is here. (Or, you can print out it out by going to this page and clicking on the little printer icon at the top left.)

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

Date	Workshop	Activity
2/2	Art Workshop	Discuss how Joseph’s family could have used a little peace! Create a backpack clip-on as a reminder of peaceful relationships.
2/9	Games Workshop	Play a Cranium®/Trivial Pursuit® type of game and learn story details in a fun way.
2/16	Drama Workshop	Enact the story with a special guest acting-coach!
2/23	Worship with your family
3/2	Puppets Workshop	Tell the story with easy-to-use handle-bag puppets and props, including a special coat!

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

Date	Our workshops…
2/3	Enjoy worship and Communion with your family
	Cooking	Games	Art	Video	Drama	Puppets
	Social Hall	Room 211	Room 212	Pine Room	Room 204	Room 215
2/10	3rd grade	5th & 6th grade	2nd grade	4th grade	{closed}	1st grade
2/17	1st grade	4th grade	3rd grade	{closed}	5th & 6th grade	2nd grade
2/24	2nd grade	{closed}	1st grade	5th & 6th grade	4th grade	3rd grade
3/3	Enjoy worship and Communion with your family

What’s happening in each workshop?

5th & 6th graders show off their creations

5th & 6th graders show off their Art creations

In the Art Workshop students will create a backpack clip-on to remind them of the story and it’s message. I’ll bet they talk about peace!

In the Drama Workshop students will focus on learning the story sequence by hearing about the story characters and their feelings and by enacting the story.
In the Video Workshop students will watch portions of the animated video Joseph King of Dreams. They’ll compare the video to the Bible story. Does it get the story correctly?
In the Puppets Workshop students will use handle-bag puppets to re-tell the story of Joseph and his brothers; how a special coat and strange dreams cause trouble in Joseph’s family.

Students make "dirt" pudding out of crushed Oreos

Students make something good from a “crushing” experience.

In the Cooking Workshop students will learn about “crushing” experiences – those that can break us down and can separate us from family and friends. They’ll learn that good can come from what seems like bad and we are never separated from God!
In the Games Workshop students will participate in a game that involves answering questions, singing, acting, drawing, and sculpting – a Cranium®/Trivial Pursuit® type of game. In the process of having fun, they’ll learn about story details.

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).
Other photos by Beth Pascoe and Carol Hulbert. Used by permission.

Where is God when we need him?

Posted on January 30, 2013January 30, 2013 by Carol Hulbert

In preparing for our Rotation on Joseph’s Coat, I had an “ah-ha” moment. (It is times like this when I like to describe our Cool Disciples program as “adult education disguised as a children’s program.”) I was reading Genesis 37 and I was struck by the realization that in the entire chapter, God is never mentioned! That made me wonder:

Where is God in the story of Joseph and his coat?

That’s when I realized that this was the perfect chance to present this concept:

Recognize that in our lives God’s activity may be hidden.

Sometimes we wonder: where is God? And we want our kids to know that it is perfectly ok to have times in their lives when they may wail: Where are you God?!?

Surely Joseph had these thoughts as he watching his brothers trade him for pieces of silver. (Let alone during the long trip to Egypt!)

Surely Jacob wondered, where is God, when his sons presented him with Joseph’s bloody coat.

Surely you’ve wondered: Where is God? (I can think of dry times when I have!)

How about some discussion at the family dinner table? (Or wherever your family is gathered together.)

Share times when God has seemed far away in your life.
Allow others to share.
What brought you back to the reality of God as always being there with you?
What are ways that would help you remember that God is always with you?

God’s activity may be hidden to us. It may seem like God is ignoring us!

Rest assured that God is with you in all situations.

Sometimes God’s work takes place mysteriously out of sight. Joseph didn’t give up hope. It took time, but eventually Joseph was able to discover that God used each step of his life, the good and the bad, to complete a plan for Joseph’s life. Take a look at Genesis 50:20, as Joseph later (many years later!) said to his brothers:

You tried to harm me, but God made it turn out for the best.

We may not always see it, but God is always there!

Photo credits:
Click here for info on banner photo (not visible in readers or email).
Joseph is sold by Károly Ferenczy, a painting in the Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

Joseph’s Razzmatazz Robe – a Family Reading Plan

Posted on January 10, 2013September 27, 2019 by Carol Hulbert

If you’d like to print out the following discussion guide, click here.

Our current Rotation covers the Old Testament story of Joseph and his brothers. It’s the story with the fancy coat.

It is a familiar story of family struggles: favoritism, bragging, sibling rivalry, and brothers gone bad. We’ll only catch a glimpse of it but it is also the story of God having a greater plan. Things can look pretty bad, but God is never far away. Recalling Joseph’s story can help us get through our own difficult times.

Read the scripture together as a family (it’s in Genesis 37:1-36 and 39:1-5.)

Use the following to read a passage and then discuss the question(s)/do the activities. Do this over the course of several days!

* = a review question!

Read in Genesis	Discussion question
37:1-2a *	Where have we heard of Jacob? (We studied about him and his brother Esau in Oct. & Nov. 2012.) Can you draw out the family tree? Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and… Bonus question for 3rd grade & up: what does the little “a” mean in “37:1-2a”?
37:1-2b	How would you like to have a brother who told bad stories about you? Has anyone ever told a bad story about you? Was the story true??
37:3-4 *	How many children did Jacob have? (Ans: Here + one daughter.) What other reason might there be as to why Joseph was Jacob’s favorite child? (Hint and Hint)
37:3-4 *	What kind of upbringing did Jacob have that sort of explains his picking of favorites? (Hint) Ask your child(ren) which traits of your family, they might like to pass on to their children.
37:3-4	Have a family-draw: Grab some paper and markers or crayons. Have everyone create their own rendition of what Joseph’s coat looked like. While drawing, talk about jealousy. Does everyone know what the word means? Tell me about a time when you felt jealous. What did you do with your jealous feelings? Be sure to spend time explaining your drawings.
37:5-11	Describe a strange dream that you’ve had. Do you suppose that Joseph could have told his dreams in a way that didn’t sound like bragging? Try re-writing Joseph’s story of his dreams in a friendlier way.
37:1-11 *	Where have we “seen” God in this story so far? Even though God isn’t specifically mentioned in chapter 37, think back to the stories of Jacob and Esau. What happened that makes you certain that Jacob shared his “God-stories” with his sons? (Hint)
37:12-17	Jacob seemed unaware of his sons thoughts about Joseph. What could Jacob have done about the brewing troubles? How do you solve issues in your family?
37:18-22	Have you ever had to talk a group out of a bad idea? Did Reuben’s strategy to save Joseph work? (Hint) Reuben was the oldest. Do you suppose that is why he offered this alternative idea? Adults: if you had siblings did being oldest mean anything special?
37:23-28	Have you ever heard the expression “it’s the pits?” How does that expression apply to this story? (Hint) Have you ever felt like you were stuck in a pit? Why? What (or perhaps who) helped you out of that pit?
37:29-35	Do you know why people in Bible times tore their clothes? It was a sign of mourning. (As well as putting on “sackcloth” and ashes.) What are signs in our culture that someone is sad? When the brothers saw how upset Jacob was, how do you suppose they kept their secret? Adults: share a time when you were growing up & pulled a fast-one.
37:36 & 39:1-5	What do you suppose Joseph’s prayers sounded like when he was in the pit? When he was being taken to Egypt? When he found God was with him in Egypt? How have your prayers sounded recently?