Samuel

Cooking Workshop Lesson Sketch: "Wake-up Samuel!" Foods

Summary of Activities:

Students will enjoy several healthy breakfast foods that are healthy metaphors for waking up to God's call and starting our day off right.

In this "wake up to serve the Lord" meal-making exercise, allow students to choose what they prefer and try new tastes as a 'memory hook' for your content and focal point for asking questions.

See the Bible Background for scripture passages and additional information.

Consider using a Bible storybook with illustrations, or a short video of the story to help tell it.

Use the food activity to reinforce and ask key questions.

Supplies List:

• Cold pitcher of water and cups for students
• Instant Oatmeal packets, one per student
• Bowls and spoons
• Hot water to mix in oatmeal
• Brown sugar and a variety of cut fruits to mix into oatmeal
• Granola mix with chopped/smashed M&M candies
• Peanut butter to mix into the granola to make the "manna" snack
• Bananas as an alternative or addition to the peanut butter (form granola with mashed banana)
• Plastic wrap to package the granola as a take-home "Wake up" snack
• Beanbag or small pillow for closing game
• Small doll or figurine in a "bed" (box) to represent Samuel in the closing game

Lesson Sketch

Opening:

Welcome the children and introduce yourself. Explain what they will be doing during the workshop and what you hope they will learn.

Prayer: Please begin your class with prayer each week. Pray your own or use the prayer printed below.

Play the "Telephone Game" with lines from today's story:
Gather the children in a circle and tell them that you are going to whisper in the ear of the child sitting next to you. That child will then whisper what they heard to the person next to them. This should continue around the circle. The last person in the circle should say aloud what they heard. Play music softly in the background to keep the children from overhearing someone other than the person whispering in their ear.

When you are sure everyone understands, whisper these lines from today's scripture:

1. The boy Samuel served the Lord by helping Eli the priest.
2. One night Eli, heard someone calling, “Samuel!”
3. Samuel got up and went to Eli. “Here I am. Did you call me?”
4. End with: “Samuel said, ‘Speak Lord, for your servant is listening.’"

After the sentence has traveled around the circle and the last child has said aloud what they heard, tell them what you had whispered. Correct them (or have them try again).

When all four sentences have been used, S-L-O-W-L-Y repeat each line while the students say them along with you.

Ask:

1. What would be your FIRST reaction if you thought you heard God's voice waking you up in the middle of the night?
2. What do you think God would want to wake YOU up about?  Praise? Change? Warning? Comfort? Help?
3. How would you know it was God's voice?
   (This is a tough one, but if you had been studying God's message in the Bible, and been praying to God, you would probably know his voice.  God would also likely give you a confirmation, assurance in your heart, that you had heard him.)

Tell the Story:

Introduce the story and begin sharing it using either an illustrated storybook or short video.

Introductions:
Our story today is about a boy named Samuel. Samuel lived many years before Jesus was born. Let's read/see his story! Samuel means “name of God” or “asked of God”. Samuel’s parents were Hannah and Elkanah. Hannah had been childless, and she had let it bother her so much that she was unable to see the blessings God had given her, such as her loving husband.

Every year Elkanah’s family traveled to the Tabernacle at Shiloh, to worship and offer sacrifices to God for the forgiveness of their sins. During one of these trips, Hannah fervently prayed for God to give her a child.
She promised that she would dedicate her child to God.

After the story is presented, discuss the following:

• Why was Hannah upset? (she did not have any children)
• Why did Hannah and Elkanah visit the Tabernacle each year? (required by law, to make a sacrifice so that they could be forgiven for their sins – contrast this with how we are forgiven through Jesus!)
• What happened when Hannah and Elkanah went to the Tabernacle? (she prayed to God to give her a son)
• How did Hannah feel after she prayed? (she felt a sense of peace, was no longer troubled)
• How was Hannah’s prayer answered? (she had a son, Samuel)
• Does God always answer prayers? (Yes, just not always the way we want!)

Foods to Wake Up Samuel!  (and energize God's servants for the day)

• Ask:  What did God do to wake up Samuel and call him to become his prophet?
• Have you ever heard God's voice out loud?  What do you think it would sound like?
• What do you think God said to Samuel? Called him to do? Become?   And do you think God is calling YOU to do the same?

Things to share:

• Most people don't hear God's voice, they FEEL IT in their heart, or hear God's voice speaking through prayer, scripture, songs, and feelings.  What do you think God's voice makes you FEEL like ? (accept any answers)
• Sometimes we say we "hear" God's voice when someone else is speaking. We say it is like God was "speaking to me through" that person or through that song. Has that ever happened to you? (accept any answers)
• Sometimes we say we "hear God speaking" when we experience something beautiful that feels like a message. For example, a beautiful sunset after a day of trouble.  Or a feeling of comfort that comes over you after a walk in the woods or the appearance of a good friend when you were feeling sad.   Has that ever happened to you? (accept any answers)

WATER!

Sometimes, God's voice feels like a cool glass of water when your heart is thirsty.

Raise your hand if you feel a bit brain groggy and foggy in the morning/
Did you know that plain old water first thing can help you wake up faster? It’s estimated that a person loses about half a quart to full quart of water during an eight-hour night of sleep because at night you perspire and also because your body releases water into your bladder.  That's almost a pound of water weight lost overnight leaving you mildly dehydrated. And when that happens, your body doesn’t have enough water to carry out normal functions, like energizing muscles and brain. So let's start off with some water. And by the way, if you find yourself nodding off at school mid-afternoon, or feeling tired after running around on the playground or playing with friends, a glass of water can really help.

Ask as you distribute cold water:
How is water used in the Bible?
Jesus described himself as "Living Water."  What do people spiritually thirst for? How does Jesus quench that thirst and revive our spirit?

OATMEAL CEREAL!

A classic bowl of oats is still one of the best things you can eat early in the morning. It’s an energy powerhouse thanks to its low (slow) glycemic index—a measure of how quickly the body absorbs carbohydrates and turns them into fuel. Oatmeal is slow burning, so it’ll keep you running all morning without causing you to crash and burn in a couple of hours like overly sweet foods and drinks can.  It can also be customized with many different ingredients to suit the eater's taste -- which can also have some fun meaning/memory hooks attached to them. If they need to add some brown sugar to get them to try it, don't be a sugar-nazi. This activity is primarily to remind them of the story and reflect on waking up to God's call like Samuel did.

As you demonstrate preparing a bowl of oatmeal, share these thoughts. Then let students prepare their own!

When you wake up in the morning, wake up your FAITH & SPIRIT TOO! God's voice is the energy that wakes up your sense of joy and gratitude for another day of life. God wakes up your sense of purpose and readies you to be loving and forgiving in the day ahead, rather than being tired, groggy, and foggy. 

Ask as students mix and taste their own Wake Up Cereal:

1. Do you remember the story of God providing Moses and the Israelites "manna" to feed them in the wilderness?
   
   What basic things does a person need to be a follower of God every day?  (love, compassion, perseverance, Word, etc)
2. What are some of the "sweet things" God puts into our days that allow us to enjoy our lives?  (a sense of purpose, friends, learning, rest, etc.)

MANNA GRANOLA FOR THE JOURNEY

There are many no bake "make your own" granola bar recipes. Most are as simple as mixing dry granola with peanut butter or bananas, along with sweet ingredients, like smashed M&Ms.  Let the children choose what to include. Turn each ingredient into a reminder, a talking point for the things we can do, listen to, and read (and not do!) in order to follow God all day long.  Eat some and wrap some to take home.

Our bodies need to wake up and get energized for the day, but they also need refueled during the day too.

When do you start to get hungry during the day?  What are your favorite snacks that reenergize you?

In the same way, though Samuel heard God's wake up call, it wouldn't be the last call or fuel Samuel needed to serve God. Samuel would many times turn to God and God's Word to find purpose for his life and listen for God's voice. Eventually, God would tell Samuel to "go get Israel a king!" ...first Saul, and the King David.

How many of you know the story of God giving Moses and the Israelites "manna from heaven"?  (Let the retell if if they can and fill in as needed.)

Briefly retell this Exodus wilderness miracle story, then begin making "manna" granola we can snack on to keep our energy up for following and serving God today.

Closing:   

Play "Wake Up Samuel." 
Put dry oatmeal or granola into a sealed bag and use it as a "bean bag" to toss at a future of Samuel sleeping in his bed at the Tabernacle. You may otherwise toss a small pile or bean bag.

If the thrower's bag touches Samuel, everyone shouts "Wake Up Samuel!"

Close with a pray that each of us would "wake up and hear God's voice calling us to......"

A lesson sketch by Neil MacQueen based on a concept by Jaymie Derden