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Reply to "Samuel: Listening to God ~ A set of lessons using Art, Games, Food, Drama, and Music"

Instead of the dream catchers, we used an idea from the "ideas, not full lesson sets" forum and decorated pillow cases. Some of our teens report that they STILL use the pillow cases they made over five years ago!

Samuel-Pillow-Lesson

Here's the way we modified State Street's Art Workshop lesson posted above...


Samuel's Call

Art Workshop: Making Samuel Pillow Cases

Summary:

The children will use fabric markers to decorate a pillow case that will remind them that God spoke to Samuel in his dreams to call him into service, and God calls us too in many ways to follow him.

For scripture and objectives, see original lesson above.


Preparation and Room Set-Up:

  • Review background information, teaching tips and lesson materials.
  • Gather necessary supplies (see end of lesson)
  • Cover the tables

Teaching tips:

  • In an unusual form of prayer, God sometimes speaks to Biblical people in their dreams or, as to Samuel, in the moments while he was lying in bed. Notable examples are Jacob and Joseph (in Genesis), Daniel, and Joseph in Matthew’s nativity narrative. John of Patmos reveals his many visions in Revelation. Occasionally prophets warn against misinterpretation of dreams, however, so listening carefully for God’s word is important (Jer. 23:28; Deut. 13:2-6)
  • Each student uses fabric markers to decorate a pillow case. By first creating the design on an 11x17 piece of paper, and then inserting the paper inside the case, the students can realize the most success in tracing their own designs.

Time guidelines:

  • Welcome and introductions 10 minutes
  • Bible Study 15 minutes
  • Pillow Cases 30 minutes
  • Closing 5 minutes

Supplies List:

  • Pillow case for each student
  • Fabric markers
  • Poster board or shirt cardboard (to put inside the pillow case to prevent the markers from bleeding through to the back of the pillow case)
  • 11x17 paper for each student (may consider printing with “I’m listening, Lord. What do you want me to do? I Samuel 3:9" ) Students may choose to trace the letters. (Use only “I’m listening, Lord.” with K-2 students.)
  • Book of Christian symbols such as Symbols of Faith by Marcia Stoner, Abingdon Press (September 2001) ISBN-10: 0687094755 ISBN-13: 978-0687094752
  • Students may choose symbols to decorate their pillow cases. A very successful method is to have the students draw the symbols in a dark color on their 11x17 paper, place the paper inside the pillow case on top of the posterboard, and trace the letters and the symbol onto the pillow case.


Lesson Plan

Opening:

Welcome all children and introduce yourself. Explain that we will be exploring how God speaks to us, especially in our dreams, and decorating pillow cases.

Ask children about their dreams: do they remember them? do they imagine they can learn from them?

Explain that many people feel God speaks to them at night in their prayers and in their dreams. When you dream, your brain goes through many stages, and in some of those stages you can think of things -- and remember them when you awake.  Joseph learned in a dream that Mary was going to give birth to Jesus, for example. And Jacob dreamed he was at a place where angels came and went into heaven. Joseph was a famous interpreter of dreams -- helping Pharaoh, for example, understand the strange dreams he was having about hippos.

Describe and Show an Illustration of the Tabernacle

Explain what happened there. Explain that it was a movable worship space used by Moses and the Israelites which would later be built out of stone and wood by King David and Solomon in the city of Jerusalem. Explain that Samuel was a young boy who lived near the Tabernacle and was a helper to a priest named Eli who served there -- and it was there that Samuel heard God's call to be his servant.

Explain that Samuel would one day receive a message from God to go find the next king of Israel, David.

Image attached!

Tabernacle-Samuel

Introduction:

  • Explain that a man and woman named Elkanah and Hannah did not have any children.
  • Every year they traveled to the Tabernacle in Shiloh to make a sacrifice and pray to God for the forgiveness of their sins. Hannah was always sad about not being able to have children.
  • The priest at the Tabernacle was Eli.
  • Eli heard Hannah praying very hard, asking God to give her a son. She made a promise to God that if He gave her a son, she would dedicate her son to the Lord.
  • God did in fact bless Hannah with a son and Hannah followed through with her promise. She named her son Samuel which means “asked of God.” Hannah kept Samuel with her until he no longer needed her to nurse him and then she took him to Eli.
  • Even though Samuel was very young, she knew that he should serve the Lord in Shiloh at the Tabernacle, and study with the priest, Eli.
  • Hannah and Elkanah would visit Samuel as often as they could, but Samuel stayed with Eli and learned how he should serve the Lord.


Bible Study
:

Samuel lived many years before Jesus. Where would we find his story in the Bible? (Old Testament)

Younger students: Let’s find his story in our Bible story book now. [Help the children locate 1 Samuel, chapter 3. Read or paraphrase the text.]

Older students: We can read about Samuel in the books of the Bible that are named after him: I and II Samuel. These are books of history. Let’s find the story in our Bibles now. Help the children locate 1 Samuel 3: 1-21. Read as the children follow along (or ask a volunteer to read.)

[In later workshops, use the pictures or Bible headings as cues for the children to tell the story.]

So Eli continued to teach Samuel about the priesthood until he died. Samuel followed God’s will throughout his life. He became a great prophet.

Memory Verse:
I'm listening, LORD. What do you want me to do? I Samuel 3:9 (Contemporary English Version)

Discussion Questions:

  1. Why was Hannah so sad when she went to pray at the Tabernacle? (she could not have children)
  2. When she went to the Tabernacle one year, she first made a sacrifice to God for the forgiveness of her sins. Then she asked God for something. What did she want so badly? (a child)
  3. How was Hannah’s prayer answered? (she had a son, Samuel)
  4. Does God always answer prayers? (Yes, just not always the way we want!)
  5. Why is prayer so important? (it brings us closer to God, God wants to know us and share in our joys and concerns)
  6. Why did Hannah bring Samuel to the Tabernacle to Eli the priest? (to fulfill her promise to God.)
  7. How did Hannah show that she loved Samuel after he went to live with Eli? (she visited him as often as she could, and made him a new coat every year)
  8. How do your parents help you grow to love and serve God?
  9. Who spoke to Samuel one night? (God)
  10. What message did God give Samuel? (Eli’s sons would not inherit the priesthood)
  11. How does God talk to us? (through prayer, Bible, preachers, teachers, parents, Christian friends)
  12. How do we know what God wants us to do? (above)

Samuel’s Pillow Cases (Grades K-5)
The moments before we fall asleep can play an important role in our lives. We’re going to make pillow cases with Samuel’s response to God on them to remind us to listen for God as we lie in bed.

a sample Samuel pillow case       another sample pillow case

Samples of children's pillow cases.

Click on the photos to see images in a larger size.

Advanced Preparation:

  1. Cover all tables.
  2. Set out supplies.
  3. Prepare 11x17 sheet for each student.

Closing:

Clean up: Gather all supplies and encourage each child to clean his/her own work area.

Gather the children together before leaving. Review with them one word or concept from today’s session. Suggestions include: listening, dreams, hearing God’s word, obeying God. Ask for prayer requests and pray together.

Closing prayer idea:
Lord, you create each day – you also make the night.
As we lay our heads on these pillow cases,
come upon us with quietness and help us be still.
Open our hearts to the whisper of your Spirit;
help us pay attention to your nearness in our dreams.
When morning comes, help us rise with new life,
open our mouths with your praise
so that we may show Christ to the world each day of our lives.
Amen.


A lesson written by Anne Camp from: Shadyside Presbyterian
Pittsburgh PA

Attachments

Images (4)
  • Samuel pillow case
  • Samuel pillow case #2
  • Tabernacle-Samuel
  • Samuel-Pillow-Lesson
Last edited by Wormy the Helpful Worm
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