God Is Calling. Focus on 1 Samuel 3:1 10, (11 20) PREPARING FOR THE SESSION. WHAT is important to know? WHERE is God in these words?

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1 January 18, 2015 Second Sunday after the Epiphany 1 Sam. 3:1 10, (11 20) Ps. 139:1 6, Cor. 6:12 20 John 1:43 51 Goal for the Session Tweens will explore the call of Samuel and affirm that God is calling them to ministry. PREPARING FOR THE SESSION Focus on 1 Samuel 3:1 10, (11 20) WHAT is important to know? From Exegetical Perspective, Richard Boyce Human speaking and hearing now become one of the main means by which the light of God s revelation breaks into the affairs of this world. Here, at this point in the story, when words from the Lord are rare, this listening and hearing becomes a communal affair, dependent on both the hearing and the speaking of the community together. As the stories of Saul and David spin on in 1 and 2 Samuel, there will be times when the Lord seems absent from the scene. All we will hear are words of human beings, on the one hand, counterpoised with actions of human beings, on the other. And yet even here we will learn that the Lord is at work. Indeed the Lord has drawn as near as the words and actions of our fellow human beings, attuned or not attuned to the voice of their God. WHERE is God in these words? From Theological Perspective, Joseph L. Price Throughout the ages persons have perceived their call into ministry in a variety of ways from the blinding experience of Paul on the road to Damascus, to the visionary perception by Ezekiel, to the intensifying sense of moral compulsion that Jeremiah increasingly discerned. Here we discern another distinct means of a call, so clear in its articulation that it is recognized as a call, a voice. The story of Samuel s call establishes his authority, empowering his transfer of priestly leadership from Eli to Saul, and reinforcing hope in God that God will refresh and renew. SO WHAT does this mean for our lives? From Pastoral Perspective, Donna Schaper Eli and Samuel s encounter with God has a dramatic motion. An old man and a young man collaborate to hear God s vision for a new Israel. When was the last time you felt a tingle about the word of God to you? When was the last time you experienced hope kicking into high gear, forgiveness writ loud, pins and needles all over your body because you were so excited? With its promise of pins and needles, this passage is a kind of spiritual acupuncture. It brings us by way of thrilling news to a time of renewal and forgiveness. NOW WHAT is God s word calling us to do? From Homiletical Perspective, Lawrence Wood This comic, tender, tragic story really does come from modern life. In an age of divine reticence and the all-too-human failings of religious leaders, it speaks to every servant weighed down with fatigue or regret. Are we Samuel? Are we Eli? Can we really be sure which? And what shall we do if the living God comes into our troubled temple? It is Eli, ironically enough, who tells us what to say: Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening. 1

2 FOCUS SCRIPTURE 1 Samuel 3:3 10, (11 20) YOU WILL NEED green cloth Christ candle matches Bibles blindfold copies of Resource Sheet 1 Color Pack 13 Singing the Feast, ; CD player For Responding option 1: copies of Resource Sheet 2, pencils option 2: newsprint or markerboard; markers; mural paper or newsprint, tape option 3: Color Pack 14, die, buttons or game markers, finetipped permanent marker A Christ candle is a tall white candle with a cross or other Christian symbol on it. You can make a Christ candle by drawing a cross on a tall white candle.the lighted candle is a reminder of Christ s presence (see Matthew 18:20). Focus on Your Teaching The concept of God s call takes a lifetime to understand. Throughout history, God s people have heard the call of God in their lives. Tweens are bombarded by the voices of many people and things trying to making a claim on their lives. As you explore God s call to Samuel with your learners, help them to begin discerning God s claim on their lives. What do you hear the voice of God calling you to do? is an important question to keep asking, even when the answer is not clear. Holy God, remind me to listen for your voice each day and clarify your call on my life. Fill me with your wisdom as I teach these young disciples. Amen. LEADING THE SESSION GATHERING Before the session, arrange the green cloth in the center of your learning space and place the Christ candle on it. If you are using option 2 in Responding, cut a 6' length of mural paper or tape several sheets of newsprint together. Greet learners by name as they arrive. Gather around the Christ candle and light it. Point out that this season of the church year is called Ordinary Time or the season after the Epiphany, a time to focus about God s presence shining through Jesus Christ. The color for most Sundays in this season is green. Explain that during the prayer, you will pause at one point for each learner to speak his or her name aloud. Immediately after the prayer, sing the first two stanzas of Kum Ba Yah (track 15 on Singing the Feast, ). Pray aloud: Come by here, Lord, and make your presence known. Be with (each person speaks his or her name) as we explore your Word and think about what it means for our lives today. We pray in the name of Jesus, the Light of the World. Amen. After the song, extinguish the candle. Gather tweens in a circle to play a game. Ask a volunteer to put on the blindfold and stand in the center. Tell blindfolded learner to walk over and touch the person who is calling his or her name. Point to a person to say the blindfolded learner s name five times. After the blindfolded learner finds the speaker, play again with a new blindfolded learner and a new speaker. Play until everyone has had a turn in one of the roles. Discuss: P When do you like to hear your name being called? Say today s Bible story is about a boy who heard his name being called. 2

3 Kum Ba Yah Kum ba yah, my Lord, kum ba yah! Kum ba yah, my Lord, kum ba yah! Kum ba yah, my Lord, kum ba yah! O Lord, kum ba yah! Come by here, my Lord, come by here! Come by here, my Lord, come by here! Come by here, my Lord, come by here! O Lord, come by here! EXPLORING Distribute copies of Resource Sheet 1 (Samuel s Story). Say that to better understand today s Bible story, some background information is helpful. Ask a volunteer to read aloud the first three paragraphs. Have tweens set the sheets aside. Distribute Bibles and ask them to help each other find 1 Samuel 3:1 11. Ask two volunteers to read the story aloud, alternating verses. Form groups of three. In each group, designate one learner to be Samuel, one to be Eli, and one to be Voice of God. Have groups prepare to act out the story, using their own words. After a few moments for practice, have each group perform its play for the entire class. Hold up Color Pack 13. Invite tweens to tell what they think is missing in this picture of the story. Discuss the story: P What did Samuel think when he heard his name being called in the middle of the night? P What do you think Eli was thinking when Samuel kept coming to him? P Why did Eli finally realize who was calling to Samuel? P Do you think it took courage for Samuel to say, Speak, for your servant is listening (v. 10)? Why or why not? Ask a volunteer to read aloud the final three paragraphs the resource sheet. Wonder together why God chose Samuel for this work. Comment on how, throughout history, God has called people of all ages to help deliver God s word, show God s ways to others, and help people who need it. Another word for these activities is ministry. God calls people of all ages to do ministry. Summarize Exploring by discussing: P How might people hear God calling today? (Keep asking how else to broaden the discussion. Responses may include: in the voice of someone asking you to help; in the voice of your conscience; through prayer, music, the Bible; in the voice of a teacher, pastor, parent, grandparent; in quiet times observing creation; in the voice of someone you re helping.) P What might your ministry be right now what do you sense the Lord calling you to tell about God, to show others about the ways of God, or to help people who need it? 3

4 EASY PREP Answers: prayer, music, Bible, teacher, pastor, parent, grandparent, observing creation, serving others, silence, asking questions. Jesus Bids Us Shine Jesus bids us shine with a pure, clear light, Like a little candle burning in the night; In this world is darkness, so let us shine, You in your small corner, and I in mine. Jesus bids us shine, first of all for him; Because he knows and loves us if our lights grow dim; Jesus walks beside us to help us shine, You in your small corner, and I in mine. Jesus bids us shine, then, for all around, Many forms of darkness in the world are found; Sin and want and sorrows so we must shine, You in your small corner, and I in mine. RESPONDING Mark the activities you will use: 1. Listen for God Puzzle As they solve the puzzle, learners will be invited to think about the ways God may be calling to them. Distribute copies of Resource Sheet 2 (Listen for God) and pencils. Read aloud the directions. Suggest learners work with a partner to solve the puzzle. Afterward, invite each one to tell about what he or she circled. Talk together about how tweens might explore the ways of listening they starred. 2. Listening Servants As tweens create a mural about God s faithful servants in your church, they will visualize their own forms of ministry. As you discuss the following questions, list responses on newsprint or markerboard: In what ways do people in our church help with worship? In what ways do they help with mission projects and reaching out to people in need? In what ways do they teach? In what ways do they care for those who are sick or lonely? In what ways do they welcome visitors? Set out the mural paper or taped-together newsprint and markers. Ask a volunteer to print the title God s Servants in large letters. Have each learner draw a large self-portrait of his or her face on the paper. Have learners draw speech bubbles from their faces, writing their first names and one way they want to serve in the ministry of your church. (For example: Evan wants to read Scripture in worship! Lily wants to stock food pantry shelves! Connor wants to help in the nursery!) Display the mural where others in the church can see it. Encourage leaders of the congregation to call on tweens to help in the ways noted on the mural. 3. Listen Up! Game As they play a game, tweens will ponder the many voices calling to them to follow. Place Color Pack 14 on a table or the floor. Gather around it and ask volunteers to read aloud the words in the squares. Invite tweens to think of other examples of positive and negative suggestions tweens might hear. Use a fine-tipped permanent marker to write a few of them in blank spaces. Give each learner a button or game marker. Players take turns rolling the die and moving that number of spaces. As they play, invite them to tell how they can judge if a voice or suggestion is positive or negative. CLOSING Gather with learners around the Christ candle and light it. Invite learners to tell one type of ministry they are interested in. Ask two learners to turn to Psalm 139:1 6 and read it aloud, alternating verses. Invite learners to sing or listen to Jesus Bids Us Shine (track 14 on Singing the Feast, ). Bless each leaner: (Name), you are called by God to ministry. Go in the peace of Christ. 4

5 January 18, 2015 Tweens Resource Sheet 1 Samuл s o Samuel was a great prophet of the ancient Hebrew people. Samuel lived after Moses and Joshua had led the Hebrew people to the land God promised. God chose different people as leaders. Some leaders were judges. Judges were military leaders and also helped resolve arguments among the people. Some leaders were prophets. Samuel was a prophet. He spoke to the people on behalf of God. Samuel was the son of Hannah and Elkanah. Before Samuel was born, Hannah stood on the steps of the temple and prayed silently to God for a son. The temple priest, Eli, thought Hannah was drunk because he didn t hear any words. But Hannah kept praying. Many months went by before Hannah gave birth to Samuel. The name Samuel means God has heard. Hannah promised God that Samuel would be raised in the temple to serve God. When Samuel was old enough, she took him to Eli to learn how to serve God. (Read the entire story in 1 Samuel 1:1 28.) Eli was very old. His eyesight was not good. He had served God faithfully. Eli had several sons who were priests. Eli s sons were dishonest and disrespectful. God no longer wanted Eli s sons to serve God. God wanted a new leader! While young Samuel was serving in the temple, God called him to be a prophet and speak God s word to Israel (Read the entire story in 1 Samuel 3:1 20.) Samuel grew up and became a great prophet, speaking for God to all of Israel. Samuel spoke God s word to two kings of Israel. The first was King Saul. After Saul began to disobey God, Samuel was told to find a new king for Israel. At God s direction, Samuel found another boy who would serve God. The shepherd boy David became a great king of Israel. Samuel anointed David for God. (Read the entire story in 1 Samuel 16:1 13.) You can find the stories of Samuel in the books of 1 Samuel and 2 Samuel in the Bible.

6 January 18, 2015 Tweens Resource Sheet 2 Directions: Eli helped Samuel listen for God s voice. Complete the code and then use it to find who and what helps people today to listen for God s voice. Circle the three that have helped you the most to listen for God s voice. Put a star by the one you would like to learn more about. Code: stнing for God A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z