April 29, 2018 Fifth Sunday of Easter Acts 8:26 40 Ps. 22:25 31 1 John 4:7 21 John 15:1 8 Philip and the Ethiopian Goal for the Session Children will grapple with the ways God is at work in the story of Philip and the Ethiopian official and in their lives. n PREPARING FOR THE SESSION Focus on Acts 8:26 40 WHAT is important to know? From Exegetical Perspective, Paul W. Walaskay Luke tells us a great deal about these two men. Philip is one of seven Greek-speaking Jewish Christians appointed to tend to the needs of others (Acts 6:1 6). The Ethiopian is in charge of the treasury of the Candace, the official title of the queen mother, head of the government in Ethiopia. That he travels by chariot attests to his status. That he possesses a scroll of the prophet Isaiah attests to his wealth. Moreover, we are told that he is a eunuch, a not unusual situation for one whose life is devoted to serving in the queen s court. As a castrated male, he would not have been granted access to the temple (see Deuteronomy 23:1). WHERE is God in these words? From Theological Perspective, Karen Baker-Fletcher Notice the text s description of how the Spirit of God moves Philip to act and teach. When the messenger of God says to Philip, Get up and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza (v. 26), Philip immediately gets up and goes. Upon seeing the Ethiopian eunuch, Philip runs to the chariot where the eunuch, in charge of the queen s treasury, is sitting. He immediately asks the eunuch if he understands the passage from Isaiah (53:7 8) that the eunuch is reading aloud. SO WHAT does this mean for our lives? From Pastoral Perspective, Thomas G. Long As the gospel moves into the world, it gathers under the wings of God s mercy more and more of those who have been lost, pushed away, and forgotten. What is to prevent me from being baptized? asked the eunuch. Absolutely nothing, whispered the Spirit. So the eunuch commanded the chariot to stop, and he was baptized right on the spot. Walls of prejudice and prohibition that had stood for generations came tumbling down by the breath of God s Holy Spirit, and another man who felt lost and humiliated was found and restored in the wideness of God s grace in Jesus Christ. NOW WHAT is God s word calling us to do? From Homiletical Perspective, Barbara Brown Taylor It is Philip s grounding in his tradition that enables him to recognize God s leading even when it leads him places no human authority has told him he may go and to act in the power of the Spirit. If we were to surrender control of our own travel plans for even an hour, where might the Spirit send us? How many of our accidental encounters with other people are really divine appointments? How can we learn to tell the difference between the two? 1
Philip and the Ethiopian FOCUS SCRIPTURE Acts 8:26 40 Focus on Your Teaching Children use imaginative play to help them make sense of the world. Their play is full of super abilities, storyline twists and turns, and extreme emotions. Today s Bible story is filled with amazing events and lends itself to imaginative drama for children. As children mature through the early elementary grades, they will begin to sort out fact from fiction in the stories they hear. Encourage them to remain open to embracing the stories of God s great miracles, noting that people can never fully understand the ways of God. Dear God, like Philip and the many others who have followed your lead with eagerness and a sense of urgency, strengthen me to serve you readily and without pause. Amen. YOU WILL NEED white cloth white batterypowered candle Singing the Feast, 2017 2018; CD player Bible Color Pack 10, 19, 20, 32 Resource Sheet 1 newsprint markers bowl of water For Responding option 1: Color Pack 20, copies of Resource Sheet 1, paper grocery bags, glue sticks, string, scissors option 2: copies of Resource Sheet 2, pencils, crayons option 3: Color Pack 29; Singing the Feast, 2017 2018; CD player n LEADING THE SESSION GATHERING Before the session, if you are using option 1 in Responding, cut paper grocery bags into rectangles about 12 x 16 ; cut one rectangle for each child. If you are using option 2 in Responding, make arrangements for your group to visit the worship space in your church. As children arrive, invite them to help you arrange the white cloth in the center of your meeting space. Place the candle, Color Pack 10, and a small bowl of water on the cloth. Gather the group. Remind the children that the church celebrates Easter for seven Sundays. Invite them to move around and shake hands with one another, saying, Happy Easter! As you light the candle, say, Jesus Christ is the light of our world. Sing Hallelujah (Color Pack 32; track 9 on Singing the Feast, 2017 2018). Lead the children in prayer, asking them to repeat each phrase after you: Dear God, / thank you for being with us always. / Help us learn, / help us pray, / help us be good friends today. / Amen. Invite the children to think about these words: Get up and go! Ask: P Who might say these words to you? P When might these words lead to something fun and exciting? To something scary or challenging? 2
Philip and the Ethiopian Hallelujah Hallelujah,... Let us praise God.... We are blessings,... Hear our prayer now,... EXPLORING Open your Bible to Acts 8:26 40 and tell the children that today s Bible story is found here. It is about one of Jesus early followers named Philip. Read aloud Acts 8:26. Ask: P Who is telling Philip to get up and go? P Do you think Philip will trust the angel s words and do this? Why or why not? (Recall that angels are God s messengers.) Show Color Pack 19. Point out the country of Ethiopia. Comment on how far it is from Ethiopia to Jerusalem. Explain that today s story is about a time when Philip met a man from Ethiopia who worked as a government official. Ask a child to hold up Color Pack 20 as you read the story aloud from Resource Sheet 1 (Philip and an Ethiopian Official: Acts 8:26 40). Form pairs, having one child in the pair pretend to be Philip and the other pretend to be the Ethiopian official. Tell the pairs they will act out the story as you read it again. Encourage the children to listen for their characters actions and then show the action they hear by using their bodies. Read the story again from Resource Sheet 1, reading slowly and emphasizing the verbs. Gather the group and discuss: P Why do you think Philip did what the angel said to do? P What was the Ethiopian official reading? (Be sure to point out that the Bible we read also has these words from Isaiah the prophet.) P What did the Ethiopian ask Philip to do? P What happened to the Ethiopian official after he was baptized? (You may want to recall that, through baptism, God makes us members of the body of Christ.) P What happened to Philip after he baptized the Ethiopian? P What questions do you have about today s story? Wrap up today s exploration by asking learners to imagine the angel telling them to get up and go to tell a friend about Jesus. Ask: P What might you tell your friend about Jesus? EASY PREP RESPONDING Mark the activities you will use. 1. Scripture Scrolls Children can tell others about the ways that God was at work in the story of Philip and the Ethiopian official. Distribute copies of Resource Sheet 1. Ask the children to find verses 30 31. Read the verses aloud as the children follow along with a finger. Explain that in Bible times, the books of the Bible were not put together like Bibles today. Each book was on a scroll. Look at Color Pack 20 and point out the scroll. Tell the children that you will make scrolls with today s story so that they can tell this story to someone at home. Give each child a piece cut from a paper grocery bag. Tell them to wad up and unfold the paper many times to make it crinkly. Then have them 3
Philip and the Ethiopian glue a copy of Resource Sheet 1 to the center of the paper and roll both edges toward the center. Help as needed to tie each scroll with a string. EASY PREP The Whole World Is in God s Hands The whole world is in God s hands, The whole wide world is in God s hands, The whole world is in God s hands, The world is in God s hands. The wind and the wave are in God s hands... The fish and the bird are in God s hands... All of the animals are in God s hands... All the world s people are in God s hands... You and me are in God s hands... Be sensitive to children who are not baptized. Some may ask about baptism; be prepared to tell about the baptism traditions in your church and to refer families to a pastor or other leader to talk about preparing for baptism. 2. Baptism Symbols God was at work when Philip baptized the Ethiopian official. God works through baptism today. Distribute copies of Resource Sheet 2 (Baptism Symbols). Explain that Christians use pictures like these to remind them of baptism. Invite any questions about the symbols. Tell the group that you will take your resource sheets and look for pictures, or symbols, of baptism. In the worship space, stay together as a group as you look for symbols in stained-glass windows, on the baptismal font, on the walls, or on banners or other worship fabrics. When you return to your meeting space, invite the children to name their favorite symbols and color them on the sheet. Wonder together about the ways that God is at work in your lives. 3. Music Response Music can help learners imagine the ways God might be at work in their lives. Sing together The Whole World Is in God s Hands (Color Pack 29; track 21 on Singing the Feast, 2017 2018). How do you think Philip knew he was in God s hands? How do you think the Ethiopian knew he was in God s hands? Challenge children to find something in your meeting space to use as a rhythm instrument to play as they sing the song again. After singing the song, ask each one to think of ways they know God is holding them. What might God be calling them to do? CLOSING Gather the group around the candle and sit down. Invite the children to tell you about the session today what they liked or a question they would like to ask. Lead the following action prayer, asking the children to repeat each phrase after you. When you say, Get up and go, jump up and then immediately sit back down. Dear God: / When you say get up and go to help a friend, / help me get up and go to help a friend. / When you say get up and go to feed hungry people, / help me get up and go to take food to hungry people. / When you say get up and go to teach others about Jesus, help me get up and go to spread the good news. / When you say it, help us do it. / Amen. Hold up the small bowl of water, recalling that God was at work when Philip baptized the Ethiopian official. When we are baptized, God s Spirit comes to us, and God declares that we are God s beloved children. Dip a finger in the water and make the sign of the cross on each child s hand as you offer this blessing: (Name), may God bless you and give you the energy to get up and go tell about Jesus this week. Amen. 4
April 29, 2018 Philip and the Ethiopian Grades (K)1 2 Resource Sheet 1 Philip and an Ethiopian Official: Acts 8:26 40 26 The Lord s angel said to Philip, Go south along the desert road that leads from Jerusalem to Gaza. 27 So Philip left. An important Ethiopian official happened to be going along that road in his chariot. He was the chief treasurer for Candace, the Queen of Ethiopia. The official had gone to Jerusalem to worship 28 and was now on his way home. He was sitting in his chariot, reading the book of the prophet Isaiah. 29 The Spirit told Philip to catch up with the chariot. 30 Philip ran up close and heard the man reading aloud from the book of Isaiah. Philip asked him, Do you understand what you are reading? 31 The official answered, How can I understand unless someone helps me? He then invited Philip to come up and sit beside him. 32 The man was reading the passage that said, He was led like a sheep on its way to be killed. He was silent as a lamb whose wool is being cut off, and he did not say a word. 33 He was treated like a nobody and did not receive a fair trial. How can he have children, if his life is snatched away? 34 The official said to Philip, Tell me, was the prophet talking about himself or about someone else? 35 So Philip began at this place in the Scriptures and explained the good news about Jesus. 36 37 As they were going along the road, they came to a place where there was some water. The official said, Look! Here is some water. Why can t I be baptized? 38 He ordered the chariot to stop. Then they both went down into the water, and Philip baptized him. 39 After they had come out of the water, the Lord s Spirit took Philip away. The official never saw him again, but he was very happy as he went on his way. 40 Philip later appeared in Azotus. He went from town to town, all the way to Caesarea, telling people about Jesus. Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version. Copyright 1991, 1992, 1995 by American Bible Society. Used by permission. 2018 Westminster John Knox Press
April 29, 2018 Philip and the Ethiopian Grades (K)1 2 Resource Sheet 2 Baptism Symbols picture of Jesus baptism seashell with three drops of water baptismal candle cross three drops of water dove other baptism pictures or symbols in our church 2018 Westminster John Knox Press