Scripture: Genesis 3
Memory
Verse:
“Look
deep into my heart, God, and find out everything I am thinking. Don't let me follow evil ways, but lead me
in the way time has proven true.’’
Psalms 139:23-24 (CEV)
Concepts:
§ Even when our lives seem hard and unfair, God still cares for us.
Objectives:
Procedure:
Welcome and Introductions:
1.
Greet
the children and introduce yourself.
2.
The
purpose of this workshop is for the children to see the Adam and Eve story acted
out and then to ask questions of the actors so that they can get a feel for how
each character felt about the decisions they made and the consequences of the
decisions they made.
Scripture/Bible Story:
1. Ask the children to find Genesis 3 in their Bibles. Make sure all the children are able to locate Genesis 3. Have the shepherds assist the children having trouble.
2. Once all the children have located the passage, read it together as a group. They may take turns reading or you can read it to them.
Application:
1)
Act
out this short story to give the children visual memory of the passage. Assign a teacher/assistant to each of the
following characters:
If only two teachers/assistants are present, have one teacher act out the roles of Adam and the snake, with the other acting out God and Eve. Dress the characters in costumes for effect (see “Characters & Costumes” section for costume and persona suggestions), and keep the dialogue close to the story, but fun for the children to watch.
2)
After
presentation of the story, hold a ‘press conference’ with Adam, Eve and the
Snake. Give the children a prop
microphone, and have them think of a question that they would like to ask one
of these characters in the story. Have
children ask their question by stating their name and the name of the character
that the question is for, followed by the question. Then have them pass the microphone to another child. See below for sample questions and
answers. Once each child has asked a
question, allow all remaining questions.
3)
Instruct
the children to bow in prayer. Thank
God for being like a parent to us, by giving us the freedom to make choices,
and continuing to love us when we make bad choices.
Older children:
The older children may participate
in the role of the acting out the characters.
They may need their Bibles for their ‘lines’.
Younger Children:
Younger children will require
simpler language, and more visualization during the press conference.
Reflection
Time:
Ask the shepherds to pass out the journals and
pencils/markers. Ask the children to write down a time when they sinned (did
something they knew they weren’t supposed to).
Then have them write down all the ways that God still blesses them or
cares for them.
If extra time exists, replay the press conference
video for the children to see themselves “on TV”.
Teacher
preparation in advance:
1. Read the scripture passages and attend the Faith Quest Leaders Bible Study.
2. (Optional). Obtain a video camera to record the “press conference”. Be sure to capture the children asking their questions.
3. Prepare a prayer for the end of class that ties in the lesson concepts. Example above.
Supply List
v Costumes for the 4 main characters.
v Prop microphone
v 2 or 3 chairs for the press conference with an optional table. A cloth-covered table with glasses of water for each character will make the press conference look more authentic.
v (Optional) Video Camera for recording the press conference, and a small TV/VCR to replay the recorded conference.
Characters
& Costumes
v Adam & Eve
ü Costumes: Use Leather coats/jackets (“Then the Lord God made clothes out of animal skins for the man and his wife” Genesis 3:21) or Hawaiian shirts (representing the Garden of Eden).
ü Persona: The characters of Adam and Eve should be generally thankful that God still loves and cares for them after their sin. Adam may blame Eve, and Eve may blame the snake, but this should not be the central theme of the conference. Adam and Eve are imperfect like all humans.
v Snake
ü Costume: Bright, wild, clashing clothes with sunglasses.
ü Persona: Character traits like a used car salesman will be humorous to the children. The snake might feel that his punishment was too severe. After all, he didn’t make them eat the apple, and simply presented a different viewpoint to Eve. God did not destroy the snake, however, and the snake can argue that it still serves a useful role to humans by eating rodents.
v God – It may be best to simply represent God in voice. If a costume is used, an all-white garment could be worn. God is not concerned about placing blame but is concerned about judging in order that life, freedom and relationships may be restored in creation.
Sample Q
& A
If the children have difficulty coming up with questions, some of these questions may be given to them. The answers should attempt to present one of the lesson concepts, but should be answered in an upbeat and interesting manner.
Q: Eve, why did you listen to the snake, and ignore God’s rule regarding
eating the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden?
Eve: The temptation was too
great. The fruit looked yummy, and the
snake convinced me into wanting the wisdom that God had.
Q: Snake, were you trying to get Adam and Eve into trouble?
Snake: No,
no, no. I simply gave Eve a different
perspective on God’s rule. It was their
decision to actually take a bite from the fruit. Perhaps I tempted them just a little.
Q: Adam, you were there and
might have seen all of this happening.
Why didn’t you stop Eve from eating the fruit?
Adam: Well, the Bible doesn’t
actually say that I saw Eve eat the fruit of the tree in the middle of the
garden. I guess I figured that if Eve
could eat the fruit, then I could eat the fruit.
Q: Do you feel that your
punishment from God was fair?
Adam: We sinned, and we were punished.
There is always a consequence for sinning, and I am very thankful that
God still loves and cares for us. God
created us, God judges us, and God loves us.
Eve: I agree with Adam. I’m not
thrilled about painful childbirth, but the punishment could have been much
worse. God could have abandoned us.
Snake: I was
framed! I certainly don’t deserve to
crawl on my belly and eat dirt the rest of my days for a little temptation. I guess it could be worse to be a worm,
though.
Q: Adam and Eve, why did you hide from God when he came looking for you?
Adam: After eating the fruit of
the tree in the middle of the garden, I knew that I had sinned. I was also naked, and didn’t want God to see
me naked. I felt ashamed and
embarrassed.
Eve: It wasn’t easy to talk to
God after disobeying Him. I thought he
would be angry with us, and I was frightened.
Q: Did you think that you could hide your sin from God?
Adam: I guess we did, but God is
all knowing and all loving He knew right away that we had eaten fruit from the
forbidden tree. It might have been
better to admit our mistake right away, and asked for forgiveness.
Q: Snake, why don’t snakes talk anymore?
A: We’re too busy crawling on
the ground and eating dirt. It’s
impolite to talk with your mouth full.
References
Storytelling, Kids, and Christian Education, Arlene Flancher, Augsburg Fortress, 2002.