Preschool: God Calls Samuel

God Calls Samuel

Welcome:
-“Welcome to Worship”
-We are in a special place because God is here
-This is our special place to be with God, we can talk to God, we can listen to God, we can hear stories of God
-The Lord Be With You (and Also With You)

Songs of Praise:

Shabach Hallelujah

Barak Praise the Lord

Shabach Hallelujah

Barak Praise the Lord

Shabach Hallelujah

Barak Praise the Lord

Shabach Hallelujah

Barak Praise the Lord

Yadah extend your hand

Todah Lift up your hands

Tehillah it means to sing

Kara means to dance dance dance

It’s me, it’s me, it’s me oh lord, standing in the need of prayer (not my father or my mother, not my brother or my sister, not my neighbor or a stranger, but it’s me oh lord)

Come into his presence singing alleluia

Story:

1 Do you remember the Hebrew people? God helped Moses bring them out of Egypt, across the desert, back to their homeland. To the land God promised.  Do you remember Moses’s brother Aaron?  He was a priest.  The priests worshiped God and helped the Hebrew people worship God too.

Many years after Aaron, long after the Hebrew people came to the promised land, there was a priest named Eli.

2 One day, a woman came to Eli, the priest. Her name was Hannah.

She was crying. She had come to worship God. Hannah prayed in her heart: ‘Oh God I am so unhappy. Please give me a son. If you do, I will give him to you.’

Eli realized she was sad, so he blessed her.

Cup your hand over Hannah.

Hannah stopped crying and went home.

3 God remembered Hannah and answered her prayer. She did have a baby. She called him Samuel.

Place Samuel next to Hannah.

Hannah remembered her promise to God. When Samuel was three years old, she took him to Eli.

Bring Hannah and Samuel.

‘Do you remember me? I stood here and prayed for a son. God has answered my prayer. So now I give my son to God.’

Move Samuel to Eli. Kiss your finger and then touch the kiss onto Samuel’s head. Turn Hannah round and move her back to the edge of the backcloth. Move Eli with Samuel.

4 So Samuel served with Eli. Every day he did the priest’s work.  And every year, as he grew too big for his clothes, his mother brought him a new robe.

Touch Hannah.

5 Samuel grew, and was loved by God and by the people.

6 One night, Samuel heard a voice. ‘Samuel!’

As you say his name, bring your hand down in a cupping gesture around Samuel. Then move Samuel to Eli.

He ran to Eli. ‘Here I am. You called me.’ 
‘I didn’t call; go back and lie down.’

Move Samuel back and lie him down again.

Again, Samuel heard a voice. ‘Samuel!’

Repeat the actions but don’t rush them.

Again Samuel ran to Eli. ‘Here I am; you called me.’ 
‘I didn’t call. Go back and lie down.’

Repeat the actions

‘Samuel!’

Repeat the actions

‘Here I am; you called me.’ 
The third time, Eli realized it was God. ‘Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, ‘Speak, Lord, your servant is listening.’

Bring Samuel back to lie by the Ark. 
‘Samuel!’

Repeat the action and then cup your hand, palm down, over Samuel as if in blessing. Keep your hand there.

‘Speak Lord, your servant is listening.’ 
God came so close to Samuel and Samuel came so close to God that Samuel heard what God said to him.

7 God told Samuel he would be the next priest, after Eli, and serve God and the Hebrew people.  God would use Samuel for a great purpose.

I wonder what you like best about this story? 


I wonder what is most important in this story? 


I wonder where you are in this story or which part of the story is especially about you?

I wonder how Samuel felt when he heard God’s voice? 


I wonder when you have heard God calling you?

Thanksgiving Feast (at the table)
-This is our time of thanksgiving: our feast and our thanks
-What are we thankful to God for this week?

Bible? Or check toddler story book?

Response time: Everyone can pick a way to tell the story

Room 1:

Everyone:  Drawing page, child and grown:

A drawing of how children can serve God right now. Ways include how they treat others, through prayer, in worship at church, helping others...

Children could think about how they might like to serve God in the future. How does a doctor or teacher or engineer or scientist serve God? They could explore this in a drawing or make a model with play clay.

-Printable of Samuel—glue/cutouts or paint?

Room 2:

-Telephone game—whisper a message from one person to the next and see how well the message gets through (Can we listen for God’s messages?)

-Retelling the story

-Playdough if extra time