The Call of Abram Interactive Drama Workshop

Summary of Lesson Activities:

Students will use an Interactive Script to dig into the story of God calling Abram and of God's promises to Abram.

This is an example of how a rather sedate script I found here on this board was turned into a more interactive and dramatic script, and one that doesn't require reading ability. I call this an "interactive drama." The narrator cues the main characters with what to do and say. The kids act out the narration and provide the sound effects. Throughout this script God and the narrator pause to allow the kids to act things out, and prod them to do so. (The original script simply had the kids reciting lines.)

Scripture Reference:

Genesis 12:1 - 21:7

Leader Preparation:

• Read the scripture ahead of time.
• Gather the materials.

Supplies List:

• Echo-effect toy microphone (a variety of brands can be found at discount retailers and online for under $10)
• Optional: Bible time costumes

LESSON

Welcome and Lesson Introduction:

Greet the children and introduce yourself. Open with a prayer.

Bible story and drama:

Ask: what do you know about God's call to Abram?  (Outline what they remember on the board, and tell them they will be acting out the story as they hear you read it as narrator, so you will not be reading it in its entirety from the Bible.)

Do show the students where the story can be found in the Book of Genesis. Read Genesis 12:1-3.

Ask: I wonder what it was like when God spoke to Abram? Was it scary? I wonder how Abram reacted?

Say: Let's explore what it might have been like. You are now going to act out the story of Abram while I read the script. You are all Abram today -- each one of you at the same time. Be sure to listen carefully to what I say so that you know what to do and say - you might have to repeat what I say a few times.
Oh! And listen to God, too. You will have to repeat what God says and do what God commands!

INTERACTIVE DRAMA TIPS:

• The lead teacher should be the narrator. Be prepared to stop the narration a few times to encourage the students to "ham it up" in  response to your narration. (We included a few prompts in italics in the script - adlib more as needed as you go along.)
• "God" can be voiced with an echo microphone by the lead teacher or by the assistant teacher or by an older student who reads well. Or consider bringing in a teen (preferably someone with a dramatic flair) and have him or her be God.
• If you have a large group of students, split into two or three groups and have one group at a time follow along with the script interactively while the others watch. Bonus: The first group will do ok, but the second group will be a little more inspired and have a few more ideas how to act this out as it is narrated.
• If time permits, go through the script a second time for more creative and interactive responses.
• Feel free to embellish the script to fit the passage you want to cover and to suit your kids' interests.

Reflection and Closing:

Did we miss anything when we outlined Abram's story on the board?

I wonder why Abram was willing to pack up everything and follow God?

What does God call us to today?  What might you have to leave behind or go to?

End with a prayer.

God Calls Abram: Interactive Drama Script

During your introduction, explain to the kids that everyone is Abram and they must do whatever the narrator and God say Abram is doing.

God gets to use a microphone, and God always speaks in echoes.

Narrator: This is the story of God’s Promise to Abram. A long time ago, a man named Abram lived in the land of Haran. He might have been herding goats.

He may have had to milk the goats.

But he also stood around sometimes looking pretty cool... because he had a relationship with God.

One day God spoke to Abram. Abram immediately dropped to his knees when God spoke. Then he laid flat on the floor because God was so awesome and Abram was so humble. But then Abram decided it was too dusty so he got back on his knees. And looked to the sky to listen carefully to what God had to say.

God: Abram, Abram, Abram.....Leave, leave, leave your country, country, country... and and and your relatives, and your father’s house, and go to a land that I will show you, you you you you. I will make you a great nation, nation, nation!

Narrator: God told Abram that he would make him a great nation, and bless him and make his name great. And Abram, being a guy who looked really smart, and cool, repeated back to God exactly what God had just said about leaving.

(Abram has to try to repeat it back)

God: Let's try again. I said -- repeat after me --

You must leave your country
the Land of Ur
and the city of Haran
number 12 Discipleship Street
the nice yellow house
and follow me to a new land that I am giving you.

Narrator: Then God told Abram to get up off his knees, throw his hands up in the air, and jump for joy, because through him all the families of the earth would be blessed.

(Abram  has to do what narrator just said)

Narrator: When Abram told his wife Sarai, he ducked down... Because he thought she would take a swing at him for having lost his mind. "We have a nice home. We live in a great town with many things to do and with many friends. And where did you say we are going? For what?"
Abram repeated again what God said.

God: But of course, I put it in Sarai's heart to listen to Abram. To know that I the Lord of Hosts had great plans for them. And it would be ok.

Narrator: So Abram did what the Lord told him to do. He packed up all the suitcases. Loaded them on his cart. Rubbed his sore muscles. He was 75 years old after all. Then he picked up Sarai and loaded her into the cart too. He groaned because she heavy. Really heavy. Super heavy! And after that, he chased a few cows who didn't want to go. And grabbed his nephew Lot and threw him onto the cart, too.

Abram started walking, leading all his people and all his stuff. He might have had to chase after a few goats that went the wrong way.

Abram came to a fork in the road. He looked at his map and tried to figure out which way to go next.

God: This land I will give to your people, people, people....

Narrator: And when Abram came to the land that God had promised him, he ran about gathering rocks to build an altar. Rocks here. Rocks over there. A really HUGE rock from back there. Then he lit the altar on fire. Which made a big woooshing sound. And made him jump back because it was hot. And then he threw himself on the ground saying "thank you God!"

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

God: You're welcome.

Narrator: Then Abram gathered up Sarai and Lot and all his cows and goats and they traveled to another place and built a new altar. Picking up rocks, throwing himself on the ground. Saying thank you.

God: You're welcome again.

Narrator: Until finally the entire family decided that the place where they were living was too crowded.

So Abram and Lot decided to split up the family and go live in different places. Some of them when that way, and some of them when this way. A few thought about going this way, but changed their minds and went that way, until Abram said to Lot, "You choose which land you would like and I will take the other. If you go left, then I will go right."

God: I gave Abram and Sarai and their family the lands, lands lands of Canaan. A land flowing with milk, milk, and honey, honey honey.

Narrator: Lot went and lived in the cities near Sodom. Abram waved goodbye. He was sad to see Lot go, even though Lot was living just down the road.

And then he remembered he would have more space for his goats now that Lot is gone. Abram did a happy dance.

And then God spoke to Abram a great promise.

God: Lift up your eyes now, and look northward, southward, eastward, and westward. For all the land which you see I will give to you and to your descendants forever. And I will make your descendants as the dust of the earth, so that if anybody could count the dust of the earth, he would also be able to count your descendants. Arise, walk through the land.

Narrator: Abram tried to count the dust. But it was too much to count!

And Abram was very pleased. He smiled. He jumped about joyfully. He high fived his family. He kissed his family. I said, he KISSED his family. Ok, he high fived them again, because they had just won the JACKPOT. God had promised to make them a great nation.

Narrator: Then God blessed Abram one more time. He told him to get down on the ground. To bury his face in his hands, and to listen very carefully.

God: My covenant I shall keep with you. No longer will you be called Abram. I shall call you Abraham, just like the President of the United States.

Narrator: Wait a second, God didn't say that.

God: Oh, right.
From now on your name shall be Abraham which means I have made you a father of many nations. I will keep my covenant with you and my covenant shall be everlasting with you and your descendants through all generations. Your descendants will do well and they will lead nations and become kings. To you and to them I will give this land, and I will be their God.

As for Sarai, your wife, you shall call her Sarah. I will bless her, and from her you shall have a son. She shall be a mother of nations and of kings.

Narrator: Abram thought that was great. Except he said to God, "there's only one problem."
(Kids say that.)

God: What? What's the problem?

Narrator: Abraham got up on one knee and said "I'm a hundred years old, how can I have children? And look at my wife. She's really old, too! How can she have children?"
(Have students repeat that.)

God: No problem, problem problem. Sarah, your wife, shall bear a son, and you will call him Isaac. With God nothing is impossible.

With Isaac and with his children after him, I will make my everlasting covenant.

Narrator:  The Lord did as he had promised, and Sarah bore a son, and the son was called Isaac, a name, which means ‘He will laugh.’ Abraham and Sarah were very grateful to God. They laughed! They laughed really loudly! Abraham might have fallen down, he was laughing so hard.

And then Abraham got up off the ground and REALLY started high fiving everybody around him.

Because everybody knew, that when God makes a promise, you can count on it to come true!

God: Yes, you can always count on me!

Narrator: And all the Abrahams said, "That's cool!"

A lesson written by Neil MacQueen (from: Sunday Software), Venice, FL
A representative of Rotation.org reformatted this post to improve readability.