Creation

Cooking Workshop

Summary of Lesson Activities:

Children will create their own version of creation by decorating a cake with food items
that represent all creation.

Editor's Note: It was suggested in another thread to make 2 small cakes, one to eat, one to GIVE AWAY to an older person or someone in need, in the congregation.

Scripture Reference:

Genesis 1:1-2:4

Concept:

God created all there is, both seen and unseen.

Supplies List:

• Flip chart (or easel, or whiteboard); appropriate marker
• Round chocolate cake (made ahead of time)
• green, blue, and yellow icing
• aprons
• variety of edible items including goldfish crackers, animal crackers, marshmallows,
  pretzel sticks, grapes, broccoli, grapes, ice cream cones, etc. (possibly think of some "healthy" edibles?)
  
  

Leader Preparation:

• Read the scripture ahead of time.
• Think about everything included in this description of creation:
  heavens, sky, light, day, sun, darkness, night, stars, moon, water, seas, rivers, lakes, vegetation (plants, vegetables, fruit, trees) and living creatures (fish, animals, birds, humans). How might all of these be represented by food items listed above?
• Gather the materials.
• Make the cake.

Presentation

Opening- Welcome and introductions:

Greet the children and introduce yourself. Introduce what you will be doing today.

Dig- Main Content and Reflection

Read the scripture to younger children. Older children might take turns reading parts of
the passage aloud.

Have children name things that God created and write them on the flipchart.

Explain that they will be creating their own representation of God’s creation as they decorate a cake.

Have the children wash their hands.

Show them the cake and ask them to describe what the world was like before God created
everything that’s in it, “formless void.”

Ask what the word “void” means. Accept all answers that are close--plain, empty, loose,
unfinished, etc. Then ask if any of those words would describe the cake.

Guide them as they “create the world” with the food items.
Have them refer to the list they made earlier.

Start them off with dividing the world into heavens, earth, and water.

Try to have everything that’s listed on the board represented on the cake.

Encourage children to talk about what they are putting on the cake as they are decorating
it.

Discussion

When the cake is finished ask if everything God created is on the cake or if anything is
left out. Older children might be able to give abstract answers such as love, goodness,
happiness, kindness, peace, evil, sadness, hate, indifference, etc.

Ask the question “Where is God in our creation?” (Note to teacher: there is no one right answer to this question.)

Allow the children to eat the cake to culminate the activity. (God say that his creation was good!)

Journal prompts:
Young children-- I’m thankful God made the world because...
Middle ages-- I believe God is happy with God’s creation because...
Older children-- Where is God in the created world today?

Closing
Sentence prayers that thank God for creation: Ask each child to say one sentence of
thankfulness or praise for God’s creation. Young children might say, “Thank you, God, for
making birds” and so on.

Close the prayer with “Thank you God for creating our world and the resources you’ve given us to live comfortably in it. Give us wisdom to take care of your world and all your creations. Amen.

A lesson written by Jan Marshal from Brenthaven Cumberland Presbyterian Church, Bentwood, TN, USA.