Rotation.org Writing Team

Adam & Eve

Storytelling Workshop

Summary of Lesson Activity

Tell the story of Adam and Eve using a bag of props. Use an equation of equals and greater than/less than to discuss God's plan for Creation. Discuss this further with a Jenga® game, and finish up with a Stompin' Litany activity.

Scripture

Passage: Genesis 2:4 through Genesis 3:24

Key/Memory Verse: “Since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; they are now justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus." Romans 3:23-24 (NRSV)

Objectives for the Rotation

• See Bible Background.

Preparation

• Read Bible Background and scripture.
• Cut a three inch gold star from cardboard or poster board.
• Fill the prop bag with: a small doll, stuffed bird, stuffed fish, stuffed mammal, the gold cardboard star, seed starter soil pellet, small bottle of water, and a small flashlight.
• Print out a copy of the Litany at the end of this lesson and cut it into five parts.
• Tape a large piece of the butcher paper to a wall so everyone can see it.
• Place the Jenga® games, in their boxes, on two separate tables.

Materials List

• Apple, plastic
• Bibles
• Cardboard or poster board, gold
• Flashlight
• Jenga® games, 2
• Marker, large black
• Sharpies® Markers, 1 per person
• Butcher paper or newsprint
• Paper cross cupcake toppers, one per student
• Pattern for star
• A Silk Plant
• Prop bag
• Seed starter soil pellet
• A plastic snake
• Soda cans, 5 empty
• Stuffed animals including a bird, a fish, and a mammal
• A small doll
• Tables, 2
• Tape, masking
• Water, small bottle
• Potted palm plant for Adam and Eve to hide behind
• Fig leaf "clothing"
• Fun fur clothing for Adam and Eve at end of story
• Grill lighter (to be your angel's flaming sword at the entrance to Eden)

Lesson Plan

Open

Welcome your students and then introduce today's story by doing the following . . .

You will be reading the story of Genesis 1 through 3 OUT LOUD.  You may choose to use a paraphrased version or a rewritten version from an age appropriate Bible storybook.

Activity #1 - Telling the Story

Read dramatically and have a little fun with it.

As you progress through the story, toss out the appropriate “prop” from your bag to a member of the audience saying “Think Fast.” Be careful whom you throw what item to so that no one gets a bottle of water in the face! Follow this order for the Bible story and the props:

When you get to the Adam and Eve story in Genesis 2, select one girl and one boy from the audience to be Adam and Eve. Have them stand when you read the verses that mention their creation.

Read Genesis 29-30 slowly and carefully. Ask questions about what God really gave them: the responsibility of caring for and nourishing the earth

Continue the story with Chapter 3.

Dig

Hold an open discussion based on the question “Whose fault is it?”. . .
 

Equation Reflection - On the butcher paper on the wall, write the equations:

H < G -- Humans are less than God
H = H -- Humans are equal to all other Humans
H > M -- Humans are greater than the rest of the created world

Explain that God’s original plan for us was perfect. In God’s original Creation plan, God is greater than all of the creation; God created all humans to be equal, to be stewards of the earth; and because humans are the stewards of the earth, they are created greater than all the rest of the earth and are therefore responsible for caring for the rest of the planet — trees, water, animals, air, everything!

When we as humans, starting with Adam and Eve, decided to run the world our way instead of God’s way, we threw that equation out of balance. Mark the symbols in the equation to nullify each part. ( for example: ≠ )

Activity #2 - Jenga® Games

Get out the Jenga games. Divide into teams and begin play at each table.

As the towers fall, gather everyone around to discuss the resultant chaos.

Equation Reflection Continued . . .

Ask the students if they thought they could rebuild the tower without it falling?

Is the Jenga tower like the world? Was it “perfect” when it came out of the box?

Ask: Did God create a perfect world?

What messed it up?

How do we get back on track?

Draw a large cross on the paper on the wall, writing the symbols from the equations on the cross: a G at the top, and H on each arm and an M at the bottom. Tell them that Jesus died on the cross and rose again to give us the opportunity to put the equation back into perfect order.

Hand out the cupcake topper crosses and markers. Have each person mark their cross with a G at the top, an H on each arm, and an M at the bottom. Tell them that the cross will help them remember to keep their own world in the manner that God meant it to be.

God over all

Humans equal

Humans greater than the rest of the created world (But thus meant to care for them!)

Activity #3 - Play the Stompin Stewards’ game.

Divide the class into five groups. Have each group elect a person to be the designated “Stomper.” Give each group a slip of paper with one part of the litany below. Place an empty soft drink can on the floor in front of each group. Begin a prayer for guidance and then have the oldest member of each group read their part of the litany. The entire group responds to each part of the litany read, by saying, “We thank You, Lord” and then, stomping a can.

Litany of Stewardship

Reader Group 1: For Your Earth, the light, the dark and the energy it produces --
All: We thank you Lord! [Stomp]

Reader Group 2: For the birds of the air and the fish of the sea --
All: We thank you Lord! [Stomp]

Reader Group 3: For the animals that provide food and clothing for us --
All: We thank you Lord! [Stomp]

Reader Group 4: For the people who inhabit the Earth; for friends and family --
All: We thank you Lord! [Stomp]

Reader Group 5: For all the blessings you give us day by day!
All: We thank you Lord! [Stomp]

Close

Close with a brief summary prayer that we carry our responsibility as stewards, given us at the dawn of creation, out into the world with us. Pray that we are able to keep God’s world as God planned it to be -- maintaining the HM relationships that God put in place.

Put crushed cans in the recycle bin.

Additional Suggestions

Adaptations - Younger Children

• Instead of using a grill lighter use a plastic sword with paper flames attached to it.
• In the equation reflection when, for an example:  drawing H < G -- Humans are less than God.  Suggest you draw the G really big and the H really small so they understand the concept.
• Instead of using a Jenga game, just have blocks they can stack until they fall.
• Stompin' Game - younger children can simply stomp their feet on the floor.

Sources

“The HG, HH, HM Phrase and Theory.” Joris, Rev. Stanny M. The Bible in a Nut Shell. Troika

House Publishing Partners, 1993.

“Stompin' Stewards Devotion.” More 10 Minute Devotions for Youth Groups. Loveland, CO:

Group Publishing, 1992.

Written by:  Grace Buchanan

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