God is our Provider

I didn't write anything last week, because we didn't have our regular service. Not much to tell. We joined the mother church's outdoor service and picnic. I was amazed at how well the boys sat still and behaved during the program!! I think being outside helped a lot. Or am I not giving them enough credit?

I don't think we'll experiment with having long sit-down services ourselves just yet. The kids have come to associate coming to Merciful Love with time for a lot of movement and activity. It would be a huge adjustment for them—and I think for our parents as well. But it's something to keep under our hats for the future, perhaps.

In the meantime, we resume our usual program. This past Sunday, we learned about God as provider, from I Kings 17. Here's how it went:

Today we meet the prophet Elijah again. (boy in mantle). He says to King Ahab (boy in crown) , "because you have been such a wicked king, in that you've not only sinned against God yourself but influenced all Israel to sin, God hereby says to you, it is not going to rain for three years!

Now, lets think about this. (give cups to Elijah & Ahab, have them put name stickers on cups). Okay, both Elijah and Ahab live in Israel. Let's say this basin(place basin on stool) represents Israel. (have someone place name tag on basin)
(have E & A both place their cups in basin.) Okay, if it rains in Israel (have child help pour water from watering can into basin & cups), who has water to drink? (ask kids, show both cups having water) (have child help dump out water) So, if it doesn't rain? Who has no water? (show cups,ask kids)

Now, in our last story we saw that God is…(point out "just" on chart). But if this wicked king Ahab and this faithful prophet Elijah both go thirsty, does that seem very just? (ask all) Today we will see how God is not only truly just, He is also…(have child put up "provider" on chart). We will see how God provided Elijah's needs.

God says to Elijah: (angel with halo reads from scroll): "Go to Zarephath in Sidon, for I have arranged for a widow to take care of your needs." So Elijah goes to Zarephath. (walks around room, carrying his cup). When he gets there, he sees a woman gathering sticks. (girl picks up sticks from floor) He says to her, please give me a drink of water. (gives her his cup. she starts to walk away) But as she is leaving, he calls after her, while you're at it, could you please give me some bread? I'm really hungry! (have Elijah pantomime his hunger) Well, the widow says to him, you want me to give you bread? I don't have any bread to give you! Listen, come home with me and I'll show you! But first, they properly introduce themselves they shake hands & exchange names, then Elijah. follows girl around room; she chooses one boy & introduces him as her son) The widow then says, okay, look, this here is all the meal I have (shows Elijah jar partially full of crushed cereal); and this is all the oil I have (shows bottle half full of oil) When you saw me collecting sticks, I was preparing to use this to prepare one last meal for myself and my son, and then we were going to die of starvation!

Elijah says to her, don't worry! (pats her shoulder) If you honor God, He will provide your needs. Listen, first prepare a little cake of meal for me, and then you can make one for yourselfyou're your son. Because I hereby promise you in the name of the Lord, this jar of meal, (holds up jar) and this bottle of oil (holds up bottle), will not run out until God again sends rain. The widow says, okay, I'll try it! (girl puts sticks on table; sprinkles "fire" paper on sticks, places wok containing crackers on fire. pretends to pour in grain & oil," fries", and presents cracker to E. Repeat cooking "cake" for son & then herself.) It really hasn't used up! How long will it last? (continues "cooking;" has son pass out crackers to all in attendance, one by one) Wow, this God really is the provider for those who serve Him!

    

    So that was the story. Very conveniently, the word used in Chinese for "cake" is the same as for "cracker," so that flowed well. Not quite as perfect in English!

For our game, I made something resembling a childhood game I once had, called "Kerplunk". The kids kept pulling the skewers out of this cardboard tower until the heap of stones poured into the top fell through; each no-fall turn earned the player a piece of cereal. The idea was, the cereal didn't quit coming until the "rain" fell.

    And as we know, rain eventually did fall, so our craft was little paper umbrellas (with the "Kerplunk" skewers as handles)

    Bible study was on Matthew 6:25-33. Nice to have a more straightforward passage this time!