The Prophet Miriam || God Chooses Women to Guide Us Through The Impossible

Sunday, September 13, 2020 — Worship@Home resources for FirstPres Hayward

As our congregation has made the decision to move to a digital online format for our Sunday Family Gathering due to COVID-19, FirstPresKids is here to provide resources that can help you create your own at-home family worship experience or supplement the one that will be streamed on Sunday mornings, 10PST from FirstPres Hayward.

NOTE: You can also go to the FPK YouTube Channel to view most (not all) of these materials on this week’s FirstPresKids YouTube Playlist.

Blackall, Pippa. Prophet Miriam, from Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN. http://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=57589 [retrieved September 1, 2020]. Original source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/paullew/33172410852.

Scriptural Focus: the story of the Prophet Miriam: her part in leading the Israelites out of slavery, that God chooses women to help us through the impossible

Parent/Caregiver Resources:

• Jesus Made Me A Feminist | Tara Teng | TEDxSFU (video)
• “Women In Ancient Christianity: The New Discoveries” (article)

Opening or Closing Prayer: Dear God, You created us in your image. You created us to be a human version of all that you are — Whole Holy people. But, humans like to put each other into boxes: child, old person, woman, man, Black, white, Indigenous, Asian. When we put each other in boxes, we limit each other and ourselves from being fully human and experiencing all the range and depth and width of your creation. Help us to see each other as you see us, exactly as you created us before we entered this human world. Help us to be and see the Whole Holy people that you put on earth; children of God that you love no matter what; that you have chosen to lead the way towards your vision. Amen.

Scripture:

• “Who Was Miriam?”

Videos for Kids:

• The Prince of Egypt (1998) — Deliver Us Scene (1/10) | Movieclips

• The Prince of Egypt — Moses Meets Miriam and Aaron For the First Time [1080p]

• Miriam’s Speech to Moses

• The Prince of Egypt (1998) — When You Believe Scene (8/10) | Movieclips

• The Prince of Egypt (1998) — Parting the Red Sea Scene (9/10) | Movieclips

• Moses, Miriam and Aaron: Siblings: I’ll Be There for You

Discussion Questions:

• What role(s) did Miriam play in freeing the people of Israel from Egypt?
• Why do you think some people have heard over and over again about Moses but not about Miriam? Is one person/story more important than the other?
• What makes a good leader?
• How do you think God chooses leaders?
• In Biblical times (and even still today) women were not valued, yet they are included in so many important stories of the Bible. Why? And what does that mean for us today?

Play:

• Remember Miriam’s courageous faith and leadership as you pretend to jump into and out of the “Red Sea” using this The River and The Bank Game tutorial and prompt videos:

Make:

• Make a tambourine like the one Miriam used to lead her people in praise and celebration after they crossed the Red Sea: DIY Tambourine — Homemade Harmonies with Ellen Chang or Kids Craft: How to Make a Tambourine

• Draw a 3-D illusion of Moses parting the Red Sea (add Miriam by his side!)

Books: libraries are closed and you may not have time to order books, but check out the lists below and often a quick internet search will turn up a video version of many picture books. Or see below for my quick picks that you can “read” online!

• Google book search for “children’s books women of the Bible”
• Quick pick: excerpt from Gritty and Graceful: 15 Inspiring Women of the Bible by Caryn Rivadeneira