2
Calming a Storm
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Scripture
Focus
Jesus cares for frightened people.
Faith Nurture Goals
- Be amazed at the way Jesus calmed the storm.
- Imagine how the disciples felt during and after the storm.
- Sense that Jesus cares when we're frightened.
- Thank Jesus for being with us when we're afraid.
Memory Challenge
Session Outline
Leader Reflection
Preparing to Tell God's Story
Like last week, we'll be looking at one of Jesus' "nature miracles," miracles that show his power over the forces of nature in the world. These miracles were not meant merely to show Jesus' superhuman power but also to tell us something about Jesus and the kingdom of God he was announcing:
They show that the ordinary human being called Jesus is also the Son of God who can show God's power in the world.
They demonstrate the kingdom of God that Jesus will usher in---a kingdom in which sickness and death will be destroyed and the powers of evil brought under control.
The Bible story for today displays all of those aspects of Jesus' miracles. Here we have an ordinary human being who is tired and falls asleep in the boat. Here too we have the Son of God who has power over the wind and the waves. And here we have a picture of how God's kingdom will bring under control all the powers that are against us.
Imagine the scene. Jesus is asleep in the stern of the boat where there are some cushions on which he can lay his head. He's human. So he's tired and sleepy, just as we often are at the end of a long day.
Suddenly a violent storm whips up over the lake---not uncommon on the Sea of Galilee. And the boats in those days were small and easily capsized. The disciples, scared witless by the waves crashing over the boat, awaken Jesus.
Jesus' strange response startles us: "You of little faith, why are you so afraid?" What? Does Jesus mean we shouldn't be afraid even when danger overtakes us? Isn't that asking a bit much? However harsh his response may seem, it echoes the truth always proclaimed when heaven meets Earth: "Be not afraid!" If we only knew how fully and completely our lives are in the Lord's hands, our fears would vanish.
Thankfully, Jesus didn't turn over and go back to sleep. He got up and shouted into the howling gale and the crashing sea. The gospel account then says he "rebuked them," not because he lost sleep, but because of their "little faith." Jesus expected his disciples, as he expects us, to trust that he can deal with powers that threaten us. This rebuke of the powers of nature displays both Jesus' power and his authority, and without hesitation these elemental forces of nature obey Jesus' command. Immediately all is calm.
The disciples are filled with fear and wonder. "What kind of man is this?" they ask one another, dumbfounded. Who is this ordinary person who falls asleep and then wakes up to quiet the forces of nature? That's the question that reverberates through this session and will reverberate through this quarter. Who is this person who does such great and good deeds?
Over the centuries this story has acquired deep meaning for many believers. The picture of a storm-tossed boat with the cross for a mast became an early Christian symbol for the church (and in our time was adopted by the World Council of Churches). This image expresses the great comfort we have as those who are in the boat with Jesus on the stormy sea of life.
Wondering
What did the disciples expect Jesus to do when they woke him up?
“Who is this?” This is the fundamental question about Jesus. In what ways is it being asked and answered today?
Teaching
Already at this age, and perhaps especially at this age, children experience many frightening things. Perhaps you can identify some of their fears as you think about the children in your group or even remember back to when you were their age. You can certainly identify your own fears, and this might be an opportunity to share how you turn to Jesus with those fears
Let your children wonder about the contrast between the tired Jesus who falls asleep and the powerful Jesus who rebukes the wind and the waves.
Steps
Materials
Songs: “Be Still and Know”; “One, Two, Three, Jesus Loves Me”
Tables and chairs or masking tape or cardboard boxes to form a boat (see activity for details)
Before the children arrive, set up your story area in a way that resembles a boat. You might arrange the chairs into a boat shape or attach masking tape on the floor in the shape of a boat large enough to hold your group. Another option is to put tables on their sides or tape together several large cardboard boxes to form a “boat” for the children to climb inside. You’ll also want to tuck the story symbol for today inside your Bible (you could use it to mark the story in Matthew 8).
Welcome each child by name and with a big smile. They’ll likely notice your boat as they arrive—explain that you’ll be going for a ride in it later. Gather everyone around you and channel their curiosity about the boat you’ve built into a conversation about their own boating experiences. Invite the kids to tell about any experiences they may have had in a boat. Has anyone ever been in a boat during a storm? Talk about what that might feel or sound like. Invite the kids to contribute stories from their own experience with storms, and share one of yours as well.
Accept the children’s expressions of fear and acknowledge your own fear too. Then tell the children that when you’re frightened you try to remember that God is with you—even in frightening storms! One good way to remember that God is taking care of you is to remind yourself of the Bible verse your group is learning. Say the words and then use the Scripture song “Be Still and Know” to sing them together, incorporating the actions learned last session. Follow that with the unit song “One, Two, Three, Jesus Loves Me.”
Conclude your worship time by joining hands and giving thanks to God for caring for each of you wherever you go. (You might want to mention each child by name.)
Re
formed
formedQuestion 15 of the Heidelberg Catechism asks, “What kind of mediator and deliverer should we look for then?” Jesus demonstrates the answer to that question in the story you’re telling the children today: “One who is truly human and truly righteous, yet more powerful than all the creatures, that is, one who is also true God.”
Materials
Story symbol, session 2 printable page
Spray bottle filled with water, optional
Electric fan, optional
Open your Bible and show the kids where the part of God’s big story they are about to hear is found, in Matthew 8. Hold up the story symbol for today. Wonder together about how it might connect to the story.
Explain that the story takes place in a boat, and invite the kids to imagine they are Jesus’ friends, the disciples, as they carefully climb into the boat and get ready for a ride across the lake. Once everyone is settled, begin the story.
The story follows:
Everywhere Jesus went, people followed. Crowds gathered to see him, to hear him teach, and to have him touch them or heal them. People, people, people! It wasn’t surprising that by nighttime Jesus grew very tired!
Once, after an especially busy day, Jesus invited the disciples to take a boat across the water with him so he could get some rest on the other side of the lake.
The water looked calm and peaceful as Jesus and his friends climbed into the little boat. The soft waves rocked the boat ever so gently as Jesus settled down to rest. (Start a slow rocking motion, encouraging the children to join in. Use your arms to start rowing the boat ever so gently with the children.)
“Shh! Look, he’s asleep,” one of his disciples said.
“Good, he needs to get some rest,” said another disciple.
The moonlight twinkled on the waves. Everything was very still, wonderfully restful. It was just right for sleepy Jesus and his tired friends. (Stop “rowing” and just rock back and forth in the boat.) Can you show me how the disciples’ faces might have looked as they floated along on the quiet water? (Pause for responses.)
Oh no! Suddenly the sky changed—dark clouds covered the moon! (If you have an assistant who can dim the lights, cue that person to do so now. If you have a fan, turn it on to the low setting.) The water changed too—a wild wind whipped the small waves into giant waves that slammed against the little boat! (Move from side to side together as though the boat is bobbing on wild waves. If you have a spray mister, take it out and spritz water over the kids.) The disciples’ happy smiles and soft whispers changed into frightened faces and shouts of panic. Show how their faces looked now. (Pause for responses.)
But one thing didn’t change. Fast asleep in the back of the bouncing boat lay Jesus. As the disciples pushed and pulled on the oars, trying to turn the boat toward land (do so with the kids), the wind only became wilder and the waves splashed higher, beginning to fill the boat with water. (Turn the fan to the highest setting. Spritz more water on the kids.)
But Jesus still didn’t wake up.
I wonder how the disciples felt when they saw that Jesus was still sound asleep. (Pause for responses.)
“Why doesn’t the master wake up?” asked one of his frightened friends.
“How can he sleep through this? Doesn’t he realize we’re about to drown?” another disciple asked.
“Someone wake him up, quick!” shouted one of Jesus’ friends.
“Jesus, save us! We’re going to drown!” they all shouted.
Jesus sat up and looked around at the crashing waves—and at his friends’ frightened faces. Then he spoke quietly to the storm. “Quiet! Be still!” (Stop rocking in the boat. Turn off the fan.) The wind and the waves listened to Jesus. Just like that, the wind disappeared. The crashing waves became gentle again. Once again the moon appeared, and the little boat rocked quietly on the water. (Slowly, gently begin to rock again.)
I wonder how the disciples felt after seeing the wind and waves obey Jesus. (Pause for responses.)
Jesus’ disciples looked at each other. Their frightened looks were gone and a new look filled their faces—a look of surprise. Jesus’ friends were amazed at the wonderful way the winds and waves had obeyed him.
“Why were you so scared?” asked Jesus. “I am stronger than the wind and the water! You should have known I would take care of you.”
End of story
Pause for a few seconds after the story, gently rocking in the boat and reflecting on Jesus’ great power over the waves and storm.
Materials
Show and Share papers, session 2, one per child
Ask the children to climb out of your boat and “wade” or “swim” over to your work area. Gather the group around a table and show them the Show and Share paper for today. Hold up the front page and invite the children to tell you what’s happening in that part of the story. (If your group is large, give each child his or her own copy to look at rather than holding it up.) Use this wondering statement to help the children connect with the story: I wonder if you’ve ever felt tired like that and looked for a quiet place to rest. (Pause for responses.) I wonder if that’s how Jesus was feeling.
Open and then fold the paper down the middle so you can hold up picture #2. Ask the children to retell you the stormy part of today’s story. Dwell in the story a little longer with this wondering statement: I wonder why Jesus stayed asleep during the storm. (Pause for responses.)
Show picture #3 and have the children tell you about what’s happening. Continue the conversation with: I wonder what kind of voice Jesus used to talk to the wind and the waves. How do you think his voice sounded when he told them to be still? (Pause for responses.) Conclude by emphasizing the peace Jesus brought to the sea—and to his friends!
Encourage the kids to use their pictures at home to help them remember that Jesus is always with them, loving and taking care of them—especially during scary times! Invite the kids to suggest other scary times and places in their lives. Let your kids know it’s okay to be scared—the disciples were scared too! Remind them, though, that Jesus is strong enough to take care of us in every situation.
Faith Modeling
As you chat with the kids about things that are scary to them, tell them about a time when you were scared and how Jesus calmed your fears.
Materials
Construction paper, one sheet per child
Streamers (use crepe paper, tissue paper, or cut a plastic tablecloth into strips)
Yarn
Tape, stapler, or glue
Stickers, optional
Before the session begins, cut 4-5 streamers per child, with each streamer being about 12˝-
18˝ (30 cm-45 cm) long. Each child will also need a length of yarn to form a handle for their windsock.
Tell the children you’ve got something for them to make as a reminder that Jesus is more powerful than the wind—powerful enough to always take care of us.
Get out the supplies and make windsocks together, following these directions:
1. Use markers or crayons (and stickers, if available) to decorate one side of the construction paper.
2. Turn the paper over. Attach several streamers along the bottom 11˝ edge of the paper.
3. Roll the paper into a cylinder. Tape, staple, or glue the edges together.
4. Attach a yarn loop to the top of the cylinder as a handle.
Once everyone is finished, invite the group to use their windsocks to praise Jesus for his power as you say the following echo poem together:
Jesus, Jesus, (echo)
You are God’s Son! (echo, waving windsocks in the air)
Jesus, Jesus, (echo)
You are the powerful one! (echo, waving windsocks high in the air)
Jesus, Jesus, (echo)
You calmed the sea. (echo, gliding windsocks low)
Jesus, Jesus, (echo)
You take care of me! (echo, waving windsocks in the air)
Jesus, Jesus, (echo)
We praise you with our hands. (echo, waving windsocks)
We praise you with our feet. (echo, running in place)
We praise you with our hearts. (echo, holding windsocks over hearts)
Amen! Amen! Amen! (echo, each child walking in a circle while waving their windsock high in the air)
End your time by standing together in a circle with your windsocks and repeating the Memory Challenge as a group. Close with prayer, praising Jesus for his power and thanking him for taking care of each person there.
As you give the children their Show and Share papers, point out the story and the story symbol, encouraging them to find the matching symbol in their set of God’s Big Story cards.
Easy Extras
Time
5-10 minutes
Materials
variety of small objects (light ones and a few heavier ones), such as cotton balls, badminton birdie, tissue, cork, eraser, feather, thimble, paper cup, playing card, rock, etc.
Show the children the different objects and invite them to guess which items can be moved by the breeze created when they blow at them. Have the kids try to blow on the items as hard as they can. Talk about what happens. Wonder together what would happen if these items were outside on a windy day.
Time
10-15 minutes
Materials
story pictures printable pages, crayons or markers, stapler
This activity can be substituted for Step 3: Living into the Story.
Before the session begins, print and cut apart a set of story pictures. Separate the pictures and hide them in various places around your room before the children arrive.
After the story, invite the children to hunt around the room for the story pictures. When a picture is found, the person/pair who found it must sit down.
Once all the pictures have been found, invite the children to help put the pictures in the correct order. Then retell the story, with the children describing what is happening in each picture.
Time
10-15 minutes
Materials
paint shirts, one per child; large pieces of paper; finger paints or tempera paints and brushes
Paint is a wonderful medium for expressing fears and picturing scary things. Provide the children with paint shirts, large pieces of paper, and finger paints (or tempera paints and brushes, or markers if paint won’t work for your situation). Ask the group to paint pictures of something that is frightening to them. Use your completed paintings as a concrete beginning for a conversation with the children about Jesus’ power and love for us in all situations.
Time
5-10 minutes
Materials
large sheet; ball or balloon, optional
Gather all the children in a circle, each holding onto the sides of a sheet. Wave it up and down to create a storm. Make it go quiet each time you and the children shout out the Bible verse (Psalm 46:10a). Add excitement by placing a ball or balloon on top of the sheet as you wave it up and down.