lesson 5 joseph’s story - christ episcopal churchcecmedway.org/resources/fog_lesson5.pdf ·...

Three stories from the book of Genesis comprise today’s story.

Summary of Today’s StoryThis lesson begins the story of Joseph, the favorite son of Jacob, being the first child of Jacob’s beloved wife Rachel. Joseph’s eleven brothers are jealous of Joseph, their anger fueled by Joseph’s dreams of dominating them and by the beautiful multicolored coat that Jacob gave to Joseph.

The brothers devise a plot to kill Joseph, but Reuben has misgivings, so instead they throw Joseph into a pit and then sell him to traders who take him to Egypt.

Joseph becomes the overseer of the house of Potiphar, an Egyptian officer, but is thrown into prison when accused by Potiphar’s wife of assaulting her. While in prison, he interprets dreams, and his wisdom in dream interpretation leads him to become second in command to the Pharaoh, whose dreams of an upcoming seven-year famine are interpreted by Joseph.

L e S S o n 5Joseph’s Story

Where You’ll Find Today’s StoryIn the BibleWe recommend the New Revised Standard Version Bible.

Genesis 37 ( Joseph is sold into slavery)

Genesis 39 ( Joseph is sent to prison)Genesis 40–41 ( Joseph interprets

dreams)

In Children’s BiblesIf you plan to use a children’s Bible for storytelling, write the page numbers of today’s story in the space below.

In our Sunday LectionaryToday’s story is told in church on the following Sunday:

Year A: Proper 14 (RCL)

© 2014 By Joanna Leiserson. Published by Morehouse Education Resources, www.MorehouseEducation.org. All rights reserved. Permission is hereby granted to reproduce this page for use in the purchasing congregation only.

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Weaving our Story with the Biblical StoryJoseph has dreams. And he connects them to the plans

of God for him and for the world. At first, his dreams—coupled with his own arrogance—land him in trouble and lead him into years of hardship away from his family, in prison, and in a strange land. But later, in prison again, his dreams lead him to become a ruler of Egypt—as predicted by those same early dreams—and then to use his power to save the lives of many from death by starvation.

What Joseph does not realize at first is that, though his family bows down to him, he must bow down to God in his service. It takes Joseph years to find this out.

Notice that Joseph does not give up hope, even after years in Egypt and then in prison. We suspect that his dreams, which he probably knows are from God, carry him through the rough times and the times of doubt and despair. For God does not talk to us only when we are conscious but also when we are sleeping. God speaks to us in unexpected ways.

We probably will not dream of dominating and ruling our family, and will never actually rule. In fact, we are actually called to serve more than to rule. But we may dream of God’s plans for us. Let us listen to these dreams, and let us follow these dreams.

The episcopal ThreadIt would be easy to imagine Joseph with a tattered and worn Prayer Book, praying each morning and evening

to be rescued from his slavery and to return to his family.

One can imagine Joseph turning to the various confessions, whenever he starts to dream of revenge against his brothers. Or perhaps Joseph would turn to the Ministration to the Sick (BCP, p. 453) to find comfort and healing in his sorrow and his sufferings.

Most of all, Joseph might pray daily the Prayers of the People (BCP, p. 383-393) so that he would not only keep in mind prayers for himself, but would also be reminded to pray for others. These Prayers of the People include intercessions for the church and its mission, the nation, the world, the local community, all who are sick or are suffering and those who have died. If Joseph would have prayed these prayers, these intercessions would take him out of any self-pity by helping him to widen his horizon and see who else needs God’s help.

If he had a Hymnal 1982, he might find some hymns to comfort him and carry him through these hard years, like “O Master, let me walk with thee” (#659, #660) or “Abide with me” (#662). If he also had the African-American hymnal Lift Every Voice and Sing (also in Hymnal 1982, #599), he might turn to the African-American national anthem of that same title, which sounds a note of triumph and victory in God in the midst of stormy and oppressive times.

Indeed, Joseph would have a wealth of resources to see him through these years in Egypt, so that he can continue to dream of freedom, and of the God who promises it—knowing that “to serve you is perfect freedom,” as is said in the Collect for Peace, which we pray in Morning Prayer (BCP, p. 99).



GatheringAs the children enter the room, engage them in a simple activity that will prepare them

for the storytelling time to come. On page 14, you’ll find a Gathering Activity, Road to Egypt, to use if you wish. Below are other suggestions.

Younger children may make Joseph’s Colorful Coat on page 15 at the end of the lesson. They can wear this vest, like Joseph’s multicolored coat, while you are telling the story. (Alternatively, they can make this during the activity time.)

Another option for younger children is to make magnetic stick puppets, which they can use as you tell the story. See the activity Magnetic Joseph and Brothers on page 29.

Older children may enjoy a brief time of fellowship so that they can later devote time to the lesson. This community-building time is important in the church, and if you encourage it during Gathering time, the children will be more ready to focus on the lesson later.

After all the children have arrived and had a few minutes of activity or fellowship time, gather them together and say a simple opening prayer. An appropriate prayer today would be the Lord’s Prayer. This prayer that Jesus taught the disciples also reflects the petitions and pleas of Joseph. Have everyone say the Lord’s Prayer together, or for younger children who have not yet learned it, say it for them.

Or in place of the Lord’s Prayer, here is a simple prayer to open the lesson time: ■ Almighty God, you bring us here to worship you,

to learn your stories and to learn how to follow you. Send your Spirit on us as we learn the story of your servant Joseph. Help us to see you in this story and in our lives. We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ, your Son. Amen.

Or you may use any prayer from the Prayer Book or from any book of prayers, or make one up yourself.

Telling the StoryRead aloud today’s stories about Joseph from a children’s Bible, showing the pictures, tell the stories

in your own words, or read from the version we provide, found on pages 8-13.

Use storytelling enhancements to bring the story to life, if you can. See the Appendix (also downloadable) for ideas. You might also find biblically accurate videos that you can use to tell the story. If the children made paper-bag vests, have the children wear them during storytelling time.

There are four scenes in today’s story of Joseph, Part 1 (Part 2 will be told next week): Joseph with his brothers; Joseph in the house of Potiphar, the Egyptian officer; Joseph in prison; and Joseph with Pharaoh. Try creating “Act I, Scene 1” cards to introduce each scene. These would help to structure the story for the children.

When you have finished telling the story, mention that this story is “To Be Continued.” Then proceed to the worship time. Do not try to analyze the story or its meaning at this time. Let the story itself take center stage in the minds of the children.



prayerSet up a small worship center in your room. It may be simply an empty space, with the children and

leaders gathered in a circle.

Materials: small table with a cloth to cover it2 candles or a single Christ candlematchesBiblecrossoptional: flowers

Invite the children to set up the space. Then light the candles.

Read one or two verses out of the Bible so that the children can connect the story that was read with the Bible, the word of God. Suggestions for the readings:

For younger children: Genesis 37: 3-4

For older children: Genesis 37: 3-4, 9-11

Help familiarize the children with our liturgy by doing the reading as it is done in church. Read as follows:

Reader: A reading from the book of Genesis: (Read the selected passage.)

Reader: The word of the Lord.

All: Thanks be to God.

Invite the children to sit in a circle and join in prayer. Say a brief prayer yourself then invite prayers from each child in the circle: ■ Invite children to share any prayers of

thanksgiving to God for the ways in which God has been present and active in their daily lives during the past week. What can they thank God for—friendships at school, guidance over family matters, good weather for roller-blading, good decisions, assurances of love from family and friends?

■ Welcome prayers of intercession, asking God’s guidance and healing for those in need or in trouble. Are there any family members or friends who are sick, or sad? Anyone going through difficult times such as moving? Include these petitions in your prayers as a group.

■ Recognize any birthdays and other special occasions, and give thanks to God for these special times and the opportunity to celebrate them.

■ End the prayer time by praying together the Lord’s Prayer.

Carefully extinguish the candles.



SharingPass out snacks and say a simple grace, such as this

traditional Jewish prayer: ■ Blessed are you, O Lord our God, King of the

universe, who brings forth bread from the earth. Amen.

Or have children share a table grace of their own.

While children are eating, begin to discuss the story just told. You may want to begin your discussion by talking about siblings and sibling rivalry. This was not a harmonious family! You might ask: ■ What do you think about Joseph and the feelings

of Joseph’s brothers at the beginning of the story? ■ If you were one of Joseph’s brothers, how would

you have felt? ■ What would it have been like to be Joseph, to be

his father’s favorite but hated by his brothers? ■ How do you think God was working through

Joseph and his family?

Invite the children to freely offer their opinions and advice on the family relationships and dynamics. They may take comfort in knowing that God’s chosen family was by no means perfect! Many children can identify with the anger of the brothers, especially in the face of Joseph’s arrogance toward them. But Joseph is the descendant chosen by God to rule over the others. God is in control here, and God’s purposes are not always clear to us.

The subject of dreams and their meanings and interpretation may also be brought up. Joseph was a wise interpreter of dreams because he was unafraid of their meaning and was open to their true interpretation by God.

This story takes us from Joseph being sold as a slave, to Joseph as a trusted ruler of Egypt, second only to the Pharaoh. We will see in Part 2 of this story (next week) how Joseph finally lives up to his calling.

ACTIVITIeS For ThIS Week’S SeSSIon

Take-home paper

At the end of this lesson you will find a two-page take-home paper for families called Threads. Threads provides parents with a briefer version of the information on scripture and Episcopal faith found in the introduction to the lesson, as well as multiple suggestions for household activities and prayer. Parents can use Threads to continue each child’s classroom experience at home throughout the week. We suggest duplicating and distributing these two pages to children and/or their parents at the end of each lesson.



Activities: Arts, Crafts, Games, Drama, etc.

After Sharing, begin an activity to supplement and enhance today’s story. While the children are doing the activity, talk about the story so that they make the connection.

Suggested story-related activities are provided at the end of this lesson on pages 14-33. In addition, the Appendix (also downloadable) has suggestions for general activities, including crafts, recipes, music and drama.



MemorizationThere is no memorization associated with this lesson.

Weaving the Family of GodWe become aware of our connection to the rest of the family of God as we weave their stories with our own.

As the time together draws to a close, begin to integrate the different parts of the lesson so that the children can identify the main themes of the day. You may give them a brief summary of the lesson, using the Summary of Today’s Story on page 1 if you wish, or you may draw these themes out of the children by asking questions such as: ■ Who was our story about today? ■ What happened to Joseph? ■ Can you see yet where Joseph belongs as part of

God’s people? It has something to do with where he ends up: Egypt. We will hear more of Joseph’s story next week.

■ What can we learn from Joseph or from this story about Joseph?

The key theme in today’s lesson for the family of God is how we can pay attention to God’s plans for us.

Closing prayerBefore the children leave, say a closing prayer to send them into

the church worship service or back to their homes with God’s love, blessing and guidance. The prayer can be very simple, such as this one: ■ O God, you took care of Joseph as he went

through many very hard times, and you take care of us and stay with us, no matter what happens. Keep us in your care, help us to see you and to love you more clearly and more dearly every day this week. This we ask in the name of your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

End with a dismissal that is used in church, such as this one from the Prayer Book: ■ Let us go forth into the world, rejoicing in the

power of the Spirit.

The children respond: ■ Thanks be to God.



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Genesis 37, 39, 40 and 41 (Joseph is sold, sent to prison, and interprets dreams)

Jacob has 12 sons, but his son Joseph is his favorite. Joseph is the older of the two sons of Jacob’s favorite wife Rachel. When the other son Benjamin was born, Rachel died. So Joseph and Benjamin are a reminder of Jacob’s beloved wife, and especially Joseph.

Jacob sometimes spoils Joseph. All the other sons know that Jacob loves Joseph most. Jacob gives Joseph a colorful cloak when everybody else has a plain one. Jacob gives Joseph the easiest chores to do, and even has Joseph report on the other brothers, telling Jacob whether they are working hard or not. So Joseph’s brothers hate him.

Joseph does not help his brothers to love him. One night, he dreams that he and all his brothers are holding bunches of wheat. He says to them, “I dreamed that my bunch of wheat stood upright, and your bunches stood around my bunch and bowed down to it.”

The brothers are angry. “What nerve you have! You are saying that you are going to be our ruler!”

Then Joseph has another dream, and he tells this one to his brothers, too. “I dreamed that the sun, the moon, and 11 stars—that’s you—were bowing down to me!”

This time, even his father Jacob scolds him for being so big-headed. “What kind of stupid dream is that?” says Jacob angrily. “You are saying that I and your mother and your brothers will bow down to you?” So Jacob keeps Joseph away from his jealous brothers, but he does not stop Joseph from acting special.



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The Brothers Get rid of Joseph One day, Joseph’s brothers have had enough of Joseph.

The 11 brothers go out to a field together, with Jacob’s flock of cows, ox and sheep. Joseph never goes with them. He stays with his father, Jacob—now called Israel. But today, Jacob sends Joseph out to check up on this brothers.

The brothers see Joseph from far away, coming towards them. He is wearing his colorful robe, the one that shows that he is their father’s favorite. They do not want him around.

“Here comes the dreamer!” says one. “Let’s kill him and throw him into one of these pits. We can tell our father that a wild animal ate him. Then we’ll see what will happen to his dreams!”

But Reuben, the oldest, does not like this idea. “Let’s not kill him or hurt him. Just throw him into this pit and leave him there.” Reuben is thinking that later, he will come back, pull Joseph out of the pit, and bring him home. He is older and wiser than the others. The other brothers, though, just want to get rid of Joseph.

Joseph sees his brothers standing around, the flock of animals behind them. As he comes near to them, they grab him. Then they pull his beautiful robe off him and push him into the deep pit. He is not hurt, but the pit is deep and steep and he cannot get out.

Then the 11 brothers sit down for lunch. Reuben has gone away for a while, so he is not with them. They do not throw any food down to Joseph. While they are eating, they see a caravan of merchants with their camels. The camels are packed with things to sell, and they are on their way to Egypt.

Judah has an idea. “It won’t do us any good is we kill Joseph. But if we sell him for money, and we don’t hurt him, what’s the harm in that? We won’t have his blood on our hands, and we will have money. He is our brother, after all.”

The others like this idea. As the merchants come near, the brothers pull Joseph out of the pit and sell him to the strangers for 20 pieces of silver. As the




brothers hold the money, they watch their brother Joseph, now a slave, on his way to Egypt.

Jacob hears the news When Reuben comes back to his brothers, he looks into the pit and sees

that Joseph is gone. He was going to take Joseph back to his father, and now he is gone! Reuben is very upset, but what can he do?

The others take one of the flock’s goats and kill it. Then they pick up Joseph’s beautiful coat and dip it in the goat’s blood. It looks like Joseph’s blood on his coat. They carry it back to their father and say, “Look what we found! This is Joseph’s coat, is it not?”

Of course, Jacob knows that the colorful coat belongs to Joseph, and he sees the blood all over it. He knows what has happened to Joseph. “Yes, it is Joseph’s coat! A wild animal tore him to pieces and ate him!” Then Jacob cries for days and days for his dead son Joseph.

Meanwhile, Joseph is in Egypt. The merchants sell him to the captain of the guard, an officer of Pharaoh, the ruler of Egypt.

Joseph Lands in prison—not a Bad Thing Joseph becomes the slave of Pharaoh’s captain. But God is with Joseph

and makes sure that Joseph is treated well. The officer, Potiphar, likes Joseph and makes him head of the household.

But one day, Potiphar’s wife points her finger at Joseph and tells her husband Potiphar that Joseph tried to hurt her. Even though Joseph did not do anything wrong, Potiphar believes his wife and has Joseph thrown into prison. He is in prison for a long time.

Joseph’s prison is the prison for the Pharaoh’s prisoners—those people who have made Pharaoh mad. One day, Pharaoh’s chief cupbearer and Pharaoh’s chief baker become prisoners, and they join Joseph in the prison.

One morning, Joseph notices that the cupbearer and the baker look very worried. “What is wrong?” he asks them. “Why do you look so sad?”



They both say together, “We each just had a bad dream, and no one can tell us what our dream means. So we are afraid.”

Joseph says to them, “Tell me your dreams. With God’s help, I can tell you what they mean.”

The chief cupbearer goes first. He says, “I dreamed that there was a vine with three branches, and the branches became clusters of grapes. I had Pharaoh’s cup in my hand, and I took the grapes and squeezed them into the cup and gave the cup to Pharaoh. But here I am in his prison, so I do not know what this dream means.”

Joseph says, “The three branches are three days. In three days, Pharaoh will come and get you, and you will have your old job back. You will put Pharaoh’s cup in his hand, just like you did before.”

Then Joseph says, “When you are out of prison, please do me a favor and mention me to Pharaoh, so I can get out of this place. I was stolen and brought here, and I have not done anything wrong. I should not be here in this prison.”

The chief baker’s turn is next. He says, “My dream is like that. There were three baskets full of cakes sitting on my head, one on top of the other. In the top basket were all sorts of breads and cakes for Pharaoh. But the birds were eating all that food out of the basket while it was still on top of my head. What does this dream mean?”

Joseph says, “Just like the cupbearer, the three baskets are three days. But your fate will not be like the cupbearer. In three days, Pharaoh will come and get you and hang you on a pole and kill you. And then he will leave your body for the birds to eat your flesh. I am sorry.”

And it happened. Three days later, the cupbearer and the baker left the prison. But the cupbearer became servant to Pharaoh once again while the baker was hanged—just like Joseph said. But in his happiness, the cupbearer forgot all about Joseph. So Joseph stayed in prison and wondered what happened.




pharaoh Dreams Two years pass, and Joseph is still in prison. Maybe he wonders whether

he will stay in prison forever.

But then Pharaoh has some dreams. He dreams that he sees seven thin and ugly cows come up to seven nice fat cows. Then the seven thin ugly cows eat up the seven nice fat cows.

Pharaoh wakes up after this bad dream. When he falls back asleep, he has another dream. In his dream, seven nice plump ears of corn are growing on a stalk. Then seven thin shriveled ears of corn sprout and swallow up the seven nice plump ears of corn. Bad things swallowing up good things!

Pharaoh wakes up and is afraid. He calls all his magicians to tell him what his dreams mean, but no one can tell him.

Then the chief cupbearer finally remembers something. He remembers that he too had a dream while he was in prison, and somebody named Joseph told him what it meant. He says to Pharaoh, “When you put me in prison, I and the chief baker both had dreams that we could not understand. A young man named Joseph told us what our dreams meant, and what he told us turned out to be true. I came back to you, and the baker was hanged, just like he said.”

The Pharaoh sends for Joseph. Joseph cleans himself up, for he was dirty in prison. He gets new clothes, and then goes to see Pharaoh. Pharaoh says to him, “I hear that you can tell me what a dream means. Can you do that for me?”

Joseph says to Pharaoh, “I do not know the meaning of any dream. But God does, and then God tells me. Tell me your dream.” So Pharaoh tells Joseph about the cows and the corn.

Joseph thinks for a minute and listens for God. Then he says, “These are the same dream. God has just told you what God is about to do. The seven cows and the seven ears of corn are the same thing. They are seven years. There will be seven good years of food, just like the seven fat cows and the seven plump ears of corn. But then there will be seven bad years of famine—of no food—just like the seven scrawny cows and the seven shriveled ears of corn. And just



like the seven bad cows and corn ate up the seven good cows and corn, so will the seven bad years of no food erase the seven good years of good harvest. The famine, with no food to eat, will be so bad that everybody will forget that there were seven good years of plenty.”

Pharaoh sees that this is true, but he does not know what to do. How can we prepare for seven years of no food?

Joseph says, “Find somebody who is wise, and put him in charge of Egypt. He can choose a team to gather up all the extra food that people have grown during those seven good years, and store them up in special granaries. Then when the seven bad years come and the crops do not grow and people have no food to eat, they may come to the granaries and get food for their families. So during those seven bad years, no one will die of hunger.”

What a wonderful idea that Joseph has just told to Pharaoh! Pharaoh says, “God has shown you all this! There is no one wiser than you! So you will be that person who is in charge of all Egypt. Only I will be greater than you. You will help my people to live and not to die of hunger during those seven bad years”

So Pharaoh makes Joseph ruler of all Egypt. Now Joseph waits for the seven good years, and the seven bad years, and he knows what to do, because God has told him.


G AT h e r I n G AC T I V I T Y:r o AD To eG Y pT

A caravan took Joseph to Egypt to be sold as a slave. Can you follow the caravan to Egypt to watch over Joseph?

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J o S e p h’S Co Lo r F u L Co AT for preschool

Children make colorful vests out of paper.

Materials:plain, large paper bagsmarkers or crayonsscissors

Directions:Invite each child to make a vest as follows:

1. Cut a hole at the bottom of the bag for the head.

2. Then cut down the center of the bag to make a vest.

3. Cut out arm holes on each side.

4. Decorate the vest with markers or crayons.

5. Wear this vest during the story time.

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J o S e p h A n D h I S B r oT h e r Sfor elementary

Children create a paper-doll chain of 12 brothers.

Materials:plain white paperpencilsscissorsglue or tapemarkers or crayons

Directions:Invite each child to make a paper-doll chain as follows:

1. Give each child two pieces of paper. Fold each paper in half, then into thirds.

2. Keeping the paper folded, outline the shape of a boy, making sure that the hands and feet reach all the way to the folds.

3. Cut around the figure, taking care not to cut through the folds at the hands and feet. Unfold the paper. Each child will have two sets of six dolls connected at their hands and feet.

4. Color each doll figure to make the twelve brothers. Glue or tape the two papers together to make a single doll chain.



C r A z Y D r e A M Sfor Intermediate

To his brothers, Joseph’s dreams seemed pretty crazy. Sometimes dreams make sense, and sometimes they don’t. It is up to us to discern when a dream is telling us something. Here are a couple of truly “crazy” dreams that the children will make up.

Materials:copy of Joseph and His Dreams script (p. 18)copy of Words Needed sheet (p. 19)copy of Crazy Dreams script (p. 24), or make up your own scriptword cards for Crazy Dreams script (pp. 20-23)

preparation:If you will be using the Crazy Dreams script, then make a copy of Word Cards for Crazy Dreams Script, then cut them out to make playing cards.

Directions for “Joseph and his Dreams”:1. Invite the children to name 20 nouns, as instructed in the “Words Needed” sheet. (You might remind them

that a noun is a person, place or thing.) Write down their responses on the sheet in order, to remember them.

2. Then read the script, filling in the nouns where the blank spaces are, in the order in which they were called out.

Directions for “Crazy Dreams”:The “Crazy Dreams” story is just for fun.

1. Deal out the word cards, face down.

2. Read the script of “Crazy Dreams.” When you come to a blank line, have a child pick up one word card and read that word to fill in the blank.

3. Have the next child read his or her word card, at the next blank line. Continue until the end of the story.

Variations:Before reading the “Crazy Dreams” story, have the children name 20 nouns. Then read the script, filling in the nouns in the order in which they were called out.

OrHave the children make up their own word cards and deal them out. Play the game in the same way as with the preprinted cards.



J o S e p h A n D h I S D r e A M S : T h e S C r I pT

One night, I had the strangest dream. I dreamed that I was a ______1______, my father was a ______2________, my mother was a ______3__________, and all of my eleven brothers were _______4__________.

We were all standing outside, next to a _______5________. We were eating some _________6__________. There was a _______7__________overhead and a _____8______ in the trees above us. In the distant hills, we could see some ________9___________. It was a very peaceful scene and we were all happy.

Then my mother and father and brothers all bowed down to me. I was so surprised! It looked so funny to see a ______10_______ bow down to a ____11_______! Then all of the ____12_______ began to sing, and then I woke up.

Then I had another dream. I dreamed that I saw a _______13_________, and it was very fat. And I saw some other _____14______ and they were really skinny. They were all sitting outside. It was a beautiful day, with _____15_____ in the air and the smell of __16______ everywhere. In the house, there was _______17______ and ______18_____ cooking in the kitchen. And then, all of a sudden, the fat _____19_____ ate the thin ones. Everyone started crying, even the ____20______!

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W o r D S n e e D e D Fo r “J o S e p h A n D h I S D r e A M S ” S C r I pT

1. Noun: _________

2. Noun: _________

3. Noun: _________

4. Plural noun: _________

5. Noun: _________


7. Noun: _________

8. Noun: _________


10. Same nouns as #2, 3, and 4: _________, __________ and __________

11. Same noun as #1: _________

12. Noun: _________

13. Noun: _________

14. Same noun as #13 but plural: _________

15. Noun: _________

16. Singular or plural noun: _________

17. Noun: _________

18. Noun: _________

19. Same noun as #13: _________

20. Noun: _________



W o r D C A r D S Fo r “ C r A z Y D r e A M S ” S C r I pT


A LooSe TooTh

A SWArM oF BeeS

5 pLuMp SkeLeTonS

A CAn oF WorMS

SoMe ToILeT pAper

A BABoon

4 CABBAGeS MY oLD DoGA ruBBer ChICken

MY noSeA CoupLe oF

SkunkSA

rATTLeSnAke

A CAn oF CAT FooD

44 BLACk BeeTLeS

An ornerY DonkeY



A BAThTuB roTTen eGGSLoTS oF purpLe

FLoWerS

A TooThBruSh

A Ton oF FeATherS

A BunCh oF CoTTon

BALLS

12 FurrY hAMSTerS

A Cup oF hoT ChoCoLATe

A SeT oF FALSe TeeTh



6 CAnS oF Coke

A BALoneY SAnDWICh

A GLASS eYe

2 pAIrS oF SoCkS

An orAnGe CAT

SoMe CArroTS

A LArGe pIzzA

A heDGehoGA kITChen

SInk




C r A z Y D r e A M S : T h e S C r I pTOne night, I had the strangest dream. I dreamed that my friends and I decided to go to the park for a picnic. I packed __________, and __________, and __________ and got into the car. My friend Amber packed __________ and __________. Inside the glove compartment, I put __________ to feed my dog, and __________ in case of emergency.

On the way to the park, we passed a grove of trees. “Oh, look!” said Sam. “There’s __________ growing on that tree!” We also passed a billboard advertising __________, a farmhouse made up of __________, and a race between __________ and __________.

Finally, we got to the park. We found a shady spot under__________ and spread out __________ to sit on. We opened up our lunch bags. Sam brought his lunch of __________ and __________. Patrick said, “I’m so hungry! There’s nothing better than a sandwich of __________ with mustard and catsup on it! But it sure is messy! Do you have __________ so I can wipe my hands and face?”

After lunch, we played a few games with __________ and then headed for home. Suddenly, our car ran over __________ as we were driving along the highway. The car made a loud noise like __________ and then stopped. “Something is broken,” said Amber. She took __________ out of her bag, got out of the car, and began to pound the engine. “There’s __________ on top of the engine.” She took it off with __________ and __________ and then slammed the hood back down. Then __________ fell off the radiator and everything was all right. When I turned on the engine, it started up right away and we headed for home. What a dream!



M A k e A M o V I efor elementary, Intermediate

Children dramatize and record a two-part movie about Joseph and his brothers.

Materials:video camcorder with videotape or digital camcorder/cameraoptional: costumes and props

Directions:Film the story of Joseph and his brothers. This will be a “to be continued” film. Film the first part this week and the end of the story next week.

See Drama on page 6 of the Appendix for ideas about acting out the story.

Suggested scenes:Part 1: ■ Joseph telling his dreams to his brothers ■ Joseph with his multicolored coat ■ the brothers throw Joseph into the pit and the sell him to traders ■ the brothers report back to Jacob ■ Joseph at Potiphar’s house ■ Joseph with Potiphar’s wife ■ Joseph in prison ■ Joseph interprets dreams

Part 2: ■ Joseph interpreting Pharaoh’s dream and becoming ruler in Egypt ■ the brothers visit Egypt to get food ■ the scene at the first dinner with Joseph ■ the brothers return home to get Benjamin ■ the scene at the second visit with Joseph



M I n I AT u r e STo r Y B o o kfor primary, elementary

Children make a book with scenes from Joseph’s dreams.

Materials:white papermarkers or crayonspencilsscissorsthin ribbon

preparation:Cut each paper into 8 pieces by cutting into quarters, then cutting each quarter in half. Each paper should then measure 4¼ inches by 2¾ inches.

Directions:Invite each child to make a storybook as follows:

1. Give each child several pieces of paper, explaining that they will be the pages in a storybook.

2. Tell the story of Joseph and his dreams.

3. Invite the children to draw pictures of various scenes from the story, one scene on each piece of paper.

4. Cut holes in the corner of the pages and string with ribbon to tie the pages together.



G I A n T Co L L AG efor primary, elementary

Children create a collage of colorful scenes from Joseph’s life.

Materials:large sheet of butcher papermasking tapelarge construction paperscissorspaint, markers or crayonsgluedecorative elements such as fabric, buttons, sequins, felt, fake fur

Directions:1. Tape the butcher paper to the wall.

2. On construction paper or other large pieces of butcher paper, invite the children to draw scenes from the story of Joseph. Cut out the drawings.

3. Have the children glue the pictures onto the butcher paper, arranging them in a collage.

4. Use various decorative materials to embellish the pictures: fake fur on a camel, buttons on clothing, sequins or beads on royalty, etc.



L e T ’S D r e S S J o S e p hfor Intermediate

Teams work to dress up their Joseph in a fancy coat!

Materials:construction paperplain white paperfabricribbontoilet papertapemarkers

Directions:1. Divide the group into two or more teams. If your group is very small, you may do this activity as a single

group.

2. Put all materials in a single place, or distribute the materials to each team.

3. Give each team some tape and markers.

4. Each team chooses one person to be Joseph. Joseph is to stand still while the rest of the team covers him or her up with materials to make a “coat.” Use the markers to decorate designs on the paper and fabric. Then tape the various pieces together around Joseph as his coat of many colors.

5. Give the children 10 minutes to decorate their Joseph. Then stop and have everyone admire their creations. You might give prizes for the weirdest, the most colorful, the fanciest, etc.



M AG n e T I C J o S e p h A n D B r oT h e r Sfor primary, elementary

Children make stick puppets representing the 12 sons of Jacob.

Materials:wide craft sticks or tongue depressorsadhesive strip magnets (they come in a roll, available at craft and fabric stores)scissorsmarkersfabric or felt for “clothes”

Directions:Invite each child to make magnet people as follows:

1. Each child can have up to 12 sticks, one for each of Jacob’s sons. Draw faces at the top end of each stick.

2. Cut fabric or felt and glue them onto the stick for clothes. Black fabric or yarn may be used for hair and other fabric for hats.

3. Cut a piece of strip magnet about 1 inch long and apply the magnet’s adhesive side to the back of the “person.”



M A k e Y o u r o W n FA n C Y C LoT h e Sfor elementary, Intermediate

Children make colorful shirts with fabric paints or tie-dye.

Materials:plain white T-shirtstie dye kit, or a supply of fabric paints of various colorscovering for the table

Directions:1. Spread the covering for the table to protect it from the dye or paints.

2. Follow instructions for tie-dying the T-shirts, or use the fabric paints to decorate the shirts.

3. Allow the shirts to dry before letting the children take them home.



31 | LeSSon 5 | JoSeph’S STorY | WeAVInG ToGeTher The FAMILY oF GoD, YeAr 2 | ConVerSATIon

Co n V e r S AT I o n J u M p STA r T:D r e A M I n G h o LY

A n D u n h o LY D r e A M Sfor Intermediate

Children consider their dreams and share their thoughts with the group.

What do we dream about? What are our dreams, and what are God’s dreams for us? Sometimes they are the same thing, and sometimes they are different. We will look at our dreams and see how “Godly” they might be.

Discussion:1. Brainstorm about all of the things that you want to do or be in your life.

2. Here are some examples of big and little dreams: ■ Create a great painting or other work of art ■ Become rich ■ Invent something ■ Have a family with a home and dog ■ Have a job that I love ■ Have a place on a lake and a boat ■ Have a lot of fun ■ Write a book ■ Climb the tallest mountain in the world, or go

someplace exciting

■ Have a lot of parties ■ Win in a competitive sport ■ Be on TV ■ Be a famous film or music star ■ Get married ■ Help a lot of people ■ Help to bring world peace ■ Be president of the country

3. Discuss with each other: ■ We don’t always know what God wants for us, especially for the distant future. But we can know what is in

character with God’s love. ■ What are the “holy” advantages of your dreams—what makes them good and godly? What would make

them “unholy” and turn them into bad dreams?


Co n V e r S AT I o n J u M p STA r T:Fo r G I V I n G o u r

B r oT h e r S A n D S I ST e r Sfor Intermediate

Children discuss real-life situations and the challenge of forgiveness.

Directions:1. Read each situation and invite open discussion, asking:

■ What is hard to forgive? ■ What is easy?

Dilemmas: ■ Someone tattled on your cheating on an exam. ■ Your friend turned his or her back on you. ■ Your brother broke your toy. ■ Your sister borrowed your favorite sweater and stained it. ■ You found your father hitting your mother, but then he was very sorry. ■ Your friend “borrowed” some whiskey from his family’s liquor cabinet and blamed you for the missing

bottle. ■ Your mother or father punished you for something you didn’t do. They saw their mistake and apologized. ■ Your teacher accused you of taking her attendance folder and didn’t apologize when she or he found out that

someone else had done it. ■ A neighbor killed your cat for chasing a squirrel. ■ A friend stole your homework and took credit for it, while you got a 0 for not turning it in.

2. Invite the children to identify other situations that are hard to forgive.

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33 | LeSSon 5 | JoSeph’S STorY | WeAVInG ToGeTher The FAMILY oF GoD, YeAr 2 | SonG

J o S e p h’S S o n Gfor preschool

Children sing this song about Joseph to the tune of “Frere Jacques” (Are You Sleeping?).

Directions:First teach the children words and tune. The second time through, teach the hand motions.

Joseph is dreaming. (Hands together at side of face, as if sleeping.)Joseph is dreaming,Dreams of God. (Point finger upward.)Dreams of God.God is with us always. (Cross arms over chest, at heart.)God is with us always.Thanks to God. (Praying hands.)Thanks to God.

© 2014 by Joanna Leiserson. Published by Morehouse Education Resources, www.MorehouseEducation.org. All rights reserved. Permission is hereby granted to reproduce this page for use in the purchasing congregation only.

Lesson 5: Joseph’s sTorY

We believe . . .It would be easy to imagine Joseph with a tattered and

worn Prayer Book, praying each morning and evening to be rescued

from his slavery and to return to his family. One can imagine Joseph turning to the various confessions, whenever he starts to dream of revenge against his brothers. Or perhaps Joseph would turn to the Ministration to the Sick (BCP, p. 453) to find comfort and healing in his sorrow and his sufferings. Most of all, Joseph might pray daily the Prayers of the People (BCP, p. 383-393) so that he would not only keep in mind prayers for himself, but would also be reminded to pray for others.

Today’s storyGenesis 37, 39, 40–41 Joseph has dreams. And he connects them to the plans of God for him and for the world. At first, his

dreams—coupled with his own arrogance—land him in trouble and lead him into years of hardship away from his family, in prison and in a strange land. But later, in prison again, his dreams lead him to become a ruler of Egypt—as predicted by those same early dreams—and then to use his power to save the lives of many from death by starvation.What Joseph does not realize at first is that, though his family bows down to him, he must bow down to God in his service. It takes Joseph years to find this out. Notice that Joseph does not give up hope, even after years in Egypt

and then in prison. We suspect that his dreams, which he probably knows are from God, carry him through the rough times and the

times of doubt and despair. For God does not talk to us only when we are conscious but also when we are sleeping. God

speaks to us in unexpected ways.

Words of Faith Family of God – a family that we can trust because God is its head, watching out for us, no matter what

Dreams – a way God may show us a feeling we have hidden or a need for help

Just as with Joseph, God has plans for each of us.

www.MorehouseEducation.org

© 2014 by Joanna Leiserson. Published by Morehouse Education Resources, www.MorehouseEducation.org. All rights reserved. Permission is hereby granted to reproduce this page for use in the purchasing congregation only.

Lesson 5 | Joseph’s sTorY | WeAvinG God’s promises, YeAr 2

sharingRead the story of Joseph from a children’s Bible, showing the pictures, or from your family Bible.

After hearing the story, discuss:

■ What do you think about Joseph and the feelings of Joseph’s brothers at the beginning of the story?

■ If you were one of Joseph’s brothers, how would you have felt?

■ What would it have been like to be Joseph, to be his father’s favorite but hated by his brothers?

■ How do you think God was working through Joseph and his family?

Invite family members to freely offer their opinions and advice on the family relationships and dynamics. They may take comfort in knowing that God’s chosen family was by no means perfect and identify with the anger of the brothers.

household prayer

O God, thank you for taking care of Joseph as he went through many very hard times, and for taking care of us and staying with us, no matter what happens. Keep us in your care. This we ask in the name of your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

This Week at home ■ Watch the story of Joseph as presented in Andrew Lloyd

Weber’s musical Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Universal Studios, 2000). From a faith perspective, how is

Joseph portrayed? his father? his brothers? With whom do you identify?

■ Create a family “coat of many colors” using an old, white dress shirt and fabric paints or markers, available at a craft/hobby store. First draw out possible designs on paper, coloring them with crayons or markers, then, when you’ve decided on a design, transfer the outline to the shirt and invite family members to fill in the colors.

■ Pray in Joseph’s place. Sometimes we get into a bad situation. We will likely not be sold by our brothers and the put into prison like Joseph, but we may suffer from loneliness, uncertainly or hurt. Together create a prayer that Joseph might pray every day. What might he say to God? What might he ask?

■ Talk about people who are oppressed. In this world, people are still sold into slavery and imprisoned unjustly, even in this country. Learn more about these injustices. The Innocence Project (www.innocenceproject.org), for example, is dedicated to exonerating wrongfully convicted individuals through DNA testing and reforming the criminal justice system to prevent future injustices. Amnesty International (www.amnesty.org or www.amnestyusa.org) is a global movement of people who campaign to end grave abuses of human rights. The Polaris Project (www.polarisproject.org) deals with human trafficking, a form of slavery where people profit from the control and exploitation of others (see also www.humantrafficking.org for another resource dedicated to fighting this evil.)

■ Pray for hope. It’s nice to have in your spiritual pocket a prayer for hope that you can pray to God whenever you need to. Write your own prayer for hope, that speaks to you in your own words and in your own way of speaking. Put this written prayer someplace handy, such as in your pocket, on your nightstand or on the wall next to your bed. Alternatively, as a family, search online for “prayers for hope” and check out what comes up. Are there any that you find especially helpful or inspiring? Or is there a prayer that gives you inspiration for your own personal prayer for hope?

www.MorehouseEducation.org

http://www.innocenceproject.org

http://www.amnesty.org

http://www.amnestyusa.org

http://www.polarisproject.org

http://www.humantrafficking.org

http://www.humantrafficking.org

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