Unit 3: Sing a Psalm of Joy - Psalm 121

1) Welcome Activity:

• cut out child sized footprints and use clear tape or clear contact paper to stick them on the floor following a path around the room.  Challenge the children to follow the path by stepping on all the footprints.  This takes a bit of time to set up, but could stay on the floor for a few weeks of fun!

2) Songs: Start the Story Hour with the learning our names song. Go around the circle or table and introduce each child.

3) Prayer... ask God to guide our feet down paths of righteousness.

4) Theme: Remind the children of the theme of the unit: Our joy in the Lord. “Sing of psalm of joy!” Tell them that they are going to learn about a psalm today that teaches us about our joy in the Lord.

5) Reading the Psalm: In order to simplify things for the children, first summarize the main point(s) of the psalm. In Psalm 121, the psalmist is singing about how the Lord guides, protects and leads us. The Lord watches over us so closely, that our foot cannot slip from the path unless God allows. What comfort to know that the Lord is our keeper! Then read the psalm from the Bible. Then, repeat the main point(s) again.

6) Sing the Psalm: Sing today’s psalm with the children. You may sing all or only one stanza depending on what is appropriate for your psalm. If possible, include some hand motions to highlight key words. In this psalm (stanza 4), try:
Lord… point towards heaven
Strife (fighting)… punch fists together
going out… hand leads away
coming in… draw hand inwards
deliver…outstretched arm like leading into battle

7) Text… you may use a verse from the psalm in the Bible or choose a key line or two from the stanza that you chose to sing with the children. “ The Lord is your keeper; He will not let your foot be moved.” Psalm 121: 5a ,3a

8) Craft:

• Cut out Footprints.. Trace both feet of each child on one color of construction paper. Cut out and glue on a different color of paper and glue the text on the bottom.
• Painted Footprints.. use washable paints to stamp each child’s footprints on a sheet of construction paper. Glue the text at the bottom. Be sure that you have the play dough handy today for the other children so that you can do the painting one child at a time.  If the weather does not lend itself to bare feet (ie. too many little girls in tights!) you can use Amanda's idea instead: trace around their feet and then let the kids paint their feet in with paint dabbers.

• Father’s Day… if this lesson falls around father’s day, it would be nice to print out the poem in this lesson, and glue it on a sheet of construction paper. Use washable paint to add each child’s footprints on either side of the poem. Here is the poem: http://www.dltk-holidays.com/t.asp?b=m&t=http://www.dltk-holidays.com/dad/images/bfootprints.gif
• Footsteps Following Jesus... You'll need:Construction paper,scissors,markers,contact paper,tape. Directions:Trace each child's footsteps and have them write their names on their feet and cut them out. (You can use a different color for each child) Cover each footprint with contact paper, and tape them to the wall so it looks like the footsteps are in a walking pattern. Then make a cross and cover it with contact paper. Tape the cross to the wall so it looked like the footprints are walking towards it. Make a banner across the top that reads, "Walking with Jesus"

9) Closing Prayer... say the Lord's prayer together with the children

10) Going Home: Round up all the children around the table or sit in a circle again. Sing today’s Psalm together and then sing the closing. Then, check to see if all the children have collected their crafts and coloring sheets before they go home. Say goodbye and tell them that you enjoyed learning about God together and were happy to have them today! You were, weren’t you?