Background: Both Samuel and Saul faced many difficulties, especially as Samuel knew God did not actually want his people to have a king. God wanted them to trust him as their king. Nevertheless, both of them experienced God’s support: Samuel heard God’s voice and Saul was initially empowered by the Spirit for his task.
Circle time
5 minutes
As you begin the session, invite the children to sit together in a circle and welcome parents to join you for this time, if appropriate. Encourage the children to share their stories and news from the previous week, taking turns around the circle. Ask if anyone had to follow any instructions and be led by someone this week. Give an example from your own life.
Game: Pin the tail on the donkey
5 minutes
You will need: an outline of a donkey stuck on a board or wall; a plaited wool / string ‘donkey’s tail’ with a pin or Blu-tack on one end; blindfold; marker pen
Blindfold any child who wants to play. Ask them to place the donkey’s tail where they guess it should go and mark the spot. At the end, clap the child whose tail was the closest. Ask what children know about donkeys – the noise they make, what they do. Today’s Bible story is about a man who lost a herd of donkeys.
Bible story
10 minutes
You will need: a shawl to make the storyteller (Samuel) look old; donkey tails made of plaited wool or string
Encourage the children to stand up and practise saying: “We want a king!” Stamping a foot at the same time. Every time you say: “The people said…”, they should stand and say: “We want a king!”
God’s people didn’t have a king. Instead they had ‘judges’, who told them what God was saying, sorted things out when they had arguments and told them what to do. Samuel was the last judge they had. He was an old, old man. Who would take over when he died? The people wanted a king just like everyone else.
Old Man Samuel told them God did not want them to have a king. The people said… Old Man Samuel told them a king would make the men fight in his army. The people said…
Old Man Samuel told them a king would make the people work on his farm. The people said… Old Man Samuel told them a king would take their land and add it to his own land. The people said…
Old Man Samuel told them a king would steal and eat their sheep and goats. The people said… Old Man Samuel told them they could have a king. God would help him find the best man to be king. The people said…
(Everyone should sit down. Now ask the children to stroke a beard every time you say “Old Man Samuel” and to stretch up tall when you say “Tall Man Saul”.)
Tall Man Saul was the tallest man in the land. He was also the most handsome. His dad owned lots of donkeys and Tall Man Saul looked after them. (Show the donkey tails. Remind them of the game. Distribute the tails around the circle.)
One day all the donkeys ran away. Tall Man Saul had lost them. He went with his servant to look for them. (The children should hide the donkey tails. Talk about how the children would feel if they’d lost all these donkeys.)
He went to all the farms in the village. No donkeys. He went to the next town. No donkeys. He climbed the hills at the back of his village and the next hill and the next hill. No donkeys.
Then his servant had a bright idea. He said: “Near here lives a man of God, the judge called Samuel. Everything he says comes true. Let’s ask him where the donkeys have gone.” Tall Man Saul thought this was a good idea.
Old Man Samuel was finding it very difficult to discover who was going to be king. But this day God said to him: “Go through the main gate of town and you will meet the man who’s going to be king.” Old Man Samuel walked through the gate. Coming up the hill was the tallest man he’d ever seen. God said: “There’s your king.”
Tall Man Saul came up the hill and met Old Man Samuel who said to him: “Your donkeys have all gone home. It’s OK. Now come to my home for a special meal. You are my special guest.” (Ask one child to collect all the donkey tails up and bring them to you.)
Tall Man Saul was puzzled. How did this old man know about the donkeys? And why was he inviting him for a special meal?
(Talk about what food that they would have at this special feast.)
A few hours later, Old Man Samuel told Tall Man Saul that God had chosen Saul to be king of God’s people. Tall Man Saul couldn’t believe it. Old Man Samuel put oil on Tall Man Saul’s head. It was a sign that God had chosen him. The people now had their king.
It was difficult for Old Man Samuel to find the right man to be king. But God helped him. And when Tall Man Saul got home, all the donkeys had returned. Old Man Samuel had told the truth. It would be difficult for Tall Man Saul to be king but God was with Saul in a special way. (Show all the donkey tails to the children. If parents and carers are present, remind them that God did not want his people to have a king. He wanted them to trust him as their king. But he made it possible for Samuel to choose a strong leader – although sadly it went wrong, just as Samuel had predicted!)
Chatting together
5 minutes
Ask the children these questions, making sure everyone has the chance to contribute:
- Remind the children how difficult it had been for Old Man Samuel. How would he feel after God had shown him the right man to be king?
- How would Tall Man Saul feel after Old Man Samuel told him God had chosen him to be king?
- What difficult things do you have to do?
Creative reflection and prayer
10 minutes
You will need: enough playdough for each child to have a small lump
Ask each child to make a donkey out of playdough. Tall Man Saul found it difficult to look after the donkeys. Ask them to make a crown shape. Tall Man Saul was going to be king. This was the difficult thing he had to do. Ask them to make the shape of something they do that is difficult – spelling, food they don’t like, someone who is difficult to like. The shape doesn’t have to be perfect.
Each child should hold out their shape to show it to God. Invite them to talk to God in their heads about this, asking him to help them. Thank God that he helps and guides us.
