Sneak Preview: The Ark of the Covenant and the Tent of Meeting

On Sunday, I'll be telling the Godly Play story, "The Ark of the Covenant and the Tent of Meeting". I've  told this story only once before, and back then I used a cardboard tabernacle that I had painted gold. I haven't had the chance to tell it since, because our church doesn't meet every Sunday and there just aren't enough opportunities in autumn when the Old Testament stories are usually told. Having decided that I'll never get to tell all the stories that I want to if I strictly follow the church calendar, I am going to tell a few more important OT stories in January before we move on to the life of Jesus and his parables. 

Since our church plant doesn't have tons of money, sometimes I ask for some of the more expensive Godly Play things for Christmas or my birthday. This Christmas, I was thrilled when my mother sent me a tabernacle! She ordered it from Worship Woodworks, which makes story materials for both Godly Play and Young Children & Worship. WW's materials are lovely and many times more reasonably priced than from other suppliers. I also like that you can just buy part of a set if you want to and not have to buy the entire set. 

While telling the story, one wall of the tabernacle is left open, so that the children can see what is inside. You can see (L to R) the wash basin, the altar of burnt offerings, the table of the shewbread, the menora, the altar of incense and the ark of the covenant. The cloths are the four coverings that were used as the tabernacle's roof.

This is a picture of the tabernacle with all four walls, minus the coverings, of course.

A view from the front with the "roof".

I am looking forward to "rediscoving" this story. When I told it the first time in 2010, I really knew very little about how to make these stories playful, and made everything way too serious. It will be interesting to observe the children's reactions this time around.