Psalm 22 is usually quoted nearer Easter than the second week of lent, but in the readings for year B we see the other end of the Psalm. Here is not the opening, where the cross bound Jesus cries the first verse about ‘God forsaking him’, but the place the psalm ends. Like the first line of a hymn, I wonder if people couldn’t help sing the whole song in their heads as they walked away from the cross. It’s a song of torment that lifts at the end into a song of praise not just by the psalmist but by all the families of nations. These games concentrate on the idea of families uniting in praise.

Wipe that smile off your face

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All Ages

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Any size group

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No Setup time

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Noisy game

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Can be seated

The first person pulls their silliest smile and directs it at each child in the circle, trying to make someone giggle or laugh. On the leaders’ mark, they use one hand to literally “wipe” the smile off their face, and hand it to the next person, and on it goes. This can get silly rapidly.
Link: passing on God’s praise to the next generation

Praising family traits

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All Ages

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Any size group

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No Setup time

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Noisy game

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Can be seated

A simple identity game where whomever is speaking names a trait and all those it applies to shout “Praise God!” Wearing a colour, rolling your tongue, liking ice-cream, any trait qualifies.
Link: all will eventually praise him

Psalm Beat

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Ages 7+

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Any size group

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No Setup time

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Noisy game

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Can be seated

Using a small section of words from the Psalm as lyrics, have the youngsters make up a tune or a beat to sing the words. Add percussion instruments and work in pairs.
Link: Psalms were songs sung, not read.

The big band

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All Ages

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Small group

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Requires setup time

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Quiet game

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Can be seated

Turn your group into a band, if you have no instruments, use pots pans, plastic bottles, containers to shake.
Link: This Psalm/song ends in praise.

 

Psalm 22 starts with the cry that one day Jesus will echo on the cross but the end of the psalm comes with joy as ‘all the families’ recognise God and joining together to worship him.

As the three crafts for this lesson are all very simple I’ve popped them all into one post, all focus on the end of the Psalm.

 
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Psalm 22 colouring pages

The Psalm lessons each have two colouring pages in place of the usual Hero Resources.
These will print on either A4 or US letter sized paper as they are made slightly bigger than both.

The images are displayed small here, click on the image you wish to have, then save the image that loads.
(These images are not copyright free, they are for personal/classroom use only.)

 

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This week we look at Psalm 22 verses 23 to 31. It’s a passage about, God’s people, the nations, and the call of praise. Rather than tell a story about the passage, we will incorporate the verses into the ‘talk’ time.

These psalm lessons follow the Lectionary passages for the six weeks of year B Lent.

This retold version of the Bible passage is supplied for inspiration, feel free to omit or embellish to give it your personal voice.

Main Passage : Psalm 22

Biblical retelling of Psalm 22 for youngsters.

I wonder when you sing songs?
Do you ever sing songs on journeys?
We know that Jesus’s friends and family would have sang songs as they travelled.

Imagine a big crowd, moving slowly, the old ladies wobbling on their old legs, the young men carrying the heavy bags, the kids running back and forth, the babies crying. Then someone in the back of the crowd calls out a line from a song, and another voice responds.
(If possible, get two voices to read this psalm, the second reading the words in bold)

23 You who fear the Lord, praise him!
All you descendants of Jacob, honor him!
All you descendants of Israel, revere him!

25 I will give praise in the great assembly because of you;
I will fulfill my vows before those who fear you.

26 The humble will eat and be satisfied;
those who seek the Lord will praise him.
May your hearts live forever!

27 All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord.
All the families of the nations will bow down before you,

28 for kingship belongs to the Lord;
he rules the nations.

30 Their descendants will serve him;
the next generation will be told about the Lord.

31 They will come and declare his righteousness;
to a people yet to be born
they will declare what he has done.

This is such a joyful song about every generation. God loves his people, no matter how old or young they are, and they can all praise him.

Scripture quotations marked CSB have been taken from the Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible® and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.

 

Psalm 25 colouring pages

The Psalm lessons each have two colouring pages in place of the usual Hero Resources.
These will print on either A4 or US letter sized paper as they are made slightly bigger than both.

The images are displayed small here, click on the image you wish to have, then save the image that loads.
(These images are not copyright free, they are for personal/classroom use only.)

 

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As we ask God to ‘Teach us His paths’ in Psalm 25, we also must learn to follow them. This activity and craft plays with the idea of leading down pathways by using a small magnet.

 
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The psalms have been a source of not only lyrics but inspiration for millennia. There are some games and activities you could do when teaching the beginning of Psalm 25.

Dominoes

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All Ages

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Small group

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Requires setup time

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Quiet game

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Can be seated

Use a real dominoes set(s) if you can access them, or find the craft for this lesson as your game that forms a journey across the table. Print multiple sets if needed.
Link: Following God’s path.

Pass the Parcel

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All Ages

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Any size group

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Requires setup time

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Noisy game

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Can be seated

Use this classic game of passing a multi-layered parcel around and opening each layer when the music stops.
Link: parcel following a path & what gift we give to God.

Psalm Beat

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Ages 7+

Any sized group icon

Any size group

No setup-time required icon

No Setup time

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Noisy game

Suitable for seated groups icon

Can be seated

Using a small section of words from the Psalm as lyrics, have the youngsters make up a tune or a beat to sing the words. Add percussion instruments and work in pairs.
Link: Psalms were songs sung, not read.

Blind Directions

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All Ages

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Big group

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No Setup time

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Noisy game

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Space needed

A blindfolded child is whispered some instructions (e.g. take 3 steps, turn any direction and repeat). The other children don’t know the instructions and need to stand around the space, not moving. The first person reached by the blindfolded participant swaps places
Link: Following God’s path.

 

Psalm 25 talks about God leading us, revealing the paths he intended for us. This simple activity gets your youngsters to think about pathways, journeys and how one step leads to the next. Use it as a springboard, in place of a game slot, or as a craft that the youngsters can decorate and take home.

 
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