The Story of the Flood   (From Genesis 7 and 8 TLW)

Suggested Ideas:  Have a male reader stand at center near the people for this story.  Or try this -- Draw a large but simple ark on plastic or paper table cover, about the size of one rectangular fellowship hall table.  Place it on the front pew, along with a person at each end to carry the ark.  As the story is read, have a Noah silently act out the story.  As the ark is "built," have the two people stand and raise up the drawing of the ark (not too high) facing the people.  When the animals are loaded into the ark, have Noah gather the stuffed animals left on the altar from the previous story and place them back into the box from which they were originally taken.  As the waters rise, so does the ark, which then "sails" all around the outside aisles of the church (Noah carries the box of animals behind the drawing of the ark) until it comes to rest at center front again.

The Story of the Flood.

There was a man named Noah who loved God very much He was a good man in a time when the whole world was filled with wickedness.

One day, God came to Noah and said, "Noah, I have decided to exterminate all human life on earth, because they are so filled with sin and corruption. But I will save you and your family. I know that you love me, and you do no wrong, and you follow my commands.

"Therefore, make yourself an ark of oleander wood, for a great flood will come. Make the ark with cabins for your family and stalls for as many animals, birds and creeping things as I will instruct you to gather. In this way, I will repopulate the earth after the flood."

So Noah began constructing the ark, according to the instructions of the Lord. The ark was very large, with three decks, a doorway, a window, and a roof over the top-most mid-section.

When the ark was finished, God commanded that Noah begin gathering animals into the ark: seven pairs of every clean animal that was fit for food, and two of every unclean animal that wasn't fit for food. He collected animals of the forest and of the field. He collected birds of the air and thing that creeping upon the ground. He collected wild animals and tame ones.

Finally, the Lord God commanded that Noah gather his family into the ark and shut the great doors.

Then the rains came. The heavens opened above and the fountains of the deep opened below. For 40 days and 40 nights, great torrents of rain fell, until the waters covered the whole earth -- even the mountain tops. Every living being left upon the earth drowned in the flood.

But Noah and his family, and all the animals in the ark, were safe. The ark floated on the waters, protected by the hand of the Lord.

At last the rains stopped, and the sun and the winds began drying up the flood. After 150 days, the waters slowly receded, until the ark came to a rest on a mountain top.

After 40 more days, Noah opened the window and sent out a dove to see if the water had gone down enough. But the dove returned, because the waters were still too high for it to find a place to rest.

Two weeks later, Noah sent out another dove. This dove did not return, so Noah knew that the waters were finally gone.

Then God commanded Noah to go out of the ark with his family and to release all the animals and birds and creeping things. "Take all the birds and animals out with you," he said, "so that they may reproduce and spread over all the earth."

After this, Noah worshiped God and gave thanks that God had saved him and his family. And God blessed Noah and his family, and gave them this promise: "I make my covenant with you and your descendants and with all living beings, that I will never again destroy the earth by a flood.

"And look, I have put my bow in the clouds, as a sign of the promise that I have made with you and with every living being. When I look upon it, I will remember the everlasting covenant that is between you and me and every living being on earth, and never again will I destroy the earth by a flood."

So, that is the Story of the Flood.

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From

Six Stories for the Easter Vigil

Source: The Rev. Thomas L. Weitzel