Land Sunday: a Secret in Thesoil

Land Sunday: A Secret in the Soil (The storyteller sits with the children around the Earth bowl that is filled with red soil or sand and keeps the children focused on the soil that is also part of them. A puppet, such as a red worm, may be used to tell the story. After the story is told, children may wish to mould red clay figures.) Do you know the story about how the first human being, called Adam, was created by God? And do you know the secret of how you and I and Adam are connected in a very special way? (Responses) Did you know that there are bits of Adam in you and you and you? (Responses) Listen to the story again. (The story can be acted out by the storyteller.) A long long time ago, when God was all alone, God sat on the ground and looked and frowned, for God had no-one to play with, and God had no-one to talk with and tell the real good news God had in mind.

God sat on the ground and held some clay, soft smooth red clay from the ground. God squashed and squeezed and squoogled it until God made a head.

God sat on the ground and held more clay, soft red clay from the ground. God squashed and squeezed and squoogled it until God made two arms and legs.

God sat on the ground and held more clay, soft red clay from the ground. God squashed and squeezed and squoogled it until God made a body.

God sat on the ground and held a head, two arms, two legs and a body. God squashed and squeezed them all together until God made a child. And so God made from soft red clay the very first person ever, a child just like you and you and you.

And do you know the name of that first child? Yes, Adam! And do you know what the name Adam means? Red! Yes, red or brown, the colour of the ground.

And why do you think the first person was called Red? (Responses) Because Adam was made of red clay! Now, did you know that God has also made each of you from pieces of clay, bits of soil from the ground? (Responses) How? Where does your food come from, carrots, for example? Well, carrots grow in the ground. As they grow, they eat thousands of tiny bits of soil. And then you and you and you eat the carrots. So you eat bits of living soil. That’s the wonderful way God uses the ground to keep you alive, just as he made Adam alive. You, too, are made of clay from the ground. God used red clay and called the first child Red. Are you red too? (Responses) What happens if you prick you finger? You see something red. What is it? (Responses) Yes, blood. So you are red inside, like Adam. So let’s thank God for the ground that keeps us alive and makes us red inside. And that’s a secret. God is making you red and healthy with clay, just the way God made the first child ever.

Prayer God, we thank you for making us from clay, just the way you made the first child, Adam. Amen.