Angels and talking about Michaelmas

Ever feel like you agree to something because it seems very logical and a good idea at the time, only to find out how HARD it will be later when you sit down to do it?  This week’s story is exactly like that.  As we sat down to talk about lessons a few months ago, all the of the stories related back to things we had already talked about for the season or covered later for Reformation Sunday.

Shirley mentioned that Sunday, September 29 was called the “Feast of the Archangels” and, specifically, was Michaelmas or St. Michael’s Sunday so we could do something “on the Angels.”  Do you realize how very little the spark bible and children’s resources cover actual biblical stories on angels?  I found one with Michael eventually(though he's not mentioned by name the in kid's bible version)—and it’s one of my favorites for kids who are scared.

God Rescues Us

(Daniel 3:19-30 pp. 180-183 in the Spark bible)

Have you ever been scared?  REALLY scared?  When I was a little girl, I was scared of sleeping away from home.  I remember that when I visited my grandparents who lived FAR away, they had this picture hanging on the wall in the room where I slept:

My grandma always told me that it was there to remind me when I was scared that no matter what, there were angels watching over my every step.  Today’s story is kind of about that.  I need your help to tell this story—can you help me with some words and motions?

Once there was a king named Nebuchadnezzar.  Wow, that’s a big name!  King Nebuchadnezzar thought he was a very important man.  So important, in fact, that he made a BIG gold statue made of himself.  Can you stand tall and proud like a statue?  You all look wonderful!

Well, King Nebuchadnezzar did more than have a statue made—he wanted everyone to bow down to his statue and worship him!  He asked everyone “BOW!  BOW before my statue!”  But three brave men—Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, said “no!  We will not bow down before you or your statue.  We only worship the one true God.” 

King Nebuchadnezzar was MAD.  He was sooooo mad, his face scrunched up like this (can you make this face?) and he turned so red and angry that he almost turned purple!  Wow, that’s mad!  “NO one disobeys the king!” yelled Nebuchadnezzar.  The king said:

“You!  Tie them up and throw them into the fiery furnace!  Turn up the heat and the flames to SEVEN times hotter than normal!”

WOW!  It was hot!  The king couldn’t resist though—he HAD to peek inside and see how they were doing.  He was very surprised!  Can you make a surprised face for me?

“I thought we threw three men in there!”  he shouted.  “but I see FOUR men walking around in there.  They’re not even tied up!  They’re fine.  WHAT IS GOING ON?!”

The extra man in the furnace was an angel named Michael who was sent by God to protect the three men from the fire.

The king FLUNG open the door (can you fling open the door?)  He flung open the door of the hot, fiery furnace and called “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, come out right now!”

When they came out, everyone noticed that the fire hadn’t hurt them.  They didn’t smell like smoke even! King Nebuchadnezzar was amazed, realizing what had happened.

“Your God sent an angel to protect you.  You disobeyed me and faced death rather than worship someone other than God.  I declare that no one in any country can say anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego because no god can do what their God can do.”

The angel Michael was with them, protecting them from evil and the fire.  Have you ever felt protected by angels?  God promises us that his messengers will be with us always, much like my grandma used to tell me about!