Hi everyone! Since I was a kid, I've been playing with LEGO, MEGA, and any other building bricks that I could get my hands on. I've built countless scenes of space exploration or undersea discovery and thrown in my favorite minifig characters like medieval knights and ninjas. My imagination has created amazing stories of adventure, tragedy, and renewal. Do knights on horseback belong in space? In real life, no, but in the world of endless possibility that the bricks transport me into, yes!
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But here's the truth - the world of endless possibility is what God wants for us all. Building bricks like LEGO are an incredibly effective tool for ministry. Kids, youth, and adults (yes, adults too!) can actually build the scene of a Bible story and its characters. They can even make minifigs of themselves and become part of the story. Through imaginative play, we can build these stories into our lives. On top of all that, we literally build new neural pathways into our brains made up of the Bible's wisdom for our lives. Interactive engagement with the physical bricks while we dive into the stories is the key. You simply cannot get the same level of learning by just sitting and listening to the story being told. We have to become builders, just as God made us to be.
Once upon a time God created people and said, "I made you like me," so we started making things too as we explored just how amazingly creative God made us. LEGO and other building bricks are perfect for bringing out that creativity. You can build individually or together as a group, or both. You can use building bricks in a classroom, or at home, or in the sanctuary during worship. You can put bricks in front of people and encourage them to connect their innate creativity with the brick's intuitive building design. You can also use my instructions.
Today I'm going to demonstrate how to build the story of the burning bush. This story goes great with your Juneteenth celebrations or as a fun intergenerational activity for families. Get out your bricks, and follow along with the story while using the awesome imagination that God gave you to build. My pictures are just examples of what you can build, so don’t worry if you need to use different pieces or colors. It’s your creation!
A long time ago, Moses was tending to his sheep all alone when he saw something unbelievable and heard a voice calling out to him.
Moses encountered a burning bush in the desert. I used a tan baseplate to represent sand, but you can use whatever baseplate you have, or no baseplate at all.
God spoke to Moses through a bush that was on fire but not burning up. How can you build a bush with lots of branches and plenty of healthy green leaves that also have fire on them?
I used little flames but you can use big flame pieces or even red or orange bricks to represent the fire. I included lots of branches and individual leaves on my bush but maybe yours is a simple green brick or two with flames.
Moses was a shepherd, and spent lots of time outside with sheep. You can even build a sheep!
My Moses minifig has the robes of a jedi from a Star Wars minifig but you can make your own version of Moses. Remember, Moses was from Egypt in Africa and lived a long time ago, before clothes and shoes like t-shirts and sneakers existed.
God's voice came out of the burning bush and spoke to Moses. Those words would change the world.
I made God's voice using pieces that spell out God's words. What will you build to represent God's voice coming out of the burning bush with a message for Moses, and the whole world?
While you're building, ask each other these questions and come up with whatever answers feel right to you:
- God told Moses that he was standing on holy ground. What makes something holy, or someone, holy? Are you holy? (I think you're holy. Remember how God, the Holiest of Holies made you in the Maker's image?)
- God, through the burning bush, told Moses, “I have heard the crying of my people. I have seen their suffering.” Do you think God sees you and hears you when you need help? (Yes! God cares so so much about each and every one of us. God didn't make us to suffer but to be loved by one another.)
- God promised Moses that together they would free the people from slavery in Egypt. God kept that promise! How has God helped you in your life? (God has helped me to practice my skills as a master builder and to bring all the joy that I've experienced through brick building to all of you.)
You’ve learned all about Moses and God’s promise to set people free while you built the burning bush. Now it’s time to use your awesome building skills to put yourself in the story too. I challenge you to add a minifig of yourself to the story. You can add your friends and family, even your pets, too!
