Biblical Text: Exodus 32:7-14
Guidelines for Individual Playdates
Value of This Activity:
Encourages us to be honest in our relationship with Scripture, as well as our relationships with God and each other. Provides a safe practice in expressing the difficult emotion of anger.
Items Needed:
Bible. Pen and Paper.
To Begin . . .
Spend a moment in quiet prayer. If you wish, begin by freewriting for 3-5 minutes. Just let the pen empty out your concerns and thanksgiving for the day. Breathe.
How to Play . . .
- Read Exodus 32:7-14. Notice that this portion of the Exodus-Wilderness story has two sections:
- Exodus 32:7-10 — where God commands Moses to speak with anger against the people of Israel
- Exodus 32:11-13 — where Moses speaks with anger to God about God’s own promises
- Summarize Exodus 32:7-14
- Why is God angry with the people of Israel? What does God want to do to them?
- What argument does he present to God about why God should not do what God wants to do? Sum up Moses’ argument in on word or a short phrase: What does Moses charge God with?
- Write out the last sentence of this text: Exodus 32:14. Copy that verse from your Bible onto a separate sheet of paper.
- Here’s the “play” part:
- What would you like to “charge God” with failing to do?
- Write out a letter to God, arguing that God should repent. (It’s okay, God won’t strike you!) Speak honestly.
- Read your letter aloud to yourself.
- Optional: Try writing “charge” and “repentance” statements from the following characters:
- either Jephthah or Jephthah’s daughter in Judges 11
- Vashti in Esther 1:10-12
- Stephen in Acts 7
In Closing . . .
Take a moment to breathe and let the playtime settle around you. Carry your curiosity and insights and questions into the day.
Playdate Reference Material:
On Emotions
On Being Uncomfortable
On Discovering Ourselves
Guidelines for Individual Playdates
Playdates with Scripture ARCHIVES
Playdates with Scripture by Virginia Wiles is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at virginiawiles.com.