WATCH and WONDER

Acts 8:26-40 as told by Casey FitzGerald

A shorter TALE

This is a longer story. You might want to start out with a smaller chunk of it to learn (especially any younger storytellers out there). Consider learning only this section: 

As they were going along the road, they came to some water;
and the eunuch said,
“Look! Water! What would keep me from being baptized?”

He commanded the chariot to stop,
and both of them, Philip and the eunuch,
went down into the water,
and Philip baptized him.

When they came up out of the water,
the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away;
the eunuch never saw him again,
but went on his way rejoicing.

Here is a copy of the entire story Acts 8: 26-40!

Ways to Wonder

For all ages:

*Once More, with Feeling! Using either the “shorter tale” or the whole text, play this game of “emotional” telling. A sentence or a section at a time, tell the story with the emotion chosen by the spinner (link to spinner here: Once More, with FEELING!). Just click on the spinner and you’re emotion will be chosen for you! This is a fun activity to do for a group re-around (each person spins and then reads). Add another layer–at the end of the telling, have the group guess what feelings were being portrayed! If you are having a tough time understanding the emotion of a part of your story, this is a great way to explore the possibilities.

*When Philip asks the Ethiopian eunuch if he understands what he’s reading from Isaiah, the eunuch replies, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” Tell a story about someone who guides you.

*The Ethiopian eunuch is an outsider, in his baptism he becomes an insider–he is now a part of the followers of Christ! As a way of connecting to the story, tell a story about a time you felt like an outsider (or a time you experienced becoming an insider).

For the younger set:

*Find a doll and some water. Pretend you are Philip and baptize the doll. (The man in our story was not a baby, so you don’t have to use a baby doll.) Do you remember how your pastor baptizes babies? What words are said? Describe what baptism looks like in your church.

the more you know…

*Though the Ethiopian eunuch held a high rank within the queen’s court, because he was considered “half man,” it is unlikely that he was actually allowed full worshipping rights in Jerusalem. Deuteronomy 23:1 tells us that such a man would be unable to enter “the assembly of the Lord.” He was, in many ways, an outsider. What does this story show us about what God is doing in the world?

*I believe I pronounced “Candace” wrong in the video! DOH! I used my American way of saying “Candace” because it is such a familiar name. The correct pronunciation is kan-DAY-see.Here is a great place to check on your pronunciations!  (I posted this video despite the error–there will always be changes I want to make to my stories–because I am always learning! I am actually working on learning this story for an event six months from now…there will be many changes between now and then!)

Click here for more on telling this story!