Photo and Commentary ©2025 by Maylan Schurch
Friday, April 4, 2025
Last Sabbath during Sabbath School I went down to the Beginners’ (ages 0 – about 4) classroom. There weren’t any kids there at that point, so I practiced some songs I needed to play later.
In the corner on a counter I noticed what at first might appear to be pizza boxes. But I knew what they really were, and a feeling of deep reverence flooded over me.
These are “felt sets,” and down through the decades the Sabbath School teachers have used them to tell Bible stories to little kids. The programs are prepared so that the teacher can select what’s needed – whether the Sea of Galilee, crowd scenes, animal scenes, Jesus speaking, and so on – and display them on a felt background. It’s unimaginable how many children of many denominations all over the world have had these scenes imprinted on their minds, accompanied by the gentle voices of dedicated saints. The figures themselves are made of felt, and are often painstakingly hand-colored by the very teachers who will use them. When presented, each lesson is a true “living Bible” event.
The Bible has a lot to say about children and their importance to Jesus. The Savior’s most bloodcurdling threats are reserved for those who abuse children (see Matthew 18:6). Let’s pray for our youngsters.
For more of what the Bible says about children, click the link just below: