These texts are from Sarah Douglas (Spiritual Child Network) based on Godly Play, the Lion
Handbook to the Bible and the Lent notes 2011 by Bishop David Thomson (Bishop of Huntingdon).
I suggest printing out the document in colour, onto paper (card not required) – using the four-to-apage print option. The individual texts can then be cut to size, backed with a piece of paper of matching colour (this isn’t really necessary, but I thought it a nice touch) before being laminated.
To paint names of books onto wooden book blanks:
1. Preparation is everything – sand the spines to get as smooth a surface as possible.
2. Notice that the book blanks may be different widths. Decide if you want to mix up thicker and thinner books (use the pdf documents “relativesize…pdf” to determine which books are actually bigger and smaller. Organise the books on the shelf.
2. Paint the spines to match the colour-coding in the key documents. I used acrylic – very thinly.
3. Sand again – the paint will have raised the grain, making it rough. Sanding will take some of the paint off. I didn’t worry about this – I quite liked the aged look.
4. Print the “Titles” document. This contains labels for each book. Use carbon paper and a stylus, or pencil, to transfer the printed titles onto each spine. Using a fine brush, paint in the titles using black acrylic paint.
5. Wax or varnish, as required.

This is the book of beginnings: starting with the story of
Creation, the fall and the flood.
It tells the stories of the
Patriarchs: Abraham who was called by God to the Promised
Land; Isaac; Jacob and finally
Joseph, the dreamer, sold into slavery by his brothers.

This book picks up the story of the People of God, now slaves in Egypt under Pharaoh. Moses is called by God to save his people and lead them across the Red Sea to freedom. Moses meets with God on Mount
Sinai, where he is given the Ten
Commandments and the law.

This book is about holiness.
Some of the laws are strange to us, as we live in a very different context. These laws are not just concerned with ritual and worship, but with the whole of life and show the Israelites how to walk before a holy God as a holy people.

This book tells the story of the
Israelites wandering in the desert: a long sad story of grumbling and complaint. Their disbelief and disobedience cuts them off from God, but God never gives up on them.

This book is the record of
Moses’ farewell addresses to the Israelites, on the eve of their entry to the Promised
Land. It reaffirms the law and the covenant ready for a change from a nomadic life to a settled life in Canaan.

After Moses death, Joshua leads the People of God across the River Jordan into the
Promised Land. Joshua defeats his enemies at Jericho and completes the conquest of
Canaan.

After Joshua’s death the
Israelites are ruled by Judges, who were not just legal adviser but active leaders. The story is a recurrent one: the Israelites desert the one true God for heathen deities; then in their troubles they cry out to God for help. God sends a deliverer... and all is well... for a time...

“Whither thou goest I will go... thy people shall be my people and thy God my God.”
Ruth refuses to leave Naomi, her mother in law, when both are widowed and instead travels with her to Israel, to live amongst strangers in a foreign country.

At Shiloh, God calls the child
Samuel to serve him. Later
Samuel, the “kingmaker”, anoints Saul as king of Israel.
Saul leads the armies, but the
Spirit of the Lord leaves him.
God tells Samuel to anoint a new king - David, shepherd boy of Bethlehem.

David is anointed king and establishes his capital at
Jerusalem. His troubled reign is spent fighting against external enemies and his own son
Absalom. But it is his adultery with Bathsheba that cuts him off from God, until Nathan, the prophet, shows him his need for repentance and forgiveness.

Solomon succeeds his father
David and asks God for the gift of wisdom. His reign is the golden age of Israel, a stable united kingdom under a strong king, and the temple is built in
Jerusalem. But in old age
Solomon turns from God to worship idols... leaving a troubled kingdom his son is unable to hold together. The kingdom is split in two: Judah in the south and Israel in the north.

The reign of King Ahab and his wife Jezebel sees Israel turning from God to worship Baal. It is a bad time to be a prophet and
Elijah spends many years in hiding. In hiding Elijah finds that
God is not in the earthquake, wind or fire but in the still small voice. Elijah is followed by the prophet Elisha. Kings 2 ends with the People of God being taken into exile after the Babylonians have looted and destroyed
Jerusalem.

The writer of Chronicles covers much of the same material as 2
Samuel and Kings 1 and 2, but he is writing for a different audience: those who have returned from exile to rebuild
Jerusalem. His themes are true worship and kingship in Israel; it is only by faithfulness to God that the kingdom will prosper. 1
Chronicles is concerned with the reign of David.

This book follows the same themes of true worship and kingship as 1 Chronicles, beginning with the construction of the temple and the installation of the Ark of the
Covenant. It follows Judah’s story, ending with the destruction of Jerusalem.

“By the rivers of Babylon...”
The People of God are in exile but the times are changing.
Cyrus, king of Persia, has conquered Babylon and one of his first actions is to repatriate the exiled peoples. Zerubbabel and later Ezra are allowed to lead their people back to rebuild Jerusalem and the temple.

Nehemiah is cup bearer to the king of Persia but when his brother brings sad news of the people back in Jerusalem,
Nehemiah knows that God has called him to return to lead them in rebuilding the walls of the city. This book is about the return of the People of God from their exile in Babylon.

The plot to exterminate the entire Jewish nation in the days of the Persian king Ahasueurus is thwarted by Mordecai and his cousin Esther who becomes queen.

God is just and good. Why does he let the innocent suffer? God allows Satan to challenge him and work his will in Job’s life, which becomes one of tragedy and loss: his possessions, his children and his health. Will this cause him to turn away from God?

“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me”.
The psalms reflect the whole of human experience. They plead with God and praise him; cry out for the destruction of enemies and appeal for forgiveness; express joy and lament.

Proverbs is a book of wise sayings. Wisdom is based on reverence for God and obedience to his laws and this is applied to the whole of life: relationships, work, home, justice, decisions, attitudes and reactions.

“I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong ... ”
Ecclesiastes is a reflection on the meaning of life. Is it meaningless? Is death the end?
Is there any difference between the wise and the foolish?

This book is a series of lyrical love poems on the theme of love between man and woman.
The poems use images from the countryside and are full of the passion and delight of human love.

“The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light...”
God calls Isaiah to take his message to the people and his response is key: “Here am I, send me.” The three parts of
Isaiah reflect on the crisis of pre-exilic Jerusalem, the hope of a return to Jerusalem from exile, and the return and restoration.

Jeremiah is a lonely figure: isolated by a message from God that made him increasingly unpopular; branded a traitor for advocating submission to
Babylon; imprisoned and often in danger of his life. Yet
Jeremiah never gives up and there is a thread of hope running through his bleak prophecies: one day God will restore the joy and prosperity of his people in their homeland.

Jerusalem is God’s city: he has chosen to live there with his people. These poems express the poet’s grief at the burning of Jerusalem, the destruction of the temple and the subsequent exile which are seen as signs that God has rejected them.

“Son of man, can these bones live?” God asks Ezekiel beside the valley of dry bones. The visionary Ezekiel is a prophet to the people in exile in Babylon.
He prophesies the destruction of his beloved city of Jerusalem and its temple, which comes true in his own life time. But his final vision is one of hope: the people of God live contentedly in a restored city called “The Lord is there.”

Daniel and his friends Shadrach,
Meshach and Abednego are heroes of the time of exile: they defy their rulers by continuing to worship the one, true God and end up in the fiery furnace or the den of lions. The book also includes Daniel’s visions of the end times.

Hosea is a northerner: his message is for the northern kingdom of Israel. His unfaithful wife deserts him.
Hosea’s personal story is mirrored in that of his country, as Israel rejects God and adopts pagan practices. Hosea’s pleas are ignored or rejected...

Joel begins with a description of an army of locusts: after their invasion there is nothing green and living left. Joel calls on the people to turn to God and plead for mercy. In response
God promises not only to restore all that the locusts have destroyed but to pour out his
Spirit on all people.

Amos the shepherd and fig tree farmer comes from Judah to prophecy to the northern kingdom of Israel. His message is the coming of “The Day of the Lord” when Israel will be judged for its sins. Not surprisingly, he is told to go home... But the book ends with the promise of restoration...

Obadiah is a denunciation of the Edomites (Esau’s descendants) who launch their raids on Palestine from virtually impregnable strongholds in the mountains. But Obadiah prophesies their downfall and the rise of Israel.

Jonah is not a typical prophet.
God calls him to go to Nineveh and urge the people to repent, but his response is to run as far away as possible - only to find that there is nowhere to escape
God. To his disgust, when he does prophesy, the people of
Nineveh repent in sackcloth and ashes ... and God forgives them...

Micah denounces the leaders of
Samaria and Jerusalem and deplores their sham religion and money grubbing exploitation of the helpless.
But he also prophesies the birth of a greater David in
Bethlehem, who will rule over all people.

Using graphic detail, Nahum predicts the destruction of the great city of Nineveh:
“everyone claps his hands at your fall, for who has not felt your endless cruelty.”

Habakkuk battles with the same problem as Job. Why do God’s people suffer while the wicked go free? Will God really allow the Babylonians to punish the
Israelites?

Zephaniah warns of coming destruction – everything will be swept away: the Philistines, the
Cushites, the Assyrians and
Jerusalem itself. Only a remnant will remain to be gathered in and brought home by the Lord.

The people of God are rebuilding the temple after their return from exile – but opposition and apathy have brought the work to a standstill. They have their priorities wrong... they need to put God first...

Zechariah is a visionary who is also involved in rebuilding the temple. Many of his visions concern the promised Messiah:
“See, your king comes to you... riding on a donkey...”

This is the last book in the Old
Testament. It looks back to the laws given on Mount Sinai and forward to the messenger who will prepare the way for the new age.

Matthew is writing his gospel for his fellow Jews and his focus is on Jesus as the promised
Messiah, fulfilling the prophecies of the Old
Testament. Many Jews were expecting a political leader who would free them from Roman oppression. But Jesus’ kingdom is different... “Blessed are the meek for they will inherit the earth...”

Mark shows us Jesus in action, focussing on the amazing things
Jesus did: calming the storm; restoring a child to life; feeding
5000; walking on water. His gospel begins with John the
Baptist, the messenger, sent to prepare the way and finishes with the day of resurrection and the empty tomb.

For Luke, Jesus is the saviour of all people, Gentiles as well as
Jews. He shows us the Jesus who touches the lepers, welcomes children, respects women, eats with social outcasts and is not afraid to challenge the authorities. His focus is also on Jesus the teacher, telling us stories of wayward children and enemies who will stop and care on the
Jericho road...

“I am the way, the truth and the life.”
John focuses on Jesus as the
Son of God in a style very different to the other three gospels. He wants us to understand who Jesus is: he uses everyday images of light, bread, water, vines, sheep and a shepherd to point to the mystery of God made man.
“Thomas said to him, ‘My Lord and my God.’ ”

Acts is the second part of Luke’s account: The coming of the
Holy Spirit at Pentecost changes the world for ever. It chronicles the days of the early church – the Acts of the
Apostles. The stories are those of Peter, fisherman turned leader, and Paul, whose experience on the Damascus road, led him to a difficult career preaching the gospel in different lands and dangerous circumstances.

Paul’s letter to the Romans is his gospel manifesto: faith in
Christ is the only ground for humanity’s acceptance by God, who treats all people alike: “I am not ashamed of the gospel because it is the power of God for the salvation of all who believe.”

“And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”
Paul’s first letter to the church in Corinth is a response to reports of divisions and cliques in the church, court cases between members, the abuse of Christian ‘freedom’ and the general chaos of their worship.

Unfortunately the problems at
Corinth continue despite Paul’s first letter and he makes a quick visit and writes to them again.
Paul’s second letter to the church in Corinth expresses his joy at the news that they are responding positively and sorting out their troubles.

Jewish teachers have arrived in
Galatia and are teaching that it is necessary to follow Jewish laws in order to be saved. Paul is appalled: No one can lead the perfect life by obeying rules.
Salvation is God’s gift to all who believe; it cannot be earned.

Paul’s great theme is God’s plan to bring men of every nation and background together in
Christ. As Christians all are on equal terms. We are one and must express that in our personal relationships and the way we behave.

This is written to the church at
Philippi, a Roman colony on the great northern highway.
Women enjoyed high status and took an active part in public life and in the church.
Paul’s letter is sent to encourage and advise the church.

False teaching is filtering into the church at Colossae from other religions and philosophies. Paul’s theme is that Christianity cannot afford to compromise with either philosophy or legalism: it is
Christ centred or it is nothing at all.

Thessalonia is a free city, capital of Macedonia. In his first letter
Paul is full of relief and joy at hearing of the unwavering faith of this small church who will become a role model for the whole of Greece.

The Thessalonians are somewhat embarrassed by the extravagant praise of the first letter; Paul assures them that is only right to thank God for their growing faith and love and their firm stand in the face of persecution. This letter also includes Paul’s difficult writing about the end times – which even Peter found hard to understand!

Timothy has travelled with Paul but he is not naturally brave and often suffers ill health; he needs a lot of encouragement.
Paul’s letters to Timothy are to be shared with his church. The first letter includes teaching on prayer, the status of women, deacons, widows, elders and slaves.

Paul’s last letter is written from prison, in expectation of death.
He writes to encourage
Timothy to stand firm in the troubled times ahead.

Titus was sent by Paul to sort out the trouble in Crete. This letter to him gives advice on the qualities needed by elders, on the teaching of sound doctrine and Christian behaviour.

Philemon is a man of some standing whose slave Onesimus has stolen money and ran away. But the slave encounters
Paul, and through him his life is changed and he becomes a
Christian. Paul is sending
Onesimus back and he begs
Philemon to welcome him as a changed man and a brother
Christian.

This is written to a group of
Jewish Christians by an unknown author. The Hebrews are wavering between
Christianity and Judaism. The letter focuses on Jesus Christ, greater than Moses, Aaron and the other figures of the Old
Testament. Jesus is the high priest of a new covenant.
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”

“What good is it my brother, if a man has faith but no deeds?”
James’ concern is with the relationship between our faith and its effect on the way we live our lives.

This book is written to groups of Christians scattered through the Roman provinces in north
Turkey. His message is one of comfort, hope and encouragement to stand firm in the face of persecution.

This book is concerned with false teaching and also with the certainty of Christ’s return in the last days.

Some intellectuals in the early church claimed that the spiritual was ‘good’ and the material was ‘bad’ – and therefore sin could not affect you spiritually. John makes it clear that this is not so: God is light and calls his children to walk as children of light.

This book follows John’s favourite theme: Jesus’ command that those who follow him should love one another. The letter also warns against false teaching.

This is a personal letter to
Gaius, a man of faith and integrity. Gaius is a contrast to
Diotrephes, a petty dictator who is spreading malicious lies about John and refusing to welcome his supporters.

Jude is writing to a group of
Christians threatened by those who are spreading false teaching. Jude urges them to
“build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the
Holy Spirit...”

This is a book of vision and imagination but it is also rooted in John’s own time - that of the all powerful Roman Empire. It begins with letters to the seven churches of Asia Minor. It finishes with a vision of the end times: the angels sound their trumpets and Babylon, the symbol of evil, falls. The great multitudes of people kneel down and worship God. And in the centre of everything sits the
Lamb: Jesus Christ.