Family Service
at
St. Augustine's

June 18, 2006


Key :

directions
instructions for congregation
movements during service
prayers and readings
sections of the service

Other information :

There are some notes on our production of the service.

A rough plan of the church is available.

A note on copyright.


THE SERVICE

ACTS OF PRAYER

Reader We welcome you here in the name of Jesus. May we learn to be people who pray more and more.
Narrator No collection will be taken during this service. There is a donation box at the back of the church for anyone who would like to give a donation.

Some "house-keeping" information -

  • If anyone would like the music for our hymns today, please put your hand up and we will bring it to you.
  • Toilets are between the church and the hall
  • There are toys at the back for children to play with.

Please don't feel embarrassed if the children are a bit noisy, we welcome everyone here.

Reader Our theme for today is

"Acts of prayer."

Our sentence for today is from Paul's First letter to the Thessalonians Chapter 5 and part of verse 17 - and it is :

Pray at all times.

Narrator Please stand for the action hymns

"Every minute of ev'ry day"

and

"I can talk to God";

we shall sing each hymn twice.

Leader at front to help with actions
"Ev'ry minute of ev'ry day" omitted for copyright reasons; further details.

"God is Listening ( I can talk to God )" omitted for copyright reasons; further details.
Narrator Please sit.

Jean's story

Jean When we first came to live in Devonport in 1973 I was really searching for a new relationship with God. I made the conscious decision to attend everything I possibly could at Holy Trinity church, so I went to services, home groups, ladies' meetings, picnics etc.

After one of these meetings someone asked me, "Do you use the A C T S symbols when you pray ?". I was much too shy and embarrassed to reply, "No, I haven't a clue how to pray", so instead I said, "No, what are those ?".

They replied, "A stands for Adoration, C stands for Confession, T for Thanksgiving and S for Supplication, and it works like this -

when we start to pray, start with words or songs expressing our adoration of God, that is A,

then go on to C, confessing the things we have done wrong and pausing to receive God's forgiveness,

then T - Thank You Lord God for.......; we can thank God for so many things even when we're feeling dreadful,

finally S - Supplication - which is all sorts of 'help' prayers, that includes prayers for ourselves, or for others or for the church or for world events. etc."

For many years after this conversation I experimented with praying in this way, and found it really works.

Narrator

A for ADORATION

- that is words or songs or actions or deeds showing how much we love God.

Stage-hand and helper prepare to raise text "doration".

Actors line up along Hospital wall. Teacher hands out letters as the actors move along in front of altar rail; when all are in place they hold up letters A D O R A T I O N. Teacher stands near the first letter with a pointer.

Narrator Now we're going to teach you to shout. It is true that shouting doesn't have much to do with adoration, but it's a cunning trick to help you to remember.

You might think that you already know how to shout, but that's just ordinary shouting. We want something more disciplined. You know about synchronised swimming ? - well, this is synchronised shouting.

It goes like this : as the teacher points to the letters we call them out, finishing with the complete word. Let's try it now.

( Counting deliberately ) 1 2 3

After the count of 3, Teacher moves along pointing to the letters A D O R A T I O N in turn. As she points to each letter all shout A or D or O, etc. At the end of the word, Teacher should raise the pointer high as a signal for all to shout the whole word.

( Teacher : make sure you do not block the view of the letters as you move along. )

ALL ( shout ) A D O R A T I O N ADORATION
Narrator and once more - after 3 start the shout;

1 2 3

ALL A D O R A T I O N ADORATION
Stage-hand and helper on the shout "ADORATION" raise the text "doration" and fix it on the curtain.

Actors give the letters to Teacher and return to their seats.

Narrator Is that fixed firmly in your memory ? Good !

Please stand to sing the hymn

"How great Thou Art".

Stage-hand and helper return to their seats.

During the last verse of the following hymn Martha comes down the centre aisle carrying a feather duster. She dusts the chair that Jesus will sit on and stands in front of it ready to welcome Jesus into her house.

Mary stands at front on Hospital side.
Jesus and disciples ready at back.

1.   O Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder
  Consider all the works Thy hand hath made;
  I see the stars, I hear the mighty thunder;
  Thy power throughout the universe displayed;

CHORUS :

  Then sings my soul, my Saviour God to Thee,
  How great Thou art, How great Thou art;
  Then sings my soul, my Saviour God to Thee,
  How great Thou art, How great Thou art;.

2.   When through the woods and forest glades, I wander,
  I hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees,
  When I look down from lofty mountain grandeur
  And hear the brook and feel the gentle breeze;

CHORUS

3.   But when I think that God, His Son not sparing,
  Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in,
  That on the cross, my burden gladly bearing
  He bled and died to take away my sin;

CHORUS

4.   When Christ shall come, with shout of acclamation,
  And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart,
  Then I shall bow, in humble adoration
  And there proclaim, "my God, how great Thou art;."

CHORUS

Narrator Please sit for the reading from Luke's Gospel Chapter 10 verses 38 to 42, on page 1143 in the Church Bibles.
Reader ( pointing to the back ) As Jesus and His disciples went on their way,
Jesus and His disciples come down the centre aisle, talking silently to one another.
  they came to a village where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home.
Martha welcomes Jesus and His disciples then Jesus sits on the chair, the disciples sit on the floor near Jesus, and Martha moves in front of the altar and bustles around.
  She had a sister named Mary, who sat down at the feet of the Lord.
Mary comes from Hospital side and sits at Jesus's feet.

Jesus and Mary greet each other whilst Martha continues her busy-ness.

  - and listened to His teaching.
Jesus talks silently to Mary and the disciples who listen intently;
Martha continues her busy-ness in the background, getting more and more agitated.
  Martha was upset about all the work she had to do so she came and said to Jesus :
Martha comes to stand to one side of Jesus.
Martha ( to Jesus ) Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself ? Tell her to come and help me !
Jesus ( to Martha ) Martha, Martha ! You are worried and troubled over so many things, but just one is needed.

Mary has chosen the right thing, and it will not be taken away from her.

Martha sits down and all the actors sit still.
Teacher ( in front of actors near altar rail ) Yes, of course, we need to look after our homes, but we don't need to fuss and worry all the time, as Martha did. We too need to find time to sit at Jesus's feet and adore Him.

I have found that the day goes better if I have spent some time early in the day just imagining myself sitting at Jesus's feet and telling Him that I love Him, as I make plans for the day.

I've also found that this time of quiet is essential on really busy days.

But I also find it difficult to think of words of adoration to say -

Can you help me ?
Can you think of any words of love and adoration I might use ?

Actors return to their seats, Scribe prepares to write words up on the "adoration" paper on the board.

Scribe writes up suggested words as they come, Teacher encourages more suggestions. Actors : be ready with some suggestions to help this activity along, but don't just recite them as though they were part of the script - the idea is to encourage the congregation tro offer their ideas.

When the suggestions are all written up, Scribe sits on chair near the easel.

Teacher ( pointing to easel )
Thank you for all these wonderful words. ( Read the list with appropriate comments. )

Now we'll try to use some of them as we pray.

First let us sit quietly and comfortably ready to pray.

Now, let us close our eyes and imagine Jesus is coming to sit right next to us.

PAUSE

Let us reach out in our minds and sense the presence of Jesus.

Now tell Him quietly how much we love and adore Him.

PAUSE

Quietly remain sitting and sing the hymn,

"Father, we adore you".

Omitted for copyright reasons; further details.
Teacher stands to one side taking "Jesus's chair" with him.
Narrator Jesus, remind us to spend some time each day loving and adoring You.
ALL Remind us daily to love and adore You, Lord Jesus. Amen.
Narrator PAUSE

C for CONFESSION

- that is remembering the things we have done wrong, telling God how sorry we are for doing them, and pausing to receive God's forgiveness.

Stage-hand and helper prepare to raise text "onfession".
Scribe moves 'adoration' paper from board and attaches it to front face of the altar, leaving 'confession' paper on the board.
Actors line up along Hospital wall. Teacher hands out letters as the actors move along in front of altar rail. When all are in place, they hold up letters C O N F E S S I O N.

Teacher stands near the first letter with a pointer and after the count of 3 moves along pointing to the letters C O N F E S S I O N in turn. As she points to each letter all shout C or O or N , etc.

( Teacher : make sure you do not block out the letters as you move along. )

Narrator ( when line-up is ready ) after 3 start the shout : 1 2 3
ALL C O N F E S S I O N CONFESSION
Stage-hand and helper on the shout "CONFESSION" raise the text "onfession" and fix it on the curtain.
Actors give the letters to Teacher and return to their seats.
Reader Hear these words of scripture :

If we claim to be sinless, we are self-deceived and strangers to the truth.

If we confess our sins, God is just and may be trusted to forgive our sins and cleanse us from every kind of wrong.

What is sin ?

Sin is anything we do, or fail to do, that is contrary to Jesus's commandment to -

Love the Lord Your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength and to love your neighbour as yourself.

Scribe to easel, Teacher to front.
Teacher What are some of the unloving things we do ?

I invite you now to name some words that are the opposite of 'love' and the scribe will write them on the board.

PAUSE for suggestions.

Note : ensure some words are to do with indifference, ignoring etc. )

Thank you for these words.
( Read the list with appropriate comments. )

Thinking about these words and how we have failed in loving God, our neighbours and ourselves, let us pause for a time of silent prayer and tell God that we are sorry for our mistakes.

PAUSE

Narrator Together we say :
ALL We come seeking forgiveness for all we have failed to be and do as members of Christ's body.
Narrator In God there is forgiveness.
ALL Loving and all-seeing God,
forgive us where we have failed both to support one another and also to be what we claim to be.
Forgive us where we have failed to serve You; and where our thoughts and actions have been contrary to Your intentions. We ask Your pardon.
Narrator God forgives us; be at peace. Amen.
PAUSE
Narrator

T for THANKSGIVING.

We can thank God for so many things even when we're feeling dreadful,

Stage-hand and helper prepare to raise text "hanksgiving".

Actors line up along Hospital wall. Teacher hands out letters as the actors move along in front of altar rail when all in place hold up letters T H A N K S G I V I N G Teacher stands near the first letter with a pointer and after the count of 3 move along pointing to the letters T H A N K S G I V I N G in turn. As she points to each letter all shout T or H or A , etc.

( Teacher : make sure you do not block out the letters as you move along )

When the line-up is ready :

Narrator after 3 start the shout : 1 2 3
ALL T H A N K S G I V I N G THANKSGIVING
Stage-hand and helper on the shout "THANKSGIVING" raise the text "hanksgiving" and fix it on the curtain.

Actors give the letters to Teacher and return to their seats , Teacher returns to seat.

Reader Paul tells us in his first letter to the Thessalonians Chapter 5 verse 18 "to be thankful in all circumstances."
Narrator But how can we do that when things are difficult ?
Reader Listen to what Paul and Silas did when they were put into prison - this story can be found in Acts Chapter 16 verses 21-26 on Page 1228 of the church Bibles. We've dramatised it a bit for this service, but we haven't changed the story.

Paul and Silas were staying in Philippi and telling the people about Jesus -

Paul and Silas come down Hospital aisle.
Reader - but some of the citizens were annoyed at the way Paul and Silas were behaving.
Citizens come down centre aisle talking angrily together.
Reader They seized Paul and Silas.
Citizens seize Paul and Silas, near the easel, and hold them.
Roman officials come down Organ aisle and stand near projector.
Reader They brought them before the Roman Officials.
Citizens 'drag' Paul and Silas to meet the Roman Officials
Citizen 1 ( to Roman Officials ) These men are Jews.
Citizen 2 ( to Roman Officials ) They are causing trouble in our city.
Citizen 1 They are teaching customs that are against our law.
Citizen 2 We are Roman citizens, and we cannot accept these customs or practise them.
Reader And the crowd joined in the attack.
All Yes ! That's right, we don't want them, get rid of them
Roman Official Tear their clothes off them !
Citizens tear ( mime only ! ) the clothes off Paul and Silas
Jailer comes down Hospital aisle and stands in front of easel.
Roman Official Whip them !
Citizens whip ( mime whipping ! ) Paul and Silas
Roman Official Throw them into jail and lock them up tight.
Citizens take Paul and Silas to the jailer ( go out between altar rails, along front to Hospital side and present them to the jailer in front of the easel )

- whilst Stage-hand and helper move stocks to in front of altar.

Jailer Throw them into the inner cell.
Citizens throw them into the inner cell ( in front of altar, behind table )
Jailer ( pointing to table ) Fasten their legs in the stocks.
Citizens 'fasten' their legs in the stocks.

Citizens and jailer return to back down centre aisle

Reader About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God and the other prisoners were listening to them.
Paul and Silas mime singing.
Narrator But how could they sing hymns after all that had happened to them ? How could they ?
Reader They knew that the Jews and Romans had mistreated them, but they also knew that what they were doing was what God wanted. And so through the power of the Holy Spirit they were able to thank God in spite of their circumstances.

The words of this next hymn might help us understand better.

Narrator Please stand to sing "Give thanks with a grateful heart".
Omitted for copyright reasons; further details.
During this hymn Paul and Silas return to the back.
Jean And what about when things are going well, do we remember to give thanks to God then ?

As many of you know we have five wonderful grandchildren, and they are teaching me lots about loving relationships.

Most weeks I travel with two of the grandchildren from Papakura to Devonport in our van. Lucy, who is nearly three, sits in the front passenger seat and entertains me on the journey - often by singing.

This particular week I was treated to one hour of music. I loved every minute of it - although I did get rather tired of "Three Blind Mice", her current favourite song.

But she sang so many different songs, Carols, Nursery Rhymes, childrens' Christian songs, all sorts, and she was so happy, the songs were all mixed together with the theme of three blind mice recurring again and again.

Was it boring ? - no way.

When we got to our house, Lucy hurried inside to get Granddad to come and carry her ten-month old sister inside, so Grandma was left to carry the bags in !

As I was walking up the steps to our front door I said to myself, "I did enjoy that ride. I didn't even notice the rush hour crawl, it was so lovely listening to Lucy's song, she sings so beautifully."

Then these words came to my mind - "Yes, and I enjoy it when My people sing to Me like that"

- and I knew it was God speaking to me.

He loves us to sing to Him, He doesn't mind if it is all mixed up, He just loves us to sing or speak words of thanks, adoration and love to Him, and I had been forgetting to do that. I thought, "Forgive me, Lord" - and determined to resume my practice of singing to Him as I drive around, and to look for things to say "thank you" for.

I do encourage you to thank Jesus and sing to Him too.

Narrator Please sit or kneel for prayer.

We invite each one of you to join us now in "thank You" prayers, just a phrase or short sentence spoken out loud.

Let us pray.

Actors please be ready with "thank you" prayers.
When all the prayers cease -
Narrator Thank You, God, that You hear our prayers.
ALL Thank You, Lord, for everything. Amen.

PAUSE

Narrator

S for SUPPLICATION

- that is telling God about things we'd like Him to do for us - all sorts of help prayers, including prayers for ourselves, or for someone else or for the church or for world events. etc

Stage-hand and helper prepare to raise the text "upplication".

Actors line up along Hospital wall. Teacher hands out letters as the actors move along in front of altar rail when all in place hold up letters S U P P L I C A T I O N. Teacher stands near the first letter with a pointer and after the count of 3 moves along pointing to the letters S U P P L I C A T I O N in turn. As she points to each letter all shout S or U or P , etc.

( Teacher : make sure you do not block out the letters as you move along. )

When the line-up is ready :

Narrator after 3 start the shout : 1 2 3
ALL S U P P L I C A T I O N SUPPLICATION
Stage-hand and helper on the shout "SUPPLICATION" raise the text "upplication" and fix it on the curtain.
Actors give the letters to Teacher and return to their seats; Teacher returns to seat.
Narrator Please stand to sing the hymn
"What a friend we have in Jesus"
.
1.   What a friend we have in Jesus,
  All our sins and griefs to bear;
  What a privilege to carry
  Everything to God in prayer !
  O what peace we often forfeit,
  O what needless pain we bear,
  All because we do not carry
  Everything to God in prayer !

2.   Have we trials and temptations ?
  Is there trouble anywhere ?
  We should never be discouraged;
  Take it to the Lord in prayer !
  Can we find a friend so faithful,
  Who will all our sorrows share ?
  Jesus knows our every weakness;
  Take it to the Lord in prayer !

3.   Are we weak and heavy laden,
  Cumbered with a load of care ?
  Precious Saviour, still our refuge,
  Take it to the Lord in prayer !
  Do your friends despise, forsake you ?
  Take it to the Lord in prayer !
  In His arms He'll take and shield you,
  You will find a solace there.

Narrator Please sit.
Teacher The Bible tells us that God hears and answers our prayers. But He doesn't always answer us in the way we expect.

His answers are rather like traffic lights -

Sometimes He answers with a big

NO or STOP;

( Put red circle on easel )

other times He answers with

WAIT;

( Put orange circle on board directly below the red circle )

still other times He answers with a

YES or GO.

( Put green circle under the orange circle )

So when we pray let us remember that God answers those prayers in His way and not in our way, and thank Him for the answers whatever they may be.

Narrator We will now have a time of SILENCE when we can pray our own prayers to God and then we will say the special prayer that Jesus gave to His disciples when they asked Him to teach them to pray.

Let us pray.

SILENCE

Together we pray -

ALL Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name.
Your kingdom come, Your will be done,
in earth, as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread;
Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.
Save us from the time of trial, and deliver us from evil,
for the Kingdom, the power, and the glory are Yours, now and for ever.
Amen.
Narrator Please stand to sing the hymn
"Prayer is the soul's supreme desire".
1.   Prayer is the soul's supreme desire
  expressed in thought or word;
  the burning of a hidden fire,
  a longing for the Lord.

2.   Prayer is the simplest sound we teach
  when children learn God's name;
  and yet it is the noblest speech
  that human lips can frame.

3.   Prayer is the secret battleground
  where victories are won;
  by prayer the will of God is found
  and work for him begun.

4.   Prayer is the Christian's vital breath,
  the Christian's native air,
  our watchword at the gates of death;
  we enter heaven with prayer.

5.   Prayer is the church's glorious song,
  our task and joy supreme;
  we name our Lord in every tongue,
  and praise is all our theme.

6.   Jesus by whom we come to God;
  the true and living way,
  the humble path of prayer you trod,
  Lord, teach us how to pray.

Narrator Please remain standing for the Blessing.

Blessing.

Someone at the door to hand out "praying hands".

We invite you to join us for a cuppa in the Hall ( behind the church ) at the end of this service.


Those taking part :

Citizen 1
Citizen 2
Jailer
Jesus
Martha
Narrator
Organist
Reader
Roman Official
Teacher