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

"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.

we shall sing each hymn twice.

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.

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

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.

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

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

1 2 3

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

Please stand to sing the hymn

"How great Thou Art".

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.

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

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

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 ?

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

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".

- 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.

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

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.

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

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

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 :

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

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

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

Citizens and jailer return to back down centre aisle

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

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.

Let us pray.

PAUSE

- 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

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 :

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.

Let us pray.

SILENCE

Together we pray -

Blessing.