Key :directions
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Other information :There are some notes on our production of the service. A rough plan of the church is available. A note on copyright. |
| Reader | We welcome you here in the name of Jesus. May His healing power make us whole. | ||
| 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.
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 "God heals in many different ways"
Our sentence for today is from Psalm 103 verse 3 : "He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases.". | ||
| Narrator | Please stand to sing the hymn "How sweet the name of Jesus sounds". | ||
| ( During the last verse of this hymn : Mother and Aunt come down Hospital aisle and wait at the side; children and lepers go to the back; Jesus goes down organ aisle and waits at the side. ) | |||
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| Narrator | Please sit.
The treatment of people with leprosy and other skin conditions in Bible times was very different from the treatment available today. The people of Bible times were terrified of leprosy and the effect it could have on members of their family and village. They were so scared that any one with leprosy was banned from living in the towns or villages. Listen to what happened in this imaginary family when their Aunt was found to have leprosy. | ||
| ( Mother and Aunt come to centre. ) | |||
| Mother ( to Aunt ) | Why are you hiding your arm all the time ?
Why are you so tired ? Let's have a look. | ||
| ( Mother pulls Aunt's sleeve up and looks closely at the arm. ) | |||
| Ugh ! Just as I suspected, blotchy skin everywhere. I suppose it's on your back too ? | |||
| Aunt ( looking very upset ) | Sniff, sniff Yes, it's all over my back. | ||
| Mother ( accusingly ) | And you've been hiding it ? | ||
| Aunt ( still upset ) | Yes, I was so afraid. I don't want to be sent away. | ||
| Mother | I know, I don't want you to go either. But we both know the law -
No lepers allowed in the village. You can't stay here. Think of the children, we can't have them catching leprosy, and the neighbours - when they find out they'll force you to go. I'm really sorry, but you will have to leave and go and live in the caves with the other lepers. | ||
| Aunt ( crying bitterly ) | It's so hard, it's unfair, but I know I have to go. I love you all too much to stay here.
You will keep bringing me food, won't you ? You won't forget me, or leave me to starve ?. | ||
| Mother | We'll remember you. I promise.
Quick, here come the children. You must go NOW. | ||
| Aunt goes miserably away down Hospital aisle and joins lepers at the back.
Children come running down centre aisle. | |||
| Child 1 | Hi, Mum where are you ? | ||
| Child 2 | Why are you so sad ? | ||
| Child 3 | What's the matter ? | ||
| Child 4 | What's wrong ? | ||
| Mother | I've got some bad news for you. | ||
| Children | What's happened ? | ||
| Mother | Your Aunt has got leprosy. | ||
| Child 2 | Ooh no ! Leprosy ! | ||
| Child 3 | Uggh ! that horrible disease ! | ||
| Child 4 | I'm scared. | ||
| Child 1 | Are we safe here ? | ||
| Mother | I hope so.
We'll have to burn her bedding and her clothes, don't touch them We'll have to get new pots and break these up We'll have to take food each day to leave on the hillside for her. Everything is going to be different now. | ||
| Children | Will we see her again ? | ||
| Mother | No ! Well, only in the distance, and remember any time she comes near people she'll have to shout "Unclean, unclean". | ||
| Child 4 | Poor Aunty. | ||
| Child 1 | I feel so sorry for her. | ||
| Child 3 | We'll help you with the food. | ||
| Child 4, Child 2, Child 1 | Yes, we'll help. | ||
| Child 2 | Do you think it will clear up ? | ||
| Mother | I don't think so. We'll remember to pray for her every night, and I hope she finds some friends amongst the other lepers. Poor Aunty. | ||
| Children and Mother go sadly to back down organ aisle. | |||
| Narrator | And so the Aunt was banished to live as an outcast.
Hopefully the family would keep their promise to put out food for her and she would find other lepers to live with. Any leper who came near to people had to shout out "unclean, unclean". In those days there was no cure for leprosy - sometimes other skin diseases were mistaken for leprosy, and if these cleared up, then the healed person would go to the local priest and after various tests the priest could declare them clean and then they could return to live with their families. | ||
| Reader | The Bible tells us about some occasions when Jesus healed lepers.
Here is one of them. The account can be found in Luke Chapter 17 verses 11-19, on Page 1154 of the Church Bibles. | ||
| Reader | On His way to Jerusalem, Jesus went along the border between Samaria and Galilee. | ||
| ( Jesus comes down centre aisle and walks backwards and forwards in front of altar. ) | |||
| As he was going into a village ten people with leprosy came towards him. | |||
| Lepers including Aunt walk down Hospital aisle, walk in front of lectern, and stand behind lectern facing Jesus. As they walk they shout - | |||
| Lepers including Aunt | Unclean, unclean, unclean. | ||
| Jesus stands still towards organ side of the altar. | |||
| Reader | They stood at a distance from Jesus and shouted, | ||
| Lepers including Aunt | Jesus, Master, have pity on us ! | ||
| Jesus | Go and show yourselves to the priests. | ||
| Lepers including Aunt go down centre aisle. As they go past the second pew, they slow down, look at their arms and faces and find they are healed; they hurry to the back to see the priest. The tenth leper turns round and comes back to Jesus. | |||
| 10th Leper ( Shouts joyfully ) | Praise God ! Praise God ! I've been healed, I've been healed ! | ||
| Reader | - and he threw himself down at Jesus's feet.
The man was from Samaria. ******** | ||
| 10th Leper throws himself down at Jesus's feet. | |||
| Jesus | Weren't ten of you healed ?
Where are the other nine ? Why was this foreigner the only one who came back to thank God ? You may get up and go. Your faith has made you whole. | ||
| 10th Leper goes joyfully down centre aisle.
Actor brings forward picture of 10 lepers being healed, holds it up for all to see, then fastens it on the front of the altar and returns to seat. | |||
| Narrator | These men were healed as they obeyed Jesus's instructions to show themselves to the priests. | ||
| ALL | Thank You, God, that You heal in many different ways. | ||
| Narrator | Thank You for all the people who have given their lives to caring for people with leprosy and other sicknesses. | ||
| ALL | Thank You, God, for all acts of love shown to sick people down the centuries. | ||
| Narrator | Thank You for all the people who have supported and done research on the disease of leprosy and other ailments. | ||
| ALL | Thank You, God, for all who have worked in this area. | ||
| Narrator | Thank You for the discovery of medicines that cure leprosy and other sicknesses. | ||
| ALL | Thank You, God, and help us to use these medicines wisely. | ||
| Narrator | Thank You for the many artificial aids that are available for those affected by leprosy and other disabilities. | ||
| ALL | Thank You, God. | ||
| Narrator | We pray for those who continue to be fearful of leprosy and other skin diseases and who fail to seek help soon enough. | ||
| ALL | Encourage these people to find help today. Amen. | ||
| Actors bring forward pictures of the work of the Leprosy Mission and hold them up for everyone to see then stick them on the front of the altar and return to seats. | |||
| Narrator | Thank You, God, for the work of the Leprosy Mission and other organisations who seek to bring healing to the sick and outcast in many parts of the world. | ||
| ALL | Thank You, God, that You heal in many different ways. | ||
| ( Sceptic comes aggressively down centre aisle to front and turns to face congregation and narrator, narrator turns to look at him. ) | |||
| Sceptic | 'ERE ! | ||
| Narrator ( surprised ) | Oh. ( short pause ) Er. ( short pause ) Er. ( short pause ) Yes ? | ||
| Sceptic ( aggressive ) | I have a question. | ||
| Narrator | Oh. ( short pause ) Er. ( like last time ). | ||
| Sceptic ( breaks in ) | You just said that. | ||
| Narrator | Did I ? Perhaps I did. What were you saying ? | ||
| Sceptic | I said, "I have a question". | ||
| Narrator | Oh. ( doesn't quite say "er"; pauses ) Right. What was your question ? | ||
| Sceptic | What does "Many different ways" mean ? | ||
| Narrator | Ah, I see. Well, um, just what it says, really. | ||
| Sceptic | I know what it says; I want to know what it means. Do you just mean that you're sick and you get better ? | ||
| Narrator ( enthusiastic ) | That's a very good way to put it. Yes. "You get better". That's what it's all about. You get better in your health, and in your mind, and in your view of life, and in your happiness. Broken or damaged relationships can be mended - and specially your relationship with God. Things can be put right - such as the direction of your life. All these things "get better" - just as you said !
Look, thanks ever so much - you've been a great help. I understand these things much better now. Perhaps your question was all part of God's healing for me ! | ||
| Sceptic ( alarmed ) | Hey, wait a minute ! I'm having no part of this. And anyway none of this is real - it's all written down here in the script. | ||
| Narrator | Yes, and we're just acting it. But it's in the script because it's the sort of thing that really does happen. | ||
| ( Sceptic goes to back down organ side. ) | |||
| Narrator ( to congregation ) | And that's why the next song is just about "a touch from the Lord". It's a touch that can come in many different ways, and sometimes - perhaps often - we don't recognise it, but it always makes something "get better".
Please stand for the hymn | ||
| ( During this hymn beggar with begging bowl comes and sits on first step begging; people, Peter, John go to back. ) | |||
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| Reader | Another account of healing is found in Acts Chapter 3 verses 1-10, on page 1207 of the Church Bibles.
One day Peter and John went to the Temple at three o'clock in the afternoon to pray.
There at the Beautiful Gate, as it was called, was a man who had been lame all his life. ( Point to beggar ) Every day he was carried to the gate to beg for money from the people who were going into the Temple. | ||
| People come down centre aisle, step round beggar who holds out his begging bowl towards them, and go and stand behind the Temple ( lectern ); some put money in the begging bowl. The beggar always keeps his eyes on the ground in front of him, not looking at the people. | |||
| Reader | When he saw Peter and John going in, | ||
| Peter and John come down centre aisle to front and stop beside the beggar. | |||
| the beggar asked them to give him something. | |||
| Beggar ( holding out his bowl to Peter and John ) | Please give, please give. | ||
| Reader | Peter and John looked straight at him. | ||
| Peter and John stare at beggar. | |||
| Peter | Look at us ! | ||
| Beggar looks expectantly at Peter. | |||
| Reader | So he looked at them expecting to get something from them. But Peter said : | ||
| Peter | I have no money at all, but I give you what I have; in the name of Jesus of Nazareth I order you to get up and walk ! | ||
| Reader | Then he took him by the right hand.
( Peter takes the beggar's right hand and helps him up, John helps too. ) At once the man's feet and ankles became strong; he jumped up, ( beggar jumps up ) stood on his feet, and started walking around ( beggar starts walking around getting more and more confident ). Then he walked into the Temple with them, walking and jumping and praising God. | ||
| Peter and John and the beggar go excitedly into the temple with the beggar leaping and jumping and praising God. | |||
| Reader | The people there saw him walking and praising God, and when they recognised him as the beggar who had sat at the Beautiful Gate, they were all surprised and amazed at what had happened to him. | ||
| People all gather round beggar, also jumping and praising God.
Organist starts playing the hymn "Peter and John went to pray" as the people gather round; all join in the song. | |||
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| Narrator | You are all invited to come to the front and join in the rejoicing as we sing the third verse again. | ||
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| Narrator | Please sit. | ||
| Actors line up along organ side.
When congregation are seated, Actor brings forward picture of beggar at the Temple Gate and shows it to the congregation then goes and sticks it on the altar and returns to seat. | |||
| Narrator | This man was healed as he obeyed Peter's word to get up and walk. | ||
| ALL | Thank You, God, that You heal in many different ways. | ||
| Narrator | There are many occasions when God heals. | ||
| Actor 1 comes from organ side with picture of Joseph and his brothers and stands in front of altar rail at Hospital end holding up the picture. | |||
| Several sons of Jacob sold their brother into slavery, but they were reconciled to one another when they met years later in Egypt. | |||
| Actor 2 comes from organ side with picture of Elijah and the baby and stands in line in front of altar rail holding picture up. | |||
| Elijah prayed for a dead baby and God restored him to life. | |||
| Actor 3 comes from organ side with picture of Naaman bathing in the River Jordan and stands in line in front of altar rail holding picture up. | |||
| This man was healed of leprosy as he eventually obeyed Elisha's instructions to go and bathe in the River Jordan seven times. | |||
| Actor 4 comes from organ side with picture of woman touching hem of Jesus's garment and stands in line in front of altar rail holding picture up. | |||
| This woman was healed as she reached out and touched the hem of Jesus's garment, and Jesus told her that her faith had made her whole. | |||
| Actor 5 comes from organ side with picture of four friends lowering their friend down through the roof and stands in line in front of altar rail holding picture up. | |||
| This man was healed when his four friends lowered him down through the roof, and Jesus told him your sins are forgiven, stand up and walk. | |||
| Actor 6 comes from organ side with picture of blind man being healed and stands in line in front of altar rail holding picture up. | |||
| This man was blind and Jesus touched his eyes and said "Be open" and the man could see. | |||
| Actor 7 comes from organ side with picture of Jesus reaching out and helping girl get up and stands in line in front of altar rail holding picture up. | |||
| This girl was brought back to life when Jesus prayed with her. | |||
| Actor 8 comes from organ side with picture of the church elders praying and stands in line in front of altar rail holding picture up. | |||
| These people were healed when the elders went to pray with them and anointed them with oil. | |||
| Actor 9 comes from organ side with picture of man talking to dog and stands in line in front of altar rail holding picture up. | |||
| This man began to speak again when a dog befriended him. | |||
| Actor 10 comes from organ side with picture of woman throwing away her wheelchair and stands in line in front of altar rail holding picture up. | |||
| This woman threw away her wheelchair when a new Christian prayed for her and God healed her. | |||
| When all are in line Actor 1, Actor 2, Actor 3, Actor 4, Actor 5 go down Hospital aisle and stick their pictures to the wall in the right places
AND Actor 6, Actor 7, Actor 8, Actor 9, Actor 10 go down Organ aisle and stick their pictures to the wall in the right places. | |||
| Narrator | These people were healed in many different ways. | ||
| ALL | Thank You, God, that You heal in many different ways. | ||
| ( Sceptic comes to front again, narrator turns to look at him. ) | |||
| Sceptic ( scornful ) | Now I see. | ||
| Narrator | What ? | ||
| Sceptic | Whatever it is, if it gets better you claim that God must have done it. Friendly dogs, indeed ! And a lot of bits from the Bible, which we can't go and check. | ||
| Narrator | Well, you can't check a lot of the daily news very easily either. And the advantage of using examples from the Bible is that the writers aren't embarrassed about saying that God was involved. And the dog story does show that healing can happen without any medical attention. | ||
| Sceptic | But just saying that God did the healing doesn't make it true. Where's your proof ? | ||
| Narrator | We probably don't have any of the sort you want, and we probably never shall have. You can't do experiments on God - He isn't some sort of machine. What we do have is faith; we believe that God can heal in the ways we've been talking about, and it makes sense of what we see. | ||
| Sceptic | But it's still all hearsay. Anyone can quote books and newspapers and such. Show me one real example. Just one. | ||
| Narrator | Certainly. Listen to this. | ||
| Sceptic goes to back. | |||
| Alison's Testimony. | |||
| Narrator | Please stand to sing the hymn "Faith unlocks the door". | ||
We sang the verse and chorus; then - | |||
| Narrator ( spoken ) |
How many times have you prayed for something big or small ?
How long did you have to wait ? - or did the answer come at all ? Words are mere expressions of thought, and nothing more, Believing is what really counts; faith is what unlocks the door. | ||
| ALL ( sing ) | Chorus of "Faith unlocks the door" | ||
| Narrator | Please sit.
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| Narrator | Please stand for the hymn "Something Beautiful, something good", which we will sing twice. | ||
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| Reader | In the Book of Acts Chapter 19 verses 11 and 12 we are told that God did extraordinary miracles through Paul. Handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them.
We have some bookmarks here which our ministers will pray a blessing on. | ||
| Sceptic comes to front and interrupts again.
Stage hand moves bookmarks to front between altar rails. | |||
| Sceptic ( scornfully ) | Ah, the magic charms. | ||
| Narrator | No - just bookmarks. There's no magic involved. But they're tokens. | ||
| Sceptic | Tokens ? What sort of tokens ? | ||
| Narrator | They're reminders of someone's prayers, and someone's faith that God can, and does, heal people in all sorts of ways. | ||
| Sceptic | How do they work, then ? | ||
| Narrator | They don't "work", in any simple mechanical way. You take one for yourself, or to give to someone else, and they're reminders of people's prayers and God's healing powers, which might open the way for God to minister whatever sort of healing might be needed. We believe that God always wants to heal, but doesn't force healing on people who aren't receptive to it, and doesn't always heal in ways we expect. | ||
| Ministers pray over the bookmarks.
Sceptic goes to seat. | |||
| Reader | We now invite anyone who would like one of these bookmarks for themselves or to give to other people to please come forward and take some. | ||
| Organist quietly plays "Be still and know that I am God".
When all who want to have come forward we all prayerfully sing : | |||
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| Narrator | 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 for our final hymn,
Lord, the light of Your love is shining. | ||
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| Narrator | Please remain standing for the Blessing.
Blessing. | ||
| PAUSE. | |||
| Narrator | Anyone who would like prayer for healing please come to the front after the service and Alison and Muriel will pray with you.
We invite you to join us for a cuppa in the Hall at the end of this service. | ||
Those taking part : |
Aunt, Beggar, Children ( four ), Jesus, Lepers ( should be ten, but we managed with four ), Mother, Narrator, Peter, Reader, Sceptic |
