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 we learn more about how God protects His people.
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. Please don't feel embarrassed if the children are a bit noisy; we welcome everyone here. Our theme for today is "How God Protects His people". Our sentence for today is from John Chapter 17 verse 15. Jesus, praying to God, says, "My prayer is that You do not take them out of the world, but that You protect them from the evil one". Please stand to sing the hymn | |
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During this hymn Kate comes up Hospital aisle ready to meet Molly and Johnny who wait at the back with big umbrella up.
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| Reader | Please sit. | |
| Molly and Johnny come hurrying up centre aisle with big umbrella up and meet Kate at centre front. | ||
| Molly | Hi, Kate. | |
| Johnny | Hi, Kate. | |
| Kate | ( to Molly and Johnny ) Hi, Johnny. Hi, Molly. I'm so glad you could come. | |
| Molly | Thanks for inviting us here. I understand you are talking about God's protection this morning, so I thought I'd bring our umbrella along. It sure is a great protection from rain, but it doesn't protect us from the splashes cars make. | |
| Johnny | And it's no good in a strong wind. | |
| Molly | Is God's protection better than that ? | |
| Kate | Yes, God's protection is great. But I'm glad you've brought your umbrella because we are using the umbrella as a symbol of God's protection in the service today. | |
| Molly | I've been wondering all week about God's protection; how does it work ? | |
| Johnny | Do we have to do something to make it work ? | |
| Kate | Yes, we need to be living God's way to come fully under His protection.
Let's sit down and listen to the service. | |
| Molly, Johnny and Kate move to front pew at Hospital side.
Ruth, Orpah, Naomi, Boaz in seat near the back;
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| Reader | The story of Ruth and Boaz, adapted from the Book of Ruth;
An illustration of how God protects His family. In the days of the Judges there was a famine in the land of Israel. So a man named Elimelech took his wife Naomi with their two sons to live in Moab for a while. Elimelech died. And ten years later, their two sons, who had married Moabite women, Orpah and Ruth, also died, leaving all three women widows.
Some time later Naomi heard there was a good harvest in Israel and decided it was time to return to Israel. So she got ready to leave Moab with her two daughters-in-law. | |
| Naomi, Ruth and Orpah come up centre aisle, stopping just before the altar rail. As they approach : | ||
| Reader | They started out together but on the way - | |
| Naomi | ( standing in front of altar rail turning to Orpah and Ruth ) Go back home and stay with your mothers. May the Lord be as good to you as you have been to me and to those who have died. And may the Lord make it possible for each of you to marry again and have a home. | |
| Naomi kisses them goodbye as Orpah and Ruth start crying. | ||
| Orpah and Ruth | No, we will go with you to your people. | |
| Naomi | Why do you want to come with me ? Go back to your family. You might marry again. | |
| Reader | At this they began crying again ( Orpah and Ruth cry ). Then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law ( Orpah kisses Naomi ) and went back home ( Orpah returns to back down centre aisle still crying ). But Ruth held on to Naomi ( Ruth holds on to Naomi ). | |
| Naomi | Ruth, your sister-in-law has gone back home to her own people and her own god. Go back home with her. | |
| Ruth | Don't ask me to leave you ! Let me go with you. Wherever you go, I will go; wherever you live I will live. Your people will be my people and your God will be my God. Wherever you die, I will die and that is where I will be buried. May the Lord's worst punishment come upon me if I let anything but death separate me from you ! | |
| Reader | When Naomi saw that Ruth was determined to go with her she said nothing more. | |
| Naomi and Ruth hug each other and go across in front of altar rail, down Hospital aisle to the back, then go forwards again up centre aisle. | ||
| Reader | They went on until they came to Bethlehem. | |
| As they come back up the centre aisle the other actors call out - | ||
| Actor 1 | ( from seat near back ) Is this really Naomi ? | |
| Actor 2 | ( from seat further forward ) How are you, Naomi ! | |
| Actor 3 | ( from seat further forward ) What has brought you back ? | |
| Actor 4 | ( from organ seat ) What are you doing here ? | |
| All | ( to one another ) Have you seen Naomi, she's come back with a daughter-in-law !
Naomi ! Naomi ! Welcome home ! | |
| Naomi | ( from in front of altar ) Don't call me Naomi - call me Marah, because Almighty God has made my life bitter. | |
| Reader | ( as an aside ) "Marah" means "bitter". | |
| Naomi | When I left here I had plenty, but the Lord has brought me back without a thing, for the Lord has sent me trouble. | |
| Naomi and Ruth go to sit in their room.
Harvesters and Gatherers gather at back at organ side. | ||
| Reader | The barley harvest was just beginning when they arrived in Bethlehem. It was the custom to leave the edges of the field for the poor to glean from after the crops had been harvested.
A few days later - | |
| Ruth | Let me go out to the farmland to gather the grain that the harvest workers leave. I am sure to find someone who will let me work with him. | |
| Naomi | Go ahead, my daughter. | |
| Harvesters come to front up organ aisle and act harvesting in front of altar first along bottom step then along middle step.
The Gatherers follow them up the organ aisle, and continue to follow behind the harvesters picking up the fallen grain; Ruth follows behind the Gatherers picking up what they have missed.
Boaz comes up centre aisle wearing a cloak. As he reaches the front he says to the Harvesters and the Gatherers : | ||
| Boaz | The Lord be with you ! | |
| Harvesters and Gatherers | The Lord bless you ! | |
| Ruth sits down for a rest on bottom step near the lectern, Harvesters and the Gatherers continue harvesting and gathering; Foreman comes to meet Boaz in centre on bottom step. | ||
| Boaz | ( to Foreman, pointing to Ruth ) Who is that young woman ? | |
| Foreman | She is the foreigner from Moab who came back with Naomi. She asked me to let her follow the workers and the grain gatherers and gather grain. She has been working since early morning and has just now stopped to rest for a while under the shelter. | |
| Boaz | ( walking across to Ruth, who stands up as Boaz talks to her ) Let me give you some advice. Don't gather grain anywhere except here. Work with the women; watch them to see where they are reaping and stay with them. I have ordered my men not to molest you. And whenever you are thirsty, go and drink from the water jars that they have filled. | |
| Ruth | ( bowing down to Boaz ) Why should you be so kind to a foreigner ? | |
| Boaz | I have heard how much you have done for your mother-in-law since your husband died. I know you have left your father and mother and your own country and how you came to live among a people you have never known before. May you have a full reward from the Lord God of Israel to Whom you have come for protection ! | |
| Ruth | You are very kind to me, sir. You have made me feel better by speaking gently to me even though I am not the equal of one of your servants. | |
| Boaz returns to back down centre aisle; Ruth continues to pick up behind the Gatherers. | ||
| Reader | So Ruth gathered grain there until evening. She took almost ten kilos of the threshed grain back to her mother-in-law. | |
| Harvesters and Gatherers go wearily to back down organ aisle, Ruth goes over towards Naomi miming carrying grain and walking tiredly, Naomi comes out to meet her, they stand in front of altar on organ side. | ||
| Naomi | ( as she looks at the imaginary grain ) Where did you get all this grain today ? Whose land have you been working on ? | |
| Ruth | I have been working on the property of a man named Boaz. | |
| Naomi | May the Lord bless Boaz ! The Lord always keeps His promises. That man is a close relative of ours, one of those responsible for taking care of us. | |
| Ruth | Best of all, he told me to keep gathering the grain with his workers until they have finished the harvest. | |
| Naomi and Ruth go and sit in their room again. | ||
| Reader | So Ruth worked with them and gathered grain until all the barley and wheat had been harvested. She continued to live with her mother-in-law.
( Pause ) A little later : | |
| Naomi | ( to Ruth ) I must find a husband for you so that you will have a home of your own. Remember that this man Boaz, whose women you have been working with is our relative. Now listen ! This evening he will be threshing barley. So wash yourself, put on some perfume and get dressed in your best clothes. Then go where they are threshing, but don't let them know you are there until Boaz has finished eating and drinking. Be sure to notice where Boaz lies down, and after he falls asleep, go and lift his cloak and lie down at his feet. He will tell you what to do. | |
| Ruth | I will do what you say. | |
| Threshers and Boaz come down Hospital aisle and mime threshing barley behind lectern. | ||
| Reader | So Ruth did this.
( Ruth stands up in front of altar on organ side and mimes the action. ) She washed herself, put on some perfume and got dressed in her best clothes. Then she went where they were threshing, but didn't let them know she was there. ( Ruth hides behind altar on Hospital side and watches. ) She watched until Boaz had finished eating and drinking. ( Threshers and Boaz mime eating and drinking. ) She watched until they were all asleep ( Threshers go to sleep, Boaz sleeps nearest to the altar with his cloak over him. ) Then Ruth crept out of her hiding place and went and lay down at Boaz's feet underneath his cloak. ( Ruth does this. ) During the night Boaz woke up suddenly and was surprised to find a woman lying at his feet. | |
| Boaz wakes up. | ||
| Boaz | ( to Ruth ) Who are you ? | |
| Ruth | It's Ruth, sir. Because you are a close relative you are responsible for taking care of me, so please marry me. | |
| Boaz | The Lord bless you ! Now, don't worry, Ruth. I will do everything you ask : as everyone knows you are a fine woman. It is true that I am a close relative to you, but there is a man who is a closer relative. Stay here the rest of the night and in the morning we will find whether or not he will take responsibility. If so, well and good : if not, then I swear by the living God I will take responsibility. | |
| Boaz and Ruth lie down again. | ||
| Reader | Next day the matter was settled before the elders of the town. Boaz married Ruth and took her home as his wife.
( Boaz and Ruth stand in front of altar with Boaz's cloak over both their shoulders. ) The Lord blessed her and she became pregnant and had a son. Naomi took the child, held him close and took care of him. ( Naomi picks up "child" from behind altar and stands beside Boaz and Ruth. ) He was named Obed. He became the grandfather of King David. So God rewarded them with His protection. | |
| Boaz drapes his cloak over the altar then Boaz and Ruth go to back down centre aisle followed by Naomi, carrying the baby doll, and the Threshers. Actors return to their seats. | ||
| Reader | As we sing this hymn let us think about the way Ruth crept under the protection of Boaz's cloak or mantle and sought his help as a kinsman of her husband.
Please stand to sing the hymn "Cover me" which we will sing twice. | |
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| Reader | Please sit. | |
| Kate, Molly and Johnny come to the centre. | ||
| Kate | Well, did Ruth's story help you ? | |
| Johnny | Not, not really. | |
| Molly | It was a great story and Ruth was very kind to Naomi. But if I'd been in Ruth's place I would have made a different choice; I would have gone back to my parents' house so they could find me another husband. I couldn't have faced life in a strange land. | |
| Johnny | Nor could I. | |
| Kate | Yes, it was a difficult choice for her. But sometimes the harder choice is the better choice. | |
| Molly | Yes, that's true, and once she'd made the choice she was certainly wholehearted about it. | |
| Kate | What do you mean ? | |
| Molly | Well, that promise she made to Naomi was a huge commitment. Let me think. How did it go ? ( pause and think ) "Wherever you go, I will go; wherever you live I will live. Your people will be my people and your God will be my God. Wherever you die, I will die, and that is where I will be buried." | |
| Kate | Yes, I think that was the turning point in Ruth's life. Not only did she make a promise to Naomi; she also made a promise to Naomi's God. "Your God will be my God" - That's the sort of commitment that brings us under God's protection | |
| Molly | But she still had to work hard gleaning in the fields. | |
| Kate | Yes, God's protection doesn't always lead us to an easier life, but it does help us to straighten out our difficulties, and perhaps to do things that we wouldn't do without it. Like an umbrella; if you have one you can go out into the rain without getting too wet. It might not be particularly pleasant, but you can do it, and that might lead to good things - just as it was through her love for Naomi and her hard work in the fields that Ruth was noticed by Boaz. | |
| Molly | That's true. But the scene in the barn, that was different. | |
| Johnny | I couldn't imagine that happening today. | |
| Kate | No - but it was very appropriate to the Jewish culture of those days. After all, there were no Social Welfare benefits then and so she claimed the protection of Boaz, her kinsman, and he looked after her. | |
| Molly | Well, that wouldn't happen today. | |
| Kate | No - not in the same way - but as Christians we can claim Jesus as our kinsman - then He gives us His protection. | |
| Molly | Why can Christians do that ? | |
| Kate | Because when we choose to become followers of Jesus, we become part of God's family, and Jesus becomes our brother. | |
| Johnny | Jesus, our brother. | |
| Molly | Jesus, our brother - what a great idea ! I must think about that. | |
| Kate, Molly and Johnny go back to their seats. As they sit down - | ||
| Molly and Johnny | ( muttering ) Jesus, my brother ! | |
| All remain sitting and quietly sing : | ||
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| Molly and Johnny | ( from their seats ) Jesus, my kinsman. | |
| Helper 1 comes to front ready to receive stars and card umbrellas; other helpers go to the back. Helper X prepares to organise other helpers by giving correct star or umbrella card to each Helper in turn during the following sequence. | ||
| Reader | ( pointing to top of blue curtain ) Families that live happily together need to have certain rules; it is the same in God's family. Those who follow Him need to obey His rules. If they disobey the rules then they are stepping out from under His protection, or, if you like, throwing away their umbrellas. We will look at some of those instructions now.
On the curtain behind the altar there is an umbrella-shaped card which says "God's protection" and underneath it a 'star' that says "I am the Lord your God". We're going to add to these shapes now. The words on the star shapes are taken from Exodus Chapter 20 verse 1 to 17, and are intended as words spoken by God. However the words on the umbrella-shaped cards are NOT from the Bible, but we think they help us to understand more about God's plans for our protection. | |
| Helper 2 gets star 1 from Helper X, carries it to front up centre aisle; at altar steps, turns to face the people, holds star up. | ||
| Helper 2 | 1. Worship no God but Me. | |
| Helper 2 hands star 1 to Helper 1 who attaches it to the blue curtain behind the altar and Helper 2 returns to the back down Hospital aisle.
Helper 3 gets umbrella and umbrella card 1 from Helper X, carries open umbrella and holds umbrella card 1 in front of them and comes to the front up centre aisle; at altar steps, turns to face the people. | ||
| Helper 3 | Protects us from false gods. | |
| Helper 3 gives umbrella card 1 to Helper 1 who attaches it to the blue curtain. Helper 3 returns to the back down Hospital aisle still carrying the umbrella and gives the umbrella to Helper X.
Helper 4 gets star 2 from Helper X, carries it to front up centre aisle; at altar steps, turns to face the people, holds star up. | ||
| Helper 4 | 2. Do not make idols or worship them. | |
| Helper 4 hands star 2 to Helper 1 who attaches it to the blue curtain behind the altar and Helper 4 returns to the back down Hospital aisle.
Helper 5 gets umbrella and umbrella card 2 from Helper X, carries open umbrella and holds umbrella card 2 in front of them and comes to the front up centre aisle; at altar steps, turns to face the people. | ||
| Helper 5 | Protects us from artificial gods. | |
| Helper 5 gives umbrella card 2 to Helper 1 who attaches it to the blue curtain. Helper 5 returns to the back down Hospital aisle still carrying the umbrella and gives the umbrella to Helper X. | ||
| Helper 6 gets star 3 from Helper X, carries it to front up centre aisle; at altar steps, turns to face the people, holds star up. | ||
| Helper 6 | 3. Use My name with respect. | |
| Helper 6 hands star 3 to Helper 1 who attaches it to the blue curtain behind the altar and Helper 6 returns to the back down Hospital aisle.
Helper 7 gets umbrella and umbrella card 3 from Helper X, carries open umbrella and holds umbrella card 3 in front of them and comes to the front up centre aisle; at altar steps, turns to face the people. | ||
| Helper 7 | Protects us from cheapening God. | |
| Helper 7 gives umbrella card 3 to Helper 1 who attaches it to the blue curtain. Helper 7 returns to the back down Hospital aisle still carrying the umbrella and gives the umbrella to Helper X.
Helper 8 gets star 4 from Helper X, carries it to front up centre aisle; at altar steps, turns to face the people, holds star up. | ||
| Helper 8 | 4. Rest on the seventh day and remember Me. | |
| Helper 8 hands star 4 to Helper 1 who attaches it to the blue curtain behind the altar and Helper 8 returns to the back down Hospital aisle.
Helper 9 gets umbrella and umbrella card 4 from Helper X, carries open umbrella and holds umbrella card 4 in front of them and comes to the front up centre aisle; at altar steps, turns to face the people. | ||
| Helper 9 | Protects our well-being. | |
| Helper 9 gives umbrella card 4 to Helper 1 who attaches it to the blue curtain. Helper 9 returns to the back down Hospital aisle still carrying the umbrella and gives the umbrella to Helper X.
Helper 10 gets star 5 from Helper X, carries it to front up centre aisle; at altar steps, turns to face the people, holds star up. | ||
| Helper 10 | 5. Respect your father and mother. | |
| Helper 10 hands star 5 to Helper 1 who attaches it to the blue curtain behind the altar and Helper 10 returns to the back down Hospital aisle.
Helper 11 gets umbrella and umbrella card 5 from Helper X, carries open umbrella and holds umbrella card 5 in front of them and comes to the front up centre aisle; at altar steps, turns to face the people. | ||
| Helper 11 | Protects families. | |
| Helper 11 gives umbrella card 5 to Helper 1 who attaches it to the blue curtain. Helper 11 returns to the back down Hospital aisle still carrying the umbrella and gives the umbrella to Helper X.
Helper 12 gets star 6 from Helper X, carries it to front up centre aisle; at altar steps, turns to face the people, holds star up. | ||
| Helper 12 | 6. Do not murder. | |
| Helper 12 hands star 6 to Helper 1 who attaches it to the blue curtain behind the altar and Helper 12 returns to the back down Hospital aisle.
Helper 13 gets umbrella and umbrella card 6 from Helper X, carries open umbrella and holds umbrella card 6 in front of them and comes to the front up centre aisle; at altar steps, turns to face the people. | ||
| Helper 13 | Protects life. | |
| Helper 13 gives umbrella card 6 to Helper 1 who attaches it to the blue curtain. Helper 13 returns to the back down Hospital aisle still carrying the umbrella and gives the umbrella to Helper X.
Helper 14 gets star 7 from Helper X, carries it to front up centre aisle; at altar steps, turns to face the people, holds star up. | ||
| Helper 14 | 7. Husbands and wives, be faithful to one another. | |
| Helper 14 hands star 7 to Helper 1 who attaches it to the blue curtain behind the altar and Helper 14 returns to the back down Hospital aisle.
Helper 15 gets umbrella and umbrella card 7 from Helper X, carries open umbrella and holds umbrella card 7 in front of them and comes to the front up centre aisle; at altar steps, turns to face the people. | ||
| Helper 15 | Protects marriage. | |
| Helper 15 gives umbrella card 7 to Helper 1 who attaches it to the blue curtain. Helper 15 returns to the back down Hospital aisle still carrying the umbrella and gives the umbrella to Helper X.
Helper 16 gets star 8 from Helper X, carries it to front up centre aisle; at altar steps, turns to face the people, holds star up. | ||
| Helper 16 | 8. Do not steal. | |
| Helper 16 hands star 8 to Helper 1 who attaches it to the blue curtain behind the altar and Helper 16 returns to the back down Hospital aisle.
Helper 17 gets umbrella and umbrella card 8 from Helper X, carries open umbrella and holds umbrella card 8 in front of them and comes to the front up centre aisle; at altar steps, turns to face the people. | ||
| Helper 17 | Protects property. | |
| Helper 17 gives umbrella card 8 to Helper 1 who attaches it to the blue curtain. Helper 17 returns to the back down Hospital aisle still carrying the umbrella and gives the umbrella to Helper X.
Helper 18 gets star 9 from Helper X, carries it to front up centre aisle; at altar steps, turns to face the people, holds star up. | ||
| Helper 18 | 9. Do not tell lies about anyone. | |
| Helper 18 hands star 9 to Helper 1 who attaches it to the blue curtain behind the altar and Helper 18 returns to the back down Hospital aisle.
Helper 19 gets umbrella and umbrella card 9 from Helper X, carries open umbrella and holds umbrella card 9 in front of them and comes to the front up centre aisle; at altar steps, turns to face the people. | ||
| Helper 19 | Protects reputations. | |
| Helper 19 gives umbrella card 9 to Helper 1 who attaches it to the blue curtain. Helper 19 returns to the back down Hospital aisle still carrying the umbrella and gives the umbrella to Helper X.
Helper 20 gets star 10 from Helper X, carries it to front up centre aisle; at altar steps, turns to face the people, holds star up. | ||
| Helper 20 | 10. Do not envy other people or want what belongs to them. | |
| Helper 20 hands star 10 to Helper 1 who attaches it to the blue curtain behind the altar and Helper 20 returns to the back down Hospital aisle.
Helper 21 gets umbrella and umbrella card 10 from Helper X, carries open umbrella and holds umbrella card 10 in front of them and comes to the front up centre aisle; at altar steps, turns to face the people. | ||
| Helper 21 | Protects us from conflict. | |
| Helper 21 gives umbrella card 10 to Helper 1 who attaches it to the blue curtain. Helper 21 returns to the back down Hospital aisle still carrying the umbrella and gives the umbrella to Helper X.
Helper 1 and Helper X return to their seats. | ||
| Reader | We have added the protection bits, but we invite you to think about them as we sing the next hymn for it may help us to understand more about God's love for us and His concern for family life.
Please stand to sing the next hymn : | |
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| Reader | Please sit. | |
| Molly, Johnny and Kate come to centre again. | ||
| Molly | This is all very interesting but it's all Old Testament stuff. Didn't Jesus change all that ? | |
| Kate | Well, yes, Jesus did add to it, but I reckon He made it a lot harder - because He said : "Love the Lord Your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind; and love your neighbour as you love yourself." | |
| Johnny | That's hard, loving your neighbour is hard. | |
| Molly | Yes, that is much harder. Love God, love your neighbour, love yourself. That's impossible. | |
| Kate | Well, yes, but with Jesus's help I'm trying to do it, and it has changed my life. | |
| Molly, Johnny and Kate sit down.
Preacher goes to lectern to deliver the message. | ||
| Preacher | Message | |
| Demonstrator moves to front to explain the actions of the next hymn. | ||
| Reader | Demonstrator's name will now explain the actions for the next hymn to us. | |
| Demonstrator explains the actions. | ||
| Reader | Please stand to sing the hymn : | |
| ( stage hand raises banner LOVE above blue curtain, then places prayer desk in front of altar. ) | ||
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| Reader | Please sit. | |
| ( Kate, Molly and Johnny come to centre. ) | ||
| Molly | "His banner over me is love". I like that idea. | |
| Kate | Yes, it's one of my favourite thoughts too. | |
| Johnny | Are there other ways that God protects us ? | |
| Kate | Yes, there are lots of other ways, far too many to fit into this service, but we thought we should say something about one other very important sort of protection and that is prayer.
Prayer, especially regular prayer, protects us from drifting away from God. We can pray in many different ways; we'll give you an example of praying from a Bible passage. | |
| Johnny | How does that work ? | |
| Kate | First you decide what you want to pray about, then find a Bible passage on that subject. What shall we pray about ? | |
| Molly | I still want to know more about protection. Can we pray about that ? | |
| Kate | Of course we can ! There's a good passage in St Paul's letter to the Ephesians where he talks about all sorts of protection - which he calls the armour of God. | |
| Johnny | How do we make that into a prayer ? | |
| Kate | Name of Reader will read a phrase and Name of Pray-er will give an example of how to use that phrase in our own prayer life. We will use this passage as our prayer time. | |
| Molly | I certainly need help with my prayers. | |
| Johnny | So do I. | |
| ( Kate, Johnny and Molly go and sit in their seats again;
Pray-er comes to front and kneels at prayer desk. ) | ||
| Reader | Please sit or kneel for our prayers.
Ephesians Chapter 6 verses 10-18, page 1309 of the church Bibles.
Finally, let us build up our strength in union with the Lord and by means of His mighty power. Put on all the armour that God gives us, so that we will be able to stand up against the Devil's evil tricks. For we are not fighting against human beings but against the wicked spiritual forces in the heavenly world, the rulers, the authorities, and cosmic powers of this dark age. So put on God's armour now ! Then when the evil day comes, we will be able to resist the enemy's attacks : and after fighting to the end, we will still hold our ground.
So stand ready ( Pray-er stands up )
with truth as a belt tight around our waist ... | |
| Pray-er | ( Miming tying a belt round their waist ) Reveal Your truth to us, O God, that we may understand more about Your glory and Your splendour. | |
| All | Reveal Your truth to us, O God, and protect us from ignorance. | |
| Reader | ... with righteousness as our breastplate ... | |
| Pray-er | ( miming fastening on a breast plate ) Forgive us for the things we have done wrong and enable us to live according to Your Will, O God. | |
| All | Forgive us, Lord, and enable us to live according to Your will and protect us from wrongdoing. | |
| Reader | ... and as our shoes the readiness to announce the Good News of peace. | |
| Pray-er | ( Miming putting shoes on ) Guide us, O God, to bring the Good News of peace to many people. | |
| All | Guide us as we spread the Good News of Your peace and protect us from timidity. | |
| Reader | At all times carry faith as a shield, for with it you will be able to put out all the burning arrows shot by the Evil One. | |
| Pray-er | ( Miming carrying a shield ) Increase our faith, O God, that we may discern and reject the lies of the Evil One. | |
| All | Increase our faith, O God, and protect us from deception. | |
| Reader | And accept salvation as a helmet ... | |
| Pray-er | ( Miming putting on a helmet ) We praise You, Jesus, for Your free gift of salvation, which You paid for with Your life. | |
| All | We praise You, Jesus, for Your free gift of salvation and Your protection against faithlessness. | |
| Reader | ... and the Word of God as a sword which the Spirit gives us. | |
| Pray-er | ( Miming holding a sword ) Thank You, Holy Spirit, for the Word of God that You plant in our minds, help us to speak Your Words with boldness. | |
| All | Thank You, Holy Spirit, for Your work in our lives and Your protection from superstition. | |
| ( Pray-er kneels down. ) | ||
| Reader | Do all this in prayer, asking for God's help. Pray on every occasion, as the Spirit leads. For this reason keep alert and never give up, pray always for God's people.
PAUSE Together we sing : | |
| 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. | |
| PAUSE
Pray-er returns to seat. | ||
| Molly, Kate and Johnny move to centre. | ||
| Kate | I hope you found that helpful. | |
| Molly | Yes, it's given me a lot to think over and pray about, especially the way you used that Bible passage to put on the armour of God. | |
| Kate | I often use passages from the Bible to help me pray. Another good one to use is the Lord's Prayer which we have just sung. | |
| Molly | Thank you. 'Bye, Kate ! | |
| Johnny | 'Bye ! | |
| Kate returns to her seat. Molly and Johnny and go to back down centre aisle. | ||
| Reader | Please stand to sing our final hymn : | |
| During this hymn stagehand puts up stand and "brass rubbing" of "armour of GOD" to Hospital side of organ, near lectern.
Two people move to the door to distribute "umbrella hand-outs" as people leave. | ||
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| Reader | Please remain standing for the Blessing :
BLESSING ( PAUSE ) We invite you to join us for a cuppa in the Hall at the end of this service. | |
