Script for White Sunday Order of Service
Ruth Caughley shares a service to celebrate White Sunday which is a special service for people from Samoa to be held on Sunday, 13 October 2002
| ITEM | WHO | CHILDREN'S WORDS |
| Entry | All children, dressed in white… or white tops.. | Sing a well known song as parade in. |
| Notices | Young person acting as MC for the service, dressed in white cassock and bow tie! | Welcome to our service this morning. We especially welcome visitors and new people. Everyone is invited to stay afterwards for a Shared Lunch with us children. You are reminded to read the notices printed in the bulletin.Are there any other notices for today? |
| Birthdays | MC | Has anyone had a birthday since the last time they were at church? If so, give them a gift. Let us sing our birthday song for them. |
| MC: THOUGHT FOR TODAY - INTRO. | MC | M…… is going to read the Thought for Today. Please say the words in bold print. |
| THOUGHT FOR TODAY | M….., a child reads responsively with the congregation | Today we are celebrating the Samoan White Sunday. We thank God for you, our children. You are like stars in a dark sky. You bring God’s love to us in special ways. God really does love you and me. Everybody belongs in God’s family. |
| MC: INTRO PRAYER | MC | P…………………. Is going to lead us in prayer. |
| OPENING PRAYER | Led by a child | Let us pray: God, so cool, we are glad to come here today. We come to give you thanks for all the things you have made. We want to sing, pray and listen to what you say to us because we want to be more like Jesus - loving you and loving our neighbour. Help us enjoy our service and each other. In Jesus name. Amen. |
| MC: CHOIR | ………………… | The Children’s Choir will sing 2 songs. |
| CHILDREN’S CHOIR | 2 songs | |
| MC: PRAYER | MC | R…………..Will lead us in prayer, ending with the Lord’s Prayer. |
| PRAYER | Led by 4 children | Let us pray: |
| 1.How awesome you are, O God. However did you think up our world - the elephant and the ant, the worm and the tiger, the peacock and the snake, kiwis and kangaroos kauri trees and daffodils, sunrises and sunsets, waterfalls and lakes, volcanoes and icebergs? We praise you for making them all! |
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| 2. Thank you God, for making people like me. I am glad I can think, see, hear, smell and taste. That I can run, jump, hop and skip, That I can shout, sing, laugh and cry. That I can love, hope and have faith in you. |
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| 3.Thank you God for parents, brothers and sisters, aunts and uncles, grandpas and grandmas. Thank you for families to belong to, and for the family of (church). |
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4.Forgive us for the times in the last week when we have
We ask you to forgive us now in Jesus’ name. ….pause…. Our Father in heaven hallowed be your name, |
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| MC: SOLO | S……. will sing us a song | |
| SOLO | A child | |
| MC: CHILDREN’S TALK | MC | Will all the children please come out to the front for Children’s Time which will be led by J… and A…. |
| CHILDREN’S TALK | Two teachers | |
| MC: CHILDREN’S CHOIR | MC | The congregation will now sing 2 songs with the Children’s Choir |
| CHILDREN’S CHOIR | Choir and congregation | |
| MC: CHILDREN LEAVE | MC | While the children leave to go and get ready for their play, we invite the Youth Singers to lead the congregation in 2 songs. Our offering will be received during the second song. |
| YOUTH SINGERS | ||
| OFFERING | Taken up by children not in the play | |
| MC: OFFERING PRAYER | MC | Let us pray: Thank you God for everything we have. You made it all. You are very kind.Take our ‘thank you’ gifts to love others in Jesus name. Amen. |
| MC: PLAY | MC | The Kids’ Time kids and helpers present a brand new production of the Bible drama: ‘Ruth and Naomi!’ |
| CONCLUSION | Read responsively by two children | We think Ruth was a great girl! She had lots of strength and courage. Ruth was loyal to Naomi through bad times and good. And it’s scary to go and live in a strange country with different customs. We are glad that God made her the great grandmother of King David and an ancestor of Jesus. She was worthy of the honour. Both David and Jesus had her faith, strength, loyalty and courage. May we be as loyal to our families, our God and God’s family. |
| MC: 2 SONGS | MC | The Children’s Choir will lead the congregation in singing 2 of their songs |
| CHILDREN’S CHOIR SONGS | Children and congregation | |
| MC: PRAYER | MC | U……………….. will now lead us in prayers for others and ourselves. |
| PRAYERS FOR OTHERS | Led by 4 children | 1. God, you care about people more than any other, You want your world to be a peaceful and happy place, Please answer our prayers for other people. |
| 2.God, we are glad you like children. We pray for the kids at our schools, and our brothers and sisters at home. Help us get on with each other and grow to be like Ruth: strong, loyal, loving and full of courage. |
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| 3.God, you care about sick people, especially those who cry with pain. We ask you to heal the sick people we can think of right now ….pause… Bring to them fun and laughter again. |
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| 4.We pray for the people everywhere who are hungry, and hiding in fear, from bombs and other bad things. We all need your help to build a safe and friendly world. So answer our prayer in Jesus’ name. Amen. |
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| MC: SAMOAN HYMN | Congregation | Let us stand and sing the Samoan hymn: Faafetai i le Atua, which is number 629 in the red hymn book. It will also be on the overhead. |
| MC: BENEDICTION | MC | Let us join hands together and bless each other with the words of The Grace as on the overhead. |
We used two boys in Forms I and II to alternate as MCs. They loved it!!
Ruth and Naomi
Old Naomi is seated on one side. In runs her grandson, Obed, who is eight years old. He stands beside her.
Old Naomi: Obed, it is your birthday today! Make a wish!
Obed: Grandma, please tell me a story.
Tell me again about how my parents met.
Old Naomi: Sit down here, (Obed sits) it will take a long time to tell.
It all began when I was young, and my sons were your age............
Old Naomi stays sitting at the side with Obed and begins to tell the story as if they are watching a video of the events of long ago ...
Old Naomi: It all began like this:
Our family lived in Bethlehem,
There was me, your grandfather, your Dad and his brother.
We loved it here among our family and friends.
But then there was a bad famine in all Israel
and no rain fell on Bethlehem. Nothing grew.
We were so hungry that one day my husband said:
Husband: 'I have heard there is food in Moab
We will starve if we stay here. Our family will have to move away.
Let's go and live among the friendly Moabites.'
Young Naomi, her husband and two sons pack bags and set up camp on
the opposite side of the stage to Old Naomi.
Obed: How long were you gone?
Old Naomi: For ten whole years.
Obed: What happened next?
Old Naomi: Your grandfather, and father and uncle all died.
Two sons and husband leave young Naomi on her own at the side of the stage.
She is joined by her two daughters-in-law.
Old Naomi: I decided to go back to Bethlehem and my old home.
The famine was over, my daughters-in-law, Orpah and Ruth decided
to come too. They started out on the journey with me.
Young Naomi and her two daughters-in-law, Orpah and Ruth,
carry their bags to centre stage.
But I was not happy that they were leaving their families and friends
behind, so I said to Ruth and Orpah:
Young Naomi: 'Go back home and stay with your own mothers.
You are young enough to marry again.
Stay in your own land where you belong.'
Young Naomi hugs Ruth and Orpah good bye
and points out the way to go back home.
Orpah No! Let us stay with you. We will go with you to your people in Bethlehem.
Young Naomi: No, you must go back home, my daughters. You must marry again and have children of your own people. Me? I'll go to my home.
It is OK. I'm just sorry to see you waste your lives on an old woman!
Orpah hugs Young Naomi again and leaves. Ruth refuses to follow 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 my God.
Wherever you die, I will die, and that is where I will be buried.
Old Naomi: So Ruth came here with me.
Ruth and Young Naomi walk to the side of the stage and face each other..
Old Naomi: When we arrived in Bethlehem,
We had no food to eat, but it was harvest time.
Ruth picks up an empty bag and looks inside, shakes her head.
Ruth: Let me go out to the fields with the other poor women
and gather up some barley and wheat for the winter.
Young Naomi: Go ahead daughter.
Old Naomi: Obed, your mother went to the fields of a rich relative called Boaz.
Obed: I know him very well!
As he speaks children enter and mime harvesting wheat.
Ruth carries her bag, pretending to fill it with dropped grain.
Boaz: Who is that strange girl working in my field?
She is not from Bethlehem.
Worker: No, she is the foreign girl from Moab who came back with Naomi.
She has worked hard all morning and has only now stopped for a rest.
Boaz (to Ruth): Let me give you some advice.
Just work in my fields where I will make sure you are safe.
When you are thirsty, have a drink from my water jars over there.
Ruth: Why are you so kind, Sir, when I'm a foreigner and you don't know me?
Boaz: I have heard how good you are to Naomi.
You left your own people to come and live here with her and to help her.
May the Lord reward you for what you have done.
Ruth: You are so kind. You make me feel at home.
Boaz: Come and have some of the workers' lunch.
They pretend to eat lunch, then get up to work again.
Boaz calls a worker to him.
Boaz: Make sure you leave plenty of grain for Ruth to pick up and keep it a secret that I told you to!
Ruth pretends to gather a big bag of grain.
Then she walks home to Young Naomi standing at the side.
Young Naomi: What a big bag of grain you gathered today!
Ruth: Yes, I went to Boaz's field and he was so kind.
Young Naomi: Ah-haa! He is a relative of mine. Keep working in his field as he told you. I have an idea!
Old Naomi (To Obed): Obed, your Mum, Ruth, kept working in Boaz's fields and Boaz admired the way she cared for me. Towards the end of the harvest there was a party night and I told Ruth about my idea.
Young Naomi: Ruth, I think Boaz likes you very much and I see you like him.
We have a custom here that when a husband dies, a close relative must marry his widow and give her children to raise as heirs for her first husband's family.
Tonight there is a party on the threshing floor and the workers sleep there all night. I want you to stay and sleep close to Boaz's feet.
He will notice you and you can tell him you are willing to marry him.
The workers pretend to have a party then lie down to sleep.
Ruth finds a place at his feet. Boaz moves and wakes up.
Boaz: Who is that?
Ruth: It is I, Ruth. I wanted to talk to you privately. You are a close relative. Marry me please.
Boaz: The Lord bless you. You are showing great family loyalty. I think you are a fine woman and I could not have a better wife. I will do what you ask. I will give you heaps of grain to take home, too.
Boaz piles Ruth's bag full with grain and they leave as do all the workers.
The next scene is at the town gate. The town elders are seated in a row.
Boaz comes in with another relative and stands in front of them.
Boaz: Now that Naomi has come back she wants to sell her husband's field. It should stay in the family. (Boaz turns to his relative)
Boaz: You are a closer relative than I, will you buy Naomi's field?
Relative: Yes, I will buy it.
Boaz: You realise you must marry Ruth, her daughter-in-law,
so the field stays in her dead husband's family?
Relative: In that case I give up my right to the field,
because my children could not inherit it. You buy it; I'd rather not.
Here is my sandal to seal the deal.
(He takes off his sandal and gives it to Boaz)
Boaz: Everyone here is a witness. I buy Naomi's field and I will marry Ruth.
Everyone: We are witnesses.
Old Naomi: Obed, and so your Dad Boaz married your Mum Ruth.
And I have a very special grandson who is eight years old today!
Obed: Thanks, Grandma. I like our story best of all.
Narrator: And that is not the end of the story. Obed grew up and had a son called Jesse. Jesse had eight sons and his youngest son was King David, the greatest king of all Israel!