Welcome and opening prayer
Opening Praise
As the last song comes to an end, women with small child in tow scurries up the first aisle. At this time a tape of her thoughts comes on. Start tape
"Oh no ! I'm late. Oh how I wanted to hide in the back the first day at a new church. (pause) Two seats together that's all I ask. Two seats, two seats. …. Wrong aisle, wrong aisle! Front row seats, just great. (pause) We missed the singing and it sounded so nice. I hope they do more, I always liked singing when I was a kid. I hope Billy listens good (pause) and is good! Oh please be good. (pause, look at Billy) Lets see what they have to offer here. ( opens bulletin) Baby room, toddler room, Sunday school. Oh good Billy can go off to Sunday school, and what's this an elders meeting? Must be a seniors group. (pause) Now what does this bible verse say in here? But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, and self control."
"The people here seem nice. They keep smiling. "
Stop tape
Prayer
Children: Story, Song, Prayer, Dismissal
(Billy goes up for children's story)
Start tape
"I think I'll go see where Billy goes"
Stop tape
Women leaves as children go out, she goes with them into the foyer. (this is how we get her off the stage)
Offering - announced
Start tape
Women enters and sits where ever she wants in the church.
"Now that Billy is in Sunday school, I can sit anywhere. Just me only one seat required."
"They want my money I new there was a catch, I should have escaped while I had my chance. Yet it says here that if I am a visitor, I shouldn't feel like I have to give. What is with these people here anyway. Here they are giving their money away, and they're still smiling. Maybe it's because they have everything in their lives together, but then again I know that guy over there. How can he be so messed up and be a Christian. Woe! I better look at myself before I even think that. Well maybe you don't have to have everything in your life perfect to be a Christian."
"So what do they do with all this cash? I'll bet that preacher is just stashing it away and building an amusement park, like the guy on TV did. He looks shifty.(pause) No, that can't be it. Look at all these things that are offered here in these leaflets. That's probably where the money goes. Oh, and this is where Nelson avenue Day Care is. I've heard such good things about it.
Stop tape
Brief community prayer
Scripture: John 15:1-7
Text: Galatians 5:22-23
Message:
"Don't these people ever stop smiling. Joyful, Joyful, la, la, la. Maybe you just have to smile a lot to be a good Christian……No that can't be it."
"Maybe they pray so their lives will be better. (pause) Maybe they pray like Janice Joplin for a Mercedes Benz. No, just Fords and Chevys in the parking lot. So they're just plain folk like me."
"So you don't have to have everything in your lives together to be here. You don't even need a car. It must be the prayer thing, that makes them Christians. It sure can't be the smiling, because look at that lady over there."
Stop tape
Songs
Blessing & Closing