Jungle Book Scouts Own Service

 

SCOUTS OWN ALL FAITHS SERVICE
JUNGLE BOOK
 
Call to Worshi
From amidst our friends and family, God brings us here to participate in a community of faith, Christ’s people, a new family. From everyday conversations, talks, and chatter, God invites us to engage one another in dialogue, to speak in truth from the depths of hearts and minds, and to pray freely. Let us heed God’s call and rejoice in what God enables. Let us pray together.
 
A Scout’s Prayer
Our Father, make us Trustworthy for there are those who trust us. Make us Loyal, for through loyalty we reach our highest ideals. Teach us to be Helpful, for through helpfulness we forget ourselves. Make us friendly, for there are so many who need a friend.
 
Train us in courtesy, for courtesy is the carpet on life’s floor which deadens the sound of shuffling feet and adds warmth to silence. Make us Kind, for kindness is the oil in the cogs of life’s machinery. Insist upon our Obedience, for victory comes only to him who obeys.
 
Make us Cheerful, for cheerfulness is the green grass near the pebbles in the road.
 
Train us in Thrift, for thrifty habits brighten our future.
 
May we be Brave - Brave in the dark and brave in the light, but save us from becoming fakers in bravery.
 
Help us to be Clean in thought, speech and in deed, and may we remember that our bodies are thy holy temples, and that any abuse therefore is to tamper with the plans of the almighty architect.
 
Above all, O God, help us to be Reverent, not reverent only toward you, but reverent toward all things which you have made for enjoyment. When we are in Thy Great Out-of-doors, and among the trees, along the streams and the hillsides, may we know that it was you who made the waters to flow, the trees to reach heavenward, and the mountains to endure all ages.
 
In all these things we ask that thou will help us, and may we never forget the oath to which we all have pledged ourselves, and through your help may we never fall short of these things which we know all good Scouts to be.
 
Amen
 
 
Song - God Bless America
 
Oh, God Bless America, land that I love, 
Stand beside her and guide her,
Through the night,
With the light from above.
From the mountains, to the prairies,
To the oceans, white with foam,
God Bless America, my home sweet home.
(Pause)
God Bless America, land that I love, 
Stand beside her and guide her,
Through the night,
With the light from above.
From the mountains, to the prairies,
To the oceans, white with foam,
God Bless America, my home sweet home,
God Bless America, my home sweet home.
 
 
Meditation
 
Though the winter air was crisp, an early sun warmed our faces as we prepared to start a twenty-mile hike. We were properly dressed for the weather. We had our boots laced tightly to protect our feet from the cold water in the streams we knew we would have to ford. Our packs held our lunch, rain gear, dry socks, and first-aid supplies. We were prepared.
 
However, the sun soon faded from view as unexpected storm clouds covered the sky. Soon it was raining and our pace was slowed. The water in the streams was now too deep to ford, so we lost time finding better crossings. The rain changed to driving snow, and our footing became treacherous. We were losing time, and the day was slipping away.
 
The storm passed, but now it was getting dark and we still had several miles to go. It was at this point that we realized we were not prepared--we had no flashlights in our packs, not one. We stumbled along in the dark and finally, with great difficulty, finished the hike.
 
Some of the best training we receive comes as a result of our own mistakes, failures, omission--not being prepared. If this is true, why must mankind persist in making the same mistakes over and over?
 
Prayer: Dear God, help us learn from our mistakes. Help us be prepared to serve others as Christ has served us. Amen.


IF GOD SHOULD SPEAK:

 Our father which art in heaven . . .
“YES?”
Don’t interrupt me. I’m praying. . . Our father which art in heaven. . .
“THERE, YOU DID IT AGAIN.”
Did what?
“YOU CALLED ME. YOU SAID, “OUR FATHER WHICH ART IN HEAVEN.”
HERE I AM, WHAT’S ON YOUR MIND?
But I didn’t mean anything by it. I was, you know, just saying my prayer for the day. I always say
the Lord’s Prayer. It makes me feel good. . . kind of like getting a duty done.
“ALL RIGHT, GO ON.”
Hallowed be Thy name.
“HOLD IT! WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THAT?”
By what?
“HALLOWED BE THY NAME”
It means... it means... good grief! I don’t know what it means. How should I know? It’s just a part
of the prayer. By the way, what does it mean?
“IT MEANS HONORED, HOLY, WONDERFUL.”
Hey, that makes sense. I never thought about what “hallowed” meant before. “Thy kingdom come, 
Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”
“DO YOU REALLY MEAN THAT?”
Sure, why not?
“WHAT ARE YOU DOING ABOUT IT?”
Doing? Nothing, I guess. I just think it would be kind of neat if you got control of everything down here like
you have up there.
“HAVE I GOT CONTROL OF YOU?”
Well, I got to church.
“THAT ISN’T WHAT I ASKED YOU. WHAT ABOUT THAT HABIT OF SELFISHNESS YOU
HAVE? AND YOUR BAD TEMPER? YOU REALLY HAVE A PROBLEM THERE, YOU KNOW.
AND THERE’S THE WAY YOU SPEND YOUR MONEY, ALL ON YOURSELF.”
Stop picking on me! I’m just as good as some of the rest of the phonies at church!
“EXCUSE ME. I THOUGHT YOU WERE PRAYING FOR MY WILL TO BE DONE. IF THAT
IS TO HAPPEN, IT WILL HAVE TO START WITH THE ONES THAT ARE PRAYING FOR IT.
LIKE YOU, FOR EXAMPLE.”
Oh, all right. I guess I do have some hang-ups. Now that you mention it, I could probably name
some others.
“SO COULD I.”
I haven’t thought about it very much until now, but I really would like to cut out some of those things. I
would like to, you know, be really free of those faults.
“GOOD, NOW WE’RE GETTING SOMEWHERE. WE’LL WORK TOGETHER, YOU AND I, SOME
VICTORIES CAN BE TRULY WON. I’M PROUD OF YOU.
Look, Lord, I need to finish; this is taking a lot longer than it usually does. “Give us this day, our
daily bread.”
“YOU NEED TO CUT OUT THE BREAD, YOU’RE OVERWEIGHT AS IT IS.”
Hey, wait a minute! What is this, criticize me day? Here I was doing my religious duty and
all of a sudden you break in and remind me of all my hang-ups.
“PRAYING IS A DANGEROUS THING. YOU COULD WIND UP CHANGED, YOU KNOW.
THAT’S WHAT I AM TRYING TO GET ACROSS TO YOU. YOU CALLED ME, AND HERE I
AM. IT’S TOO LATE TO STOP NOW, KEEP ON PRAYING. I’M INTERESTED IN THE NEXT
PART OF YOUR PRAYER.”
I’m scared too.
“SCARED OF WHAT?”
I know what you’ll say.
“TRY ME AND SEE.”
Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
“WHAT ABOUT BILL?”
See! I knew it! I knew you would bring this up. Why, Lord, he’s told lies about me, cheated me out
of some money. He never paid back that debt he owes me. I’ve sworn to get even with him.
“BUT YOUR PRAYER? WHAT ABOUT YOUR PRAYER?”
I didn’t mean it.
“WELL, AT LEAST YOU ARE HONEST. BUT IT’S NOT MUCH FUN CARRYING THAT LOAD OF
BITTERNESS AROUND INSIDE, IS IT?”
No, but I’ll feel better as soon as I get even. Boy, have I got plans for old Bill. He’ll wish he never
gypped me.
“YOU WON’T FEEL ANY BETTER. YOU’LL FEEL WORSE, REVENGE ISN’T SWEET.
THINK OF HOW UNHAPPY YOU ALREADY ARE. BUT I CAN CHANGE ALL THAT.”
But, Lord, I can’t forgive Bill.
“THEN I CAN’T FORGIVE YOU.”
Oh, you’re right. You always are, and more than I want revenge on Bill, I want to be right with
you. (.....pause and sigh...)
All right, all right, I forgive him. Help him to find the right road in life, Lord. He’s bound to be
awfully miserable now that I think about it. Anybody who goes around doing the things he does
to others has to be out of it. Somehow, someway, show him the right way.
“THERE NOW! WONDERFUL. HOW DO YOU FEEL?”
Hmmm. Well, not too bad, not bad at all. In fact, I feel pretty great! You know, I don’t think I’ll
have to go to bed uptight for the first time since I can remember. Maybe I won’t be so tired from 
now on because I’m not getting enough rest.
“YOU’RE NOT THROUGH WITH YOUR PRAYER, GO ON.”
Oh, all right, “And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.”
“GOOD, GOOD, I’LL DO THAT. JUST DON’T PUT YOURSELF IN A PLACE WHERE YOU
CAN BE TEMPTED.”
What do you mean by that?
“CHANGE YOUR FRIENDSHIPS. SOME OF YOUR SO CALLED FRIENDS ARE BEGINNING TO
GET TO YOU. THEY’LL HAVE YOU COMPLETELY INVOLVED IN WRONG THINGS BEFORE
LONG. DON’T BE FOOLED. THEY ADVERTISE THEY ARE HAVING FUN, BUT FOR YOU, IT
WOULD BE LIKE RUIN. DON’T USE ME AS AN ESCAPE HATCH.”
I don’t understand.
“SURE YOU DO. YOU’VE DONE IT A LOT OF TIMES. YOU GET CAUGHT IN A BAD
SITUATION, YOU GET IN TROUBLE, AND THEN YOU COME RUNNING TO ME. “LORD,
HELP ME OUT OF THIS MESS, AND I PROMISE I WILL NEVER DO IT AGAIN.” YOU REMEMBER
SOME OF THOSE BARGAINS YOU TRIED TO MAKE WITH ME?”
Yes, and I’m ashamed, Lord, I really am.
“WHICH BARGAIN ARE YOU REMEMBERING?”
Well, when the woman next door saw me backing away from the neighborhood bar, I’d told my wife
I was going to the store. I remember telling you, “Oh, God, don’t let her tell my wife where I’ve
been. Let me get out of this one and I won’t do it again.”
“SHE DIDN’T TELL YOUR WIFE BUT YOU DIDN’T KEEP YOUR PROMISE, DID YOU?”
I’m sorry, Lord, I really am. Up until now, I thought that if I just prayed the Lord’s Prayer every
day, then I could do what I liked.
“GO AHEAD AND FINISH YOUR PRAYER.”
For thine is the kingdom and the power, and the glory, forever and ever, Amen.
“DO YOU KNOW WHAT WOULD BRING ME GLORY? WHAT WOULD MAKE ME HAPPY?”
No, but I’d like to know. I want to please you. I can see what a mess I’ve been making of my life, and I
can see how good it would be to really be one of your followers.
“YOU JUST ANSWERED MY QUESTION.”
I did?
“YES, THE THING THAT WOULD BRING ME GLORY IS TO HAVE PEOPLE LIKE YOU RESPOND
TO MY LOVE, AND I SEE THAT HAPPENING BETWEEN US. NOW THAT SOME OF THESE OLD
SINS ARE EXCUSED AND OUT OF THE WAY, THERE’S NO TELLING WHAT WE CAN DO
TOGETHER!”
Lord, let’s see what we can make of me, OK?
“YES, LET’S SEE”
 
Benediction
May the Lord bless you and take care of you; may the Lord be kind and gracious to you; may the
Lord look on you with favor and give you peace.
 
Closing Song- This Land is Your Land
 
This land, this land-
(Chorus:)
This land is your land,
This land is my land,
From California, to the New York island,
From the redwood forest to the gulf stream waters,
Hey, this land was made for you and me!
 
As I was walkin’, that ribbon of highways, 
I saw above me, that endless skyways,
I saw below me, that golden valley,
This land was made for you and me!
I’ve roamed and rambled and followed my footsteps,
To the sparkling sands of, the diamond desserts,
And all around me a voice was sounding,
Say, this land was made for you and me!
(Chorus)
 
This land, this land-
When the sun comes shinin’
And I was strollin’
And the wheat fields wavin’
And the dust clouds rollin’
and the fog was liftin’
a voice was chantin’
Say, this land was made for you and me!        
(Chorus)
 
Well, this land was made for you and me!
This land, land is your land,
This land, is my land,
This land, is our land.
This land!
 

 

 

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