Lord Baden-Powell University of Scouting. Inter-Faith Religious Service

Transcription

1 Lord Baden-Powell University of Scouting Inter-Faith Religious Service March 17, 2002 "A Scouting Challenge to You In 2002 and Beyond" UNISON PRAYER Camper's Prayer God of the mountains and hills, make me strong; Tall enough and strong enough to n'ght some wrong. God of the stars, make me steadfast and sure; God of every lake and stream, flow through my life and make it clean; Let me do nothing base and mean. God of the seed and soil, plant in my heart Thy love; God of the glon'ous dawn, make each day a fresh start. God of the evening peace and quiet, keep me free from fear and stn'fe; God of the gay, free birds, s'mg'm my heart. God of the surging waves and sea, wide horizons give to me; Help me to see the world as thou wouldst have it to be; God of the lovely rose, make me lovely too; God of the morning dew, each day my faith renew. God of all growing things, keep me growing, too.

2 A CALL TO WORSHIP Hallelujah Praise God in Hs sanctuary; Praise Him in His mighty expanse. Praise Him for His mighty deeds; Praise Him according to Hs excellent greatness. Praise Him with trumpet sound; Praise Him with harp and lyre. Praise Him with timbrel and danc'mg; Praise Hirn with stringer 'instruments and pipe. Praise Him with loud qmbals; Praise Him with resounding cymbals. Let everything that hath breath Praise the Lord. Hallelujah. AMERICA, THE BEAUTIFUL 0, beautiful for spacious skies, For arnber waves of grain, For purple mountain maj'esties, 'Above the fruited plain! America! America! God shed Ffis Grace on thee, And crown thy good with brotherhood From sea to shining sea. 0, beautiful for pilgrim feet, Whose stern, impassioned stress, A thoroughfare for freedom beat, Across the wademess! America! America! God mend thine every flaw, Confirm thy soul 'in self-control, Thy liberty in law! 0, beautiful for heroes proved, In liberating strife, Who more than self their country loved, And mercy more than fife! America! America! May God thy gold refine, Td all success be nobleness, And every gain divine! 0, beautiful for patriot dream, That sees beyond the years, Thine alabaster cities gleam, Undimmed by human tears. America! America! God shed Hs Grace on thee, And crown thy goodwith brotherhood From sea to shining sea. A CALL TO WORSHIP

3 I asked God for strength, that I might achieve, I was made weak, that I might learn humbly to obey. I asked for health, that I might do greater things, I was given infirmity, that I might do better things. I asked for riches, that I might be happy, I was given poverty, that I might be wise. I asked for power, that I might have the praise of men, I was given weakness, that I might feel the need of God. I asked for all things, that I might enjoy life, I was given life, that I might enjoy all things. I got nothing that I asked for - but every thing I had hoped for. Almost depiste myself my unspoken prayers were answered. I am among all men most richly blessed. A SCOUT'S PRAYER - Unknown Confederate soldier Our father, make us trustworth for there are those who trust us. Make us loyal, for through loyalty we reach out 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 fife'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, in speech and in deed, and may we remember that our bodies are thy holy temples, and that any abuse therefore is to temper with the plans of the almighty architect. Above all, 0 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.

4 AN INDIAN VERSION OF THE TWENTY-THIRD PSALM The great father above a shepherd chief He is. I am His and with Him I want not. He throws out to me a rope and the name of the rope is love and he draws men towhere the grass is green and the water not dangerous, and I eat and lie down and am satisfied. Sometimes my heart is veryweak and falls down but He lifts me up again and draws me into a good road. Hs name is wonderful. Sometime, it may be very soon, it may be a long, long time, He will draw me into a valley. It is dark there, but I'll be afraid not, for it is in between those mountains that the shepherd chief will meet me and the hunger that I have in my heart all through this life will be satisfied. Sometimes He turns the love rope into a whip, but afterwards he give me a staff to lean upon. He spreads a table before me with all kinds of goods. He put his hand upon my head and all the "tired" is gone. My cup He fills til it runs over. What I tell is true. I lie not. These roads that are "away ahead" will stay with me through this life and after; and afterwards I will go to live in the big tepee and sit down with the shepherd chief forever.

5 For attractive lips, speak words of kindness. For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people. For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry. BEAUTY SECRETS For beautiful hair, let a child run his fingers through it once a day. For poise walk with the knowledge you never walk alone. We leave you a tradition of the future. The tender loving care of human beings will never become obsolete. People, even more than things, have to be restores, renewed, revived, reclaimed, redeemed and redeemed and redeemed. Never throw anyone a-way. Remember, if you ever need a helping hand, your find one at the end of your arm. As you grow older, you'll discover that you have two hands: One for helping yourself, the second for helping others. You have great days still ahead of you. May there be many of them.

6 Lord, where shall I find You? Your glory fills the world. Where the ploughman breaks through the hard soil, Where the quarryman explodes stone out of the hillside, Where the rm'ner digs metals out of the reluctant earth, Where men earn their bread by the sweat of their brow, Among the lonely, the poor, the lowly, and the lost, You are with them in blazing heat and shattering storm. In the rru'nd free to sm'l by its own star, In words that spring from the depth of truth, Where endeavor reaches undepain'ng for perfection, Wherever men struggle for Justice and freedom, Where the scientist tous to unravel the secrets of Your world, Wherever the poet makes beauty out of words, Wherever noble deeds are done. In the merry shouts of children at their play, In the mother's lifflaby, as she rocks her baby'm the cradles, In the sleep falling on his infant eyelids, And in the smile that dances on his sleeping lips. When dawn comes up golden, bearing gifts, And in the fall of evening ranging peace and rest from the Western sea, In the 'oy that flows from heaven with morning light, In the current of life flowing day and Might through all things, throbbing in my sinews and 'in the dust of the earth. In blades of grass beyond count, in every leaf and flower. In the wealth of joys that quickly fade, In the pulse of the life that comes from eternity and dances in my own blood, In birth, which renews the generations continually, And in death, knocking on the doors of life. O my God, Give me the strength never to cast off one in need, Never to bend the knee before a haughty tyrant, Give me strength to lift my spirit above the trivial, To bear lightly my'oys and my sorrows, Arid in love to surrender all my strength to Your Will. For great are the gifts You have given me; The sky and the light. This my flesh. Life and soul - invaluable, treasures of life and love.

7 For the blessings which You lavish upon us in forest and sea, In mountain and meadow, in rain and sun, we thank YOU. For the blessings You implant within us, joy and peace, Meditation and laughter, we are grateful to YOU. For the blessings of friendship and love, of family and community; For the blessings we ask of you and those we cannot ask; For the blessings YOU bestow upon us openly and those you give us in secret; For all these blessings, O Lord of the universe, we thank YOU and are grateful to YOU. For the blessings we recognize and those we fail to recognize; For the blessings of our tradition and of our holy days, For the blessings of return and forgiveness, of memory, of vision and of hope, For all these blessings which surround us on every side, 0 Lord, hear our thanks and accept our gratitude. KUM ~ BA ~ YAH A Scout is trustworthy, Lord, Kum ba yah! A Scout is loyal, Lord, Kum ba yah! A Scout is helpful, Lord, Kum ba yah! A Scout is friendly, Lord, Kum ba yah! A Scout is courteous, Lord, Kum ba yah! A Scout is kind, Lord, Kum ba yah! A Scout is obedient, Lord, Kum ba yah! A Scout is cheerful, Lord, Kum ba yah! A Scout is thrifty, Lord, Kum ba yah! A Scout is brave, Lord, Kum ba yah! A Scout is clean, Lord, Kum ba yah! A Scout is reverent, Lord, Kum ba yah!