HOWARD BE THY NAME
Author: Unknown
Topic: Praying
Length: 2-3 minutes
Puppets: Glenn, Reba, and Sidney
Teacher (one of the curtain holders)
Target Audience: All ages
Glenn, Reba, and Sidney appear about 2 seconds apart, each looking around at the audience checking out who is there.
T: Now class, today we are going to talk about some
names we might use when we pray to God. Can anyone think of some names you might
use?
G: I usually just say, "Dear Lord," when I start my prayers.
T: Good Glenn! Jesus is our Lord because that word means master. He is our
Master, and we are supposed to serve Him.
R: Sometimes I say, "Dear Father," when I'm praying because I am His child
through baptism.
T: Good Reba. God is also our Heavenly Father. (brief pause) Does anyone know of
other names for God we might use?
G: Could you say, "Dear Savior?"
T: Sure! Jesus is our Savior because He died to save us from our sins. Good
Glenn.
S: (anxiously wanting to participate) I know a name for God. . . Howard!
T: (sympathetically) Sidney, I'm not sure you understand. . . . .
S: But. . . but, that's what I call God when I pray to Him.
R: I've never heard of "Howard" as a name for God (chuckles to herself).
S: (a little defensive) It's in the Lord's Prayer . . . "Our Father who art in
heaven, HOWARD be Thy name . . ."
Pause
T: (Chuckling) Oh Sidney, that's "HALLOWED be Thy name." It means God's name is
a special name, a holy name.
S: Gee. I've been praying to Howard all this time. (Sadly) I guess God never
heard my prayers.
G: (reassuring) I'm sure He did, Sidney. He knew what you meant.
R: (enthusiastically) Yeah! God knows everything. He promises to answer all of
our prayers.
S: I'm glad God listens to my prayers even though I was calling Him Howard.
G: I'm glad, too, Sidney. God not only listens to our prayers, He loves us very
much. So much that He sent His only son ,Jesus, to die on the cross for us. By
believing in Jesus as our Savior, we can go to heaven.
T: That's right Glenn. God really does love us. You know what, I can think of
another way to start our prayers that nobody has said.
G: What's that?
T: Sometimes I start my prayers by just saying, "Dear Jesus."
R: (excited) Hey! I know a song that's named "Dear Jesus." Do you think we could
sing it for everybody?
T: Sure! You start us out Reba . . . . (sing 2 verses with other Ambassadors
joining in)
(Puppets exit after song)
