Leader:

Good morning! Today we’re going to continue to look at the different ways we can praise God. Do you remember when we can praise God, who can praise God, where we can praise God, and how we can praise God?

Children:

Anytime, anyone, everywhere, and with noisy instruments!

Leader:

Those are all the right answers! The Bible tells us that everyone, everywhere, can praise God at any time in just about every way! Today we’re going to learn ​another way we can praise God: through the movements of our bodies. Psalm 150:4 says, “Praise [God] with . . . dance.” Everybody stand up, and let’s start our dance by reaching for God (start with your hands open and down beside your body, then raise your hands up high, like you’re reaching for the sky).

Children:

(Follow motion.)

Leader:

Now let’s show with our bodies how to receive God’s blessing. (Bring your hands down to your shoulder level, stretched outward like a cross.)

Children:

(Follow motion.)

Leader:

Now let’s bring God’s blessing into our hearts. (Swoop hands together and clasp out in front of yourself, then bring the hands to the heart.)

Children:

(Follow motion.)

Leader:

Now let’s thank God for God’s blessing. (Bring your hands away from your heart to a position of prayer. You may want to kneel down.)

Children:

(Follow motion.)

Leader:

Last, let’s share this blessing with everyone. (Swoop hands back out from the prayer position and spread outward from the body toward the congregation or one another.)

Children:

(Follow motion.)

Leader:

Wow, that was great! That was beautiful praising. Let’s invite the congregation to be involved too. (Invite congregation to stand, and, together with children, repeat motions. Since they won’t be able to kneel, you might suggest they sit instead.)

All:

(Follow motion with leader’s verbal instruction.)

Leader:

That was wonderful! Let’s do that one more time, this time in silence, and have that be our closing prayer. (Repeat sequence in silence.)