The Pack of Cards

 (Resource Pack  52 )                                                                              KEY  STAGE 1 &2                      

(from an old song sung by Max Bygraves.)

This assembly begins with a card trick, using Giant sized (and previously marked) cards. For script of card trick see my free assembly book, ‘But It’s Only Nine o’ Clock In The Morning.’

What I’ve just shown you was not real magic, it was just a trick…and that’s the truth! Let me tell you a story about someone who told the truth, and when he was in trouble and it saved him.

The Story of the Deck of Cards

An old song tells us of a group of young soldiers who had just returned from a battlefield having taken part in some very heavy fighting. The next morning being Sunday, several of the boys went to Church. Those of the boys who had a prayer book took them out, but this one boy had only a deck of cards, and so he spread them out.  The Sergeant in charge of the soldiers saw the cards and said, "Soldier put away those cards."  After the service was over, the soldier was taken before his Commanding Officer.

The CO said, "Sergeant, why have you brought the man here?"  "For playing cards in church, Sir."  "And what have you got to say for yourself?" he said to the young soldier.

 The soldier said, "Sir, I've been in a heavy battle and also on the march for about six days, I had neither Bible nor prayer book, only my cards, which I look at often.

With that, the boy started his story: You see Sir, when I look at the "ACE", it reminds me that there is but one God; And the "DEUCE" reminds me that the Bible is divided into two parts; The Old and the New Testaments; And when I see the "THREE", I think of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost;

And when I see the "FOUR", I think of the four Evangelists who preached the Gospel.  There was Matthew, Mark, Luke and John; And when I see the "FIVE", it reminds me of the five wise virgins who trimmed their lamps.  There were ten of them, five were wise and were saved.  Five were foolish and were shut out; And when I see the "SIX", it reminds me that in six days, God made this great heaven and earth;

When I see the "SEVEN", it reminds me that on the seventh day, God rested from His great work; And when I see the "EIGHT", I think of the eight good persons God saved when He destroyed this earth.  There was Noah, his wife, their three sons and their wives; And when I see the "NINE", I think of the lepers our Saviour cleansed.  And nine out of the ten didn't even thank Him.

When I see the "TEN", I think of the Ten Commandments God handed down to Moses on a table of stone;

When I see the "KING", it reminds me that there is but one King of Heaven, God Almighty; And when I see the "QUEEN", I think of the Blessed Virgin Mary, who is Queen of Heaven; And the "JACK" whose other name is the "KNAVE" …is the Devil;

When I count the number of spots on a deck of cards,

I find 365, the number of days in a year;

There are 52 cards, the number of weeks in a year;

There are 4 suits, the number of weeks in a month;

There are 12 picture cards, the number of months in a year;

So you see, Sir, my pack of cards serves me as a Bible, and Prayer Book, I carry them with me wherever I go.  THIS YOUNG SOLDIER TOLD THE SIMPLE TRUTH, AND IT SET HIM FREE!