Contemplative Prayer Stations

This contemplative prayer station is great because the end result are flowers that grow every spring and serve as a visual reminder over the years.
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Directions for Leadership:

Set up a table that has little pieces of paper, writing utensils and a basket of bulbs ready for planting. Have the directions placed in an obvious spot, arrows on the floor for people to follow out side to the planting area, and another set of directions. Make sure the planting area in ready to go, the earth soft, watering cans full, trowls scattered around, a basket with popcycle sticks (or some other way to mark where things are planted) and perhaps a place to wash dirty hands (bowl of water and towel).

This station is best done in the fall… as that is the time for planting bulbs! *grin*

For added items on the table you can hang pictures of hope, place quotes and scriptures that address hope. I think we placed something up that talked about the liturgical calendar and how spring is a time of hope made new. I am sorry I don’t remember more clearly… this is one of the stations I lost my notes on.

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Example Directions for on the Table:

Inside:
Invite God into this space and take a moment to just thank God for every good thing in your life.
Then go through all the things in your life that you are hoping for. Examine those things. Why do you hope for each of those things? Settle on one of those hopes and write it on a slip of paper.

Now, take that hope and pick one of the bulbs from the basket. Follow the arrows out side.

Outside:
Dig a hole and plant your hope in the ground (place the slip of paper beneath the bulb!) making sure to water it a bit to settle the earth in around it. Then place a marker over the spot to mark your spot.

As you do all this, pray your hope with your hands, letting go of this hope and handing it over to the care of our creator God.