Contemplative Prayer Stations

This worship station allows participants to worship God in an unconventional manner. Using physical postures to worship God.
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Directions for leadership:
Originally this station was meant to be used in tandem with other wordless worship station, forming an entire hour long service, but it can also be used individually.

Set up an area with mats and make it so people begin at one mat and end by the journal.

What you need:
Mats - or rugs or squares of carpet….
Small table and chair for the journal and pen…
journal and pen
Directions found below

Place by each mat a set of directions (found below). At the end place a community journal with a pen. Make sure you make it clear that there is a definite place to begin and end.
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Directions at each mat:

Mat #1 - kneeling 2 Chronicles 6:13ff., Acts 9:40ff; Philippians 2:9-11
Spend as much time here as you like before moving to another mat. Carefully move into the described position. What comes to mind when you do this? What memories or feelings does it trigger? If God were standing in front of you, what would you being saying to him with your posture? In what way do you think God is worshiped through this posture?

Mat # 2 - prostate on the ground Joshua 5:14; Mt. 26:39.
Spend as much time here as you like before moving to another mat. Carefully move into the described position. What comes to mind when you do this? What memories or feelings does it trigger? If God were standing in front of you, what would you being saying to him with your posture? In what way do you think God is worshiped through this posture?

Mat # 3 standing with arms raised above your head 1 Kings 8:22ff; Mark 11:25
Spend as much time here as you like before moving to another mat. Carefully move into the described position. What comes to mind when you do this? What memories or feelings does it trigger? If God were standing in front of you, what would you being saying to him with your posture? In what way do you think God is worshiped through this posture?

Mat # 4 standing with arms stretched out in front of you, palms up as if giving or receiving
Spend as much time here as you like before moving to another mat. Carefully move into the described position. What comes to mind when you do this? What memories or feelings does it trigger? If God were standing in front of you, what would you being saying to him with your posture? In what way do you think God is worshiped through this posture?

Mat # 5 standing, arms at side, and bowing every few seconds
Spend as much time here as you like before moving to another mat. Carefully move into the described position. What comes to mind when you do this? What memories or feelings does it trigger? If God were standing in front of you, what would you being saying to him with your posture? In what way do you think God is worshiped through this posture?

Mat # 6 sitting cross legged, arms in your lap or on your knees
Spend as much time here as you like before moving to another mat. Carefully move into the described position. What comes to mind when you do this? What memories or feelings does it trigger? If God were standing in front of you, what would you being saying to him with your posture? In what way do you think God is worshiped through this posture?

Mat # 7 laying on your back, knees up and arms behind head (as if in a hamock)
Spend as much time here as you like before moving to another mat. Carefully move into the described position. What comes to mind when you do this? What memories or feelings does it trigger? If God were standing in front of you, what would you being saying to him with your posture? In what way do you think God is worshiped through this posture?

Mat #8 Sign of the Cross Prayer. Make the sign of the cross either of your forehead or from your forehead to your tummy to your two shoulders (Eastern Christians touch the right shoulder first, then the left. Western Christians start with the left and move to the right shoulder.
There is no right or wrong way to cross yourself). The Cross Prayer + “in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,” reminds us that we are claimed by God through our baptism. Another variation is to repeat Galatians 2:19-20, “I am crucified with Christ, therefore I no longer live. Jesus Christ now lives in me.”

Directions for next to Journal:
To finish, write any thoughts you had about this experience. You may sign it only if you want to.

This worship station allows participants to worship God in an unconventional manner. Using art to trigger thoughts and emotions, people are allowed to think about how God is worshiped in this manner.
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Directions for leadership:
Originally this station was meant to be used in tandem with other wordless worship station, forming an entire hour long service, but it can also be used individually.

Set up several long tables to display the art/photography in frames and make it so people begin at one spot and end by the journal.

What you need:
Art work!
Photography! *note: it is really cool if someone in the group who is good st this sort of thing were to interpret a psalm or something through their medium of choice.
journal and pen
Directions found below

Display the art/photography as nicely as possible. At the end place a community journal with a pen. Next to each piece, set the direction below. Make sure you make it clear that there is a definite place to begin and end.
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Directions:
Spend as much time here as you like before moving to another art piece. Look at the item intently. What comes to mind as you look at it? What memories or feelings does it trigger? In what ways does this make you think of God? Or if it does not, why? In what way do you think God is worshiped through this piece of visual art?

Directions for next to the journal:
To finish, write any thoughts you had about this experience. You may sign it only if you want to.

This station uses our sense of taste to bring to mind different ways in which we worship God, perhaps with out realizing it.
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Directions for leadership:
Originally this station was meant to be used in tandem with other wordless worship stations, forming an entire hour long service, but it can also be used individually.

Set up several long tables in a row and make it so people begin at one spot and end by the journal.

What you need:
Large Bowls
Sanitation wipes for at the beginning and a trash bin
bread
Gape Juice - in a pitcher… with lots of Dixie cups next to it and a trash bin
cheese - cut into lots of squares
olives
fruit of what ever sort
nuts - although be careful because of allergies!
Berries of what ever sort
Veggies of what ever sort
mint leaves
Any other things that can be tasted…
Directions found below

Place each item in a bowl and set them along the tables with a chair in front of each one. At the end place a community journal with a pen. Next to each bowl and then the journal set the direction below. Make sure you make it clear that there is a definite place to begin and end.
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Directions for next to bowls:
Spend as much time here as you like before moving to another bowl. Eat one item in the bowl. What is their texture and taste? What comes to mind when you taste it? What memories or feelings does it provoke? In what ways does this make you think of God? Or if it does not, why? In what ways do you think this may worship God?

Directions for next to the journal:
To finish, write any thoughts you had about this experience. You may sign it only if you want to.

Worries can rob us of Life. This contemplative prayer station uses Alka-Seltzer as a visual that accompanies giving worries to God.
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Directions for Leadership:

Set up a table or two with a table cloth and chairs. Wet out a few really large glass bowls ( could hold a gallon of water) and fill them with water. Next to the bowls place the directions below and a plate with Alka-Seltzer Tablets. Note: After a while the water becomes insoluble (to full of bubbles!) and someone will need to change it.

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Directions:

In Jesus’ teachings, the subject of worry comes up and He asks, “And which of you, by worrying, can add a single day to your life?” The answer is obviously no one! He then looks around the hill side where everyone is sitting and sees the birds and flowers and tells everyone that if God takes care of these things, how much more God wants to take care of us. (Luke 12:22-29)

Take a tablet of Alka-Seltzer in you hand and think of the things you are worried about right now. Drop the tablet into the bowl of water. Watch the bubbles rise to the top as the tablet dissolves, as you let your worries dissolve. As you watch, pray to God, giving up those worries one by one. When finished, ask God to help you to Trust him.